Please Help! My hen is very sick!

[Simmons Homestead]

Are they 1000 mg calcium carbonate? If so, give her 1/3 of a tablet.

Yes, they are. I'm guessing that I cut them into bits before giving them to her?

 

[casportpony]

Yes, they are. I'm guessing that I cut them into bits before giving them to her?

Yes.

 

[Simmons Homestead]

Okay everyone, I have given my lady a bath and here is what I found:
-Her vent is not bloated, though the skin around it is.
-Her skin is red and irritated looking around her vent.
-She is having trouble breathing/I can hear every breath.
-I stuck my finger down her vent and I could not feel an egg.
I did not give her the Tums since I did not feel an egg.

 

[blackandtan]

OP, I am sorry for your hen 's discomfort and your distress. I am here to learn, so please forgive me for intruding here a little bit and if I am out of line somebody please tell me and I will back out. But if in the future one of my hens has this problem I would just like to ask those who are helping you here, how exactly do you "clip" a hen's bum? Do you use scissors to trim the feathers, or clippers such as you would use on a dog or what? Pardon my ignorance. I hope you are able to save your hen and give her some relief.

Edited typos

I use scissors

 

[micstrachan]

Hello,
I’m sorry your girl is not feeling well. There are two issues at hand. The asctes (fluid) itself, which can be treated for temporary relief. The cause is the bigger issue. Sorry, I missed this in the thread... is she a laying hen and when was her last egg?

 

[Simmons Homestead]

Hello,
I’m sorry your girl is not feeling well. There are two issues at hand. The asctes (fluid) itself, which can be treated for temporary relief. The cause is the bigger issue. Sorry, I missed this in the thread... is she a laying hen and when was her last egg?

Yes, she is a laying hen. She is with four other hens that all lay in the same place, so I am not sure. I have separated her from the flock as of yesterday to see if she is laying at all. Is asctes connected with laying problems at all? Can I save her? When I felt her abdomen, it wasn't too squishy but not too firm either.

 

[micstrachan]

Ascites may or may not be from reproductive issues. It can be from a number of different t things like laying disorder (some of which can be treated for temporary relief, infection, some of which can be treated, or cancer or organs starting to fail. I would first determine if she is laying. Can you keep her in a crate within the run during the day? You could have her drained to see what color the fluid is. You could also try using Lily of the Valley aloe detox (thank you @Hen Pen Jem for your recommendation and @Wyorp Rock to directing me to another post... I think it was @TwoCrows?)

I think it helped my hen. I gave her 4mL per day for a few days.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

-Her vent is not bloated, though the skin around it is.
-Her skin is red and irritated looking around her vent.
-She is having trouble breathing/I can hear every breath.
-I stuck my finger down her vent and I could not feel an egg.
I did not give her the Tums since I did not feel an egg.

I'm sorry to hear about your hen.

Is she in respiratory distress right now? Gasping/difficulty breathing?
The abdomen does look a bit swollen/distended from the photos, she has a fairly wide legged stance. She may or may not have fluid in the abdomen, it's really hard to know. Ascites (fluid in the abdomen) can accompany reproductive disorders as well as organ dysfunction (heart/liver problems). IF she is in distress, you can try draining her to see if that gives her some relief. The video below shows you how. If you get fluid, don't drain too much or too fast, that can send her into shock.

OP, I am sorry for your hen 's discomfort and your distress. I am here to learn, so please forgive me for intruding here a little bit and if I am out of line somebody please tell me and I will back out. But if in the future one of my hens has this problem I would just like to ask those who are helping you here, how exactly do you "clip" a hen's bum? Do you use scissors to trim the feathers, or clippers such as you would use on a dog or what? Pardon my ignorance. I hope you are able to save your hen and give her some relief.
Edited typos

Hi @BigBlueHen53 Good question!
I use scissors to trim the feathers/fluff - if you are trimming them while dry, please wear a mask, you will be amazed at all the fine particles of fluff floating around.
If I need to trim, I stand my hen on a table outside so she is comfortable and I am too. Drape an arm over her and gently press her to your body, if she's not a wild one, this should be sufficient to keep her still while you trim and you sort of have both hands free. I don't trim much - if poop is caked on, I usually try to crush that out the best I can. If it simply will not budge, then trim out what you have to. Trimmed feathers do not regrow/will not be replaced until a hen molts.

 

[Simmons Homestead]

Ascites may or may not be from reproductive issues. It can be from a number of different t things like laying disorder (some of which can be treated for temporary relief, infection, some of which can be treated, or cancer or organs starting to fail. I would first determine if she is laying. Can you keep her in a crate within the run during the day? You could have her drained to see what color the fluid is. You could also try using Lily of the Valley aloe detox (thank you @Hen Pen Jem for your recommendation and @Wyorp Rock to directing me to another post... I think it was @TwoCrows?)

I think it helped my hen. I gave her 4mL per day for a few days.

Okay. She is not laying as of the last few days, since I have separated her from the rest of the flock.

I'm sorry to hear about your hen.

Is she in respiratory distress right now? Gasping/difficulty breathing?
The abdomen does look a bit swollen/distended from the photos, she has a fairly wide legged stance. She may or may not have fluid in the abdomen, it's really hard to know. Ascites (fluid in the abdomen) can accompany reproductive disorders as well as organ dysfunction (heart/liver problems). IF she is in distress, you can try draining her to see if that gives her some relief. The video below shows you how. If you get fluid, don't drain too much or too fast, that can send her into shock.

Hi @BigBlueHen53 Good question!
I use scissors to trim the feathers/fluff - if you are trimming them while dry, please wear a mask, you will be amazed at all the fine particles of fluff floating around.
If I need to trim, I stand my hen on a table outside so she is comfortable and I am too. Drape an arm over her and gently press her to your body, if she's not a wild one, this should be sufficient to keep If it

Yes, she does seem to be having some problems breathing. I can sort of hear her wheezing when I put my ear close to her beak. I haven't really heard her clucking at all recently either. She's having trouble walking too, because of her legs being so far apart.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

she does seem to be having some problems breathing. I can sort of hear her wheezing when I put my ear close to her beak. I haven't really heard her clucking at all recently either. She's having trouble walking too, because of her legs being so far apart.

The wheezing could be from fluid or a mass in the abdomen that is pressing on the air sacs. IF there is fluid, you can try draining her to give her some relief. It's not a cure, but it could make her more comfortable.
The bloated abdomen is what's pushing her legs further apart.
I'm very sorry.