Possible ascites? Something else?

[LaurenRitz]

The patient is a 2 year old Jersey Giant hen. She hasn't been laying regularly. The other day I noticed that she was limping on both feet and staying pretty close to the coop, not walking if she can help it. Yesterday it had progressed to a painful waddle, where she stays really close to the ground and sort-of scooches forward, but not on her hocks. She is using her feet. I don't feel an egg, but I gave her some calcium this morning and she's in isolation.

I can't find any physical problems with her legs and feet but she struggles when I manipulate or touch them. Several of her chicks have developed leg problems and they tend to sprain more easily.

Her crop emptied overnight, so apparently no problems there.

Her belly feels a little puffy. She did have two sisters die of heart failure/ascites.

 

[ChicNmom]

Did you also check her hip joints to see if they feel the same?

If you think it's a genetic defect then you probably can't do much about it.

I have an 11yo hen that occasionally starts to swell up but I've been keeping it at bay with antibiotics when it happens.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I can't feel anything with the hip joints, but I'm not precisely sure what I'm looking for.

She still isn't walking correctly but I've been giving her calcium and she did lay an egg yesterday. She does NOT like the calcium process!

 

[Eggcessive]

Could you post any pictures or upload a video to YouTube with a link posted here of her legs and her walking? Is there any bumblefoot scab on the footpads, any swelling of the feet or leg joints, or any green bruising? Is she a regular layer, and are most of the shells you get hard and normal? Is there any swelling or enlargement of her lower belly under the vent between the legs? What do you feed them including treats or extras?

 

[LaurenRitz]

She's pretty much just sitting at the moment, so no pictures. I'll see if I can get some later. I see no scabs, feet look normal. I see no swelling, no bruising, but as I said earlier she freaks out if I work with her legs.

She has been a regular layer, but not for the last month or so. I put that down to the heat.

They have a commercial feed, but mostly they free range, and they have access to my compost. The last few weeks they have been cleaning up the watermelon and tomatoes in my garden.

She does have a bit of a belly, but her sisters were a lot worse.