One Rhode Island Red That's not Laying

[otoro]

i had some face to face time with Lara today, and I think she has been developing ascites.

throughout the winter, giving her some higher protein food, she bulked up a bit. I had assumed this was all muscle mass, but picking her up today, and comparing to other chickens, there is definitely fluid in her abdomen.

she still seems happy, and will travel around, but is no longer with 'the pack', and tends to move slow. even today coming to see me, she moved very slow, but was quite excited.

are there any recommended treatments for this? I did a bit of reading, and read about ventilation, and vitamin C possibly, but it may not cure.

throughout her failure to thrive since her first winter, she's gone through mulitple corid (amprolium) courses, been de-wormed, and plenty of sav a chic and electrolyte supplements (50/50 pedialyte).

any additional advice is greatly appreciated. i don't tell the other girls, but she's always been my favorite chicken. she has always been the bravest (named after Lara Croft), and smartest.

 

[aart]

there is definitely fluid in her abdomen.

IMO, this is eventually fatal, BTDT.
Ascites can occur from several causes, you won't know which one unless you open her up after her death.

 

[otoro]

Just wanted to add a few updates on Lara. Unfortunately I think culling may be in her future, as she has gotten worse.

She still hasn't layed, and she has gotten more penguin like in her walking and stance. Seems off balance and low energy. As of a week or so ago, she has been no longer able to walk up the ladder to the coop.

So I've taken her aside, into her own private space, to give her more electrolytes, better monitoring of food intake and stools, and gave her a bath to wash off her poopy butt.

Handling her, she doesn't seem very abdomen swollen right now, but it does feel like there are a few hard masses in there. And her breast tissue feels like it's completely wasting away.

She's frail and weak, and I'm running out of ideas. I've added a small amount of olive oil to her water.

After a few days treating like this, she seems a little better and is eating, drinking a ton, and her stools finally look normal and less diarrhea.

She is still quite lethargic and penguin esque.

Unless she makes some great progress this week, (and assuming others don't have ideas on what I can try), I think she will have to be culled, which is super depressing.

Let me know if you have any suggestions.

 

[aart]

Has there been any improvement since July?

 

[otoro]

there hasn't been much for significant improvement. but she hadn't really gotten any worse until recently, I think the stresses of the colder weather really start to highlight her struggle.

 

[aart]

there hasn't been much for significant improvement. but she hadn't really gotten any worse until recently, I think the stresses of the colder weather really start to highlight her struggle.

I wouldn't wait any longer.

 

[otoro]

does this mean you think for sure its ascites and we don't really have recovery options from here?

I still struggle with culling, especially because right now she's made some minor improvements since being isolated and monitored, and seems happy to see me.

 

[aart]

Ascites is just one symptom of several diseases...
...the penguin walking and hard masses you're feeling do not bode well.
I'd guess internal laying or some kind of tumor.

Is she eating and drinking, and clearing the crop over night?
Is she pooping 'normally'?

I know it's hard to cull, especially the first time.
I waited the first time, and she suffered, never again after a necropsy on the first.
And you won't know what was ailing her unless you open her up, another huge learning curve especially if you've never slaughtered a bird before.

 

[otoro]

She is eating and drinking a lot right now, and the poop actually looks better than it has in some time.

I will have to check her crop first thing in the morning tomorrow, but I think it is emptying normally.

I have culled one other chicken.. it was due to her being hyper aggressive and attacking other hens, and they would bleed all over the place. That was hard too, but I've never culled a sweet and sick chicken .

That's harder

 

[otoro]

Sad to say that we had to cull Lara the day of Thanksgiving. She wasn't making any good improvements over time - while her temperament got better and she seemed vocally happier - her condition just continued to degrade where she was having real difficulty walking and the hard masses in her abdomen I believe were tumors.

It broke our hearts to do this. I'm getting watery eyes just typing this.

RIP Lara. You were a special girl.