Multiple hens with waterbelly. help!

[dlm]

About 1 month ago, I had a chicken die who exibited signs of waterbelly and respiratory distress. About a week after she passed, another chicken got a very fluid filled abdomen. I drained it and it was a clearer yellowy fluid that didn't smell. Now i have another hen starting to act like its getting fluid build up too. What could be causing this? The two most recent hens show no signs of distress, continue eating and drinking, ect.

 

[GoosesGeeses]

@Wyorp Rock @azygous @Eggcessive

 

[azygous]

A diet too high in carbs can add fatty weight to a chicken and cause fatty liver disease. It's a long term problem and probably adjusting their diet would be the first step. Once fatty liver, it's not usually fixable after liver damage has occurred.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

A diet too high in carbs can add fatty weight to a chicken and cause fatty liver disease. It's a long term problem and probably adjusting their diet would be the first step. Once fatty liver, it's not usually fixable after liver damage has occurred.

X2
The ascites is really a very visible symptom of another underlying issue. The fact that multiple birds are being affected so this is something likely related to environment/management. Diet is the first thing that comes to mind, because it is one of the leading causes of the underlying condition. What are you currently feeding? Include not only commercial feed but anything else that you are adding to their diet. Do the birds free range and have the opportunity to have a lot of activity or are they can find to a relatively small space and not able to get a lot of exercise? You mentioned the first word had the ascites as well as signs of respiratory distress, what were those signs that you saw? Well, yes, the fluid build up itself can create respiratory distress because it occupies space that the lungs can no longer occupy, depending on the other symptoms you observed there could be other underlying causes at play

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. How old are the chickens you are seeing with water belly? Ascites/water belly is yellow fluid present inside the abdomen from liver disease. Several things may cause this, such as egg yolk peritonitis, cancer, fatty liver disease, and heart failure, especially in meat birds. What do you feed your birds? Chickens should get a balanced layer or all flock feed when adults, and a chick starter as young birds. If you feed a diet high in corn, table scraps, or scratch grains, they may eat way too much and get fatty liver disease. You can open up a chicken who dies to take pictures of the organs during a necropsy/autopsy. Or you can send one off to your state vet for a more professional necropsy to get a diagnosis. If you see a huge amount of fat inside the body and a tan or pale liver, that is a sign of fatty liver. Here is where to contact the state vet lab for a necropsy:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...SQh9A7M5ASpUXnwm_3WGQJx37cMa5ViFHpNADK4Hk8R0A