ChickenMiniRaptorKeeper
In the Brooder
- Sep 17, 2024
- 2
- 13
- 24
Hi New Member…. I grew up with chickens, the last 4 years I’ve bought property that allows me to own chickens. I currently have 41 birds (2 are guineas), I have an old outbuilding/garage that I use as a coop… birds are fenced in, but I do have some convicts.
I’ve encountered many heartbreaking situations but I’m stumped on this latest… I have a hen (less than 2 years) who has water belly. I’ve been draining every few days, but every thing I read says death sentence or I should only drain every few months. While she lives in my bathroom (2 months now) I take her outside to see her friends, while she still walks like a penguin she fights other birds, has a ferocious appetite I’d say 80% of the time… I only drain her belly when it’s tight and hard, which again is every few days… I use an 18 gauge needle, and after withdrawing about 40 ML of clear to cloudy yellow liquid… I naturally let it drain as there is a large quantity dripping as she walks around.
At the end of the day, I bathe her butt and wet area, and blow dry her… which she enjoys immensely, and she’ll stand by the sink and wait for her bath…
Since I figured out, what is going on with her, she no longer struggles to breathe, but I really would like her to live in the coop, but I don’t trust the other chickens, nor does she have a good balance, and she does sleep quite often standing up in her penguin stance.
Can I be doing anything else to keep her comfortable or help integrate her back to her flock, I’m afraid I’ve imprinted on her and she’s now my fourth house dog.. lol
Thank you for any kind suggestions.
I’ve encountered many heartbreaking situations but I’m stumped on this latest… I have a hen (less than 2 years) who has water belly. I’ve been draining every few days, but every thing I read says death sentence or I should only drain every few months. While she lives in my bathroom (2 months now) I take her outside to see her friends, while she still walks like a penguin she fights other birds, has a ferocious appetite I’d say 80% of the time… I only drain her belly when it’s tight and hard, which again is every few days… I use an 18 gauge needle, and after withdrawing about 40 ML of clear to cloudy yellow liquid… I naturally let it drain as there is a large quantity dripping as she walks around.
At the end of the day, I bathe her butt and wet area, and blow dry her… which she enjoys immensely, and she’ll stand by the sink and wait for her bath…
Since I figured out, what is going on with her, she no longer struggles to breathe, but I really would like her to live in the coop, but I don’t trust the other chickens, nor does she have a good balance, and she does sleep quite often standing up in her penguin stance.
Can I be doing anything else to keep her comfortable or help integrate her back to her flock, I’m afraid I’ve imprinted on her and she’s now my fourth house dog.. lol
Thank you for any kind suggestions.
