Sick hen,is it ascites?

[chrissiemids]

One of my hens who is 2years old stopped laying last year after being broody most people f the time. Recently her bottom went totally bald and swollen, like a water balloon, bad breath and fluid coming from beak wen bending forward to eat or drink.So not eating much and wasting away.Took her in for rest and swelling gone down and feathers come back, but still wasting and comb and wattles pale.Runny poo.breath OK after treating with acv.Nothing in crop.Today put her back with flock but she just stands there hunched up some of the time. I figure I will lose her soon, so she may as well be happy.

 

[TwoCrows]

I am sorry about your hen.

Ascites is fluid in the abdomen, not the crop. Sounds like she has a crop issue going on.

Have you wormed her recently? Worms will clog up the intestinal tract and slow the crop down causing a sour crop, which is what sounds like she has. A pale comb and becoming thinner every day sounds like worms. They eat the food the bird consumes and little passes through the bird enough to be absorbed. Eventually the birds intestines rupture from all the worms or the bird dies of starvation. So if you have not wormed in the past year, I would do that immediately. Safeguard Liquid Goat Wormer. You can get this at any Tractor Supply in the horse section.

Also, take a look at this article on crops and how they function, and how to cure what ails them... https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/impacted-slow-and-sour-crops-prevention-and-treatments

Good luck and I hope you can save her!!

 

[chrissiemids]

Thanks for that. So I've worked her again. Eating and drinking a little. One minute she seems OK then she just stands with eyes shut and wings and tail down. It seems that when she eats it hurts. Administered cod liver oil.Epsom salts. Nothing in crop. Swollen abdomen gone down and feathers grown back on bottom. Will give her a few more days but as she seems to only be skin and bone wontlether suffer too long.