Now I Have a Bloated Chicken !!! ............. Help Please

[seminolewind]

Jen, how are your EE girls doing?

 

[mypicklebird]

The problem with offering a mix free choice is that some birds may be eating primarily dog food, some may be eating the sweet feed, and some get mostly starter. Dry dog food is ok for most dogs- not a good primary chicken diet. Sweet feed is extra calories (grains and molasses) for horses/goats ect- but not balanced for a chicken. Start is low in calcium. Many roosters do just fine eating primarily layer ration, too much calcium is hard on the kidneys, not really an issue with the liver. If your girls are eating primarily the sweet feed- they could have a fatty liver.

They are old enough that the distended abdomen could be tumor(s) (viral or primary reproductive), ascites due to heart disease or liver failure, yolk peritonitis. Nothing very good here. If it is liver disease due to unbalanced diet- that may be helped with a radical diet change. Egg yolk peritonitis can be helped sometimes with antibiotics- short term, but long term is typically fatal. If you can seek veterinary help from someone who knows chickens- that would be ideal- if these are pets. If you are looking for hens that will lay and be healthy long term- these girls sadly, are not good prospects.


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[ChooksChick]

I agree that it's ascites, and I don't believe that has to do with diet. There may be valid concerns with the diet, but I didn't read everything- I saw the pic and immediately thought of ascites.
Google "chicken water balloon" and you'll come up with a lot of info.

Good luck!

 

[seminolewind]

I really don't think their diet has anything to do with it, since her 300? other birds are doing well on it. And Chickenzoo is pretty good at diagnosis, I usually pm her first when something's wrong.
I'm wondering , since the EE's are related that it might be something genetic?

 

[chickenzoo]

I lost the one hen not pictured, I think she was laying internally as when I felt around the balloon area it was very lumpy and bump and squishy. I could not get her to drain. The hen pictured is still alive. I was able to drain her and she is a lot smaller that she was. I have her on Amoxicillian and for now she is back with her buds in a pen. i don't know how long they were like this as the normally freerange and don't get picked up a lot.. I only add a small amount of dog food and sweet feed to 7 gallon free choice feeder. It is all dirt here and I just add it so they get some protein they might not be getting for our lack of bugs and grass. Sweet feed has a lot of oats etc.. they like to pick, and between many chickens, ducks, geese, turkey etc.. I'm sure they don't down all of it. I am considering switching back to the layer, even though I give free choice oystershell. I just worry about the roos.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

My friend had a chicken that did that and it had died ...(her hens stomach was even much larger) they cut her open and found eggs inside her and that was why she was so swelled up. She also lost all her feathers around her vent area..not sure why. My thought is the chickes are picking at her? Good luck with her!

 

[seminolewind]

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Jen, there's another long time member on this MB who lost several girls to internal laying. And the genetic angle was discussed. I don't know if it was ever solved, but it was real hard on her when it was one, then another one, etc.

I feed layer, but have always fed sweet feed instead of scratch because sweet feed is so much more nutritious.
I hope your hen stays well.

 

[chickenzoo]

Thanks, me too. At 4 years old they have lived a good life, sad Mrs. Prissy's was shortened. I hatched both of them and have loved watching them run around the pasture and seeing their blue green eggs. Rest now my friend and chase bugs through the tall grass.

 

[seminolewind]

How is the EE doing?

 

[chickenzoo]

She's still hanging in there.