Pullet with Swollen Abdomen

[HeyHo]

Thank you for the update. It sounds like she is doing well.

She is doing well, but I wish I could do more for her. I know it is most likely a physiological issue with her, but I wish I could "fix" her.

 

[HeyHo]

Pepper is still doing well. I dusted all the flock for mites this weekend because I found them on another of my girls. But with this barred rock, the swelling seems to have more irritation than the others, the skin over the swollen area is very red and angry. But she is still very active, eating, and back at the top of the pecking order.

But today I got a shell-less egg from either her or my BO. My BO is the picture of health and never had an issue. So I suspect this troubled hen. Do I give her tums and hope it helps? Or is the ascites running its course?

Once they have trouble, do they go downhill quickly? Or can they maintain for a period of time? I just want to be responsible with her and don't want her to suffer at all. She's been a wonderful girl and had a good life.

 

[Mtn-maiden]

Any update on your lady? I have one that is expressing very similar symptoms. Although it’s hard to tell if she’s laying at all. She’s been in this state for about a week now.

 

[HeyHo]

@Mtn-maiden

My girl is the same. Still ruling the roost and laying every day. No more shell less eggs, that might not have been hers anyway. I’ve been watching videos about draining the water belly — but she would hate being handled so much. While she’s still acting ok, I’ll leave her be.

What else is going on with your hen? Is she eating/drinking/moving around ok?

 

[Mtn-maiden]

@Mtn-maiden

My girl is the same. Still ruling the roost and laying every day. No more shell less eggs, that might not have been hers anyway. I’ve been watching videos about draining the water belly — but she would hate being handled so much. While she’s still acting ok, I’ll leave her be.

What else is going on with your hen? Is she eating/drinking/moving around ok?

She just hanging out in the nest box. When I pull her out she will eat and drink, she gets puffed up but walks fine and is actually kinda zippy when I try to catch her. She does poo, it is a bit runny. I have not felt an egg stuck or anything like that. I did give her an epsom soak and her swelling seemed to calm down for a day but is back to what has become its original size. I thought at first she was just broody but there is definitely something else going on.

 

[CarpCharacin]

She just hanging out in the nest box. When I pull her out she will eat and drink, she gets puffed up but walks fine and is actually kinda zippy when I try to catch her. She does poo, it is a bit runny. I have not felt an egg stuck or anything like that. I did give her an epsom soak and her swelling seemed to calm down for a day but is back to what has become its original size. I thought at first she was just broody but there is definitely something else going on.

Does her abdomen feel like it is filled with fluid? Ascities is almost always a symptom of a larger underlying problem, such as organ failure.

 

[HeyHo]

@Mtn-maiden
@CarpCharacin

Does epsom soak help ascites? I haven’t read that. So maybe if that helped she’s got something different?

My girl’s bum feels like a water balloon and she seems to show all the classic symptoms. I’m just taking a wait and see approach.

 

[CarpCharacin]

Does epsom soak help ascites? I haven’t read that. So maybe if that helped she’s got something different?

I haven't read it, either. I read that Epsom Salt can help with swelling, but I doubt it could draw out fluid through skin, however I know some people use it when fish have fluid retention, but fish have scales.