Sick Hen

[SoilMatesofGA]

One of my Rhode Island Reds is acting weird. She went to the nesting box yesterday, but didn’t lay. This morning she was in there for 90 min without laying and finally came down when I put out fresh water. She won’t eat, not even when I sprinkled meal worms nearby. She’s drinking water at least. I gave her an Epsom salt bath, but haven’t seen a change in the 90 min since then. Her vent is pulsating some and has a white substance that has drained from it. The area below her vent seems swollen and feels like a water ballon.
Any suggestions?

 

[Ciggynel]

Water belly- Ascites: I have to drain my chicken when she swells. Its not hard and once you have done it a few times it gets easier. There are different things that cause it. Below Is a how to. Just remember you only draw from the right side. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...434BDBF11D47A7564AEB434BD&FORM=VRRTAP&PC=APPL

 

[SoilMatesofGA]

Water belly- Ascites: I have to drain my chicken when she swells....

Thank you!!!

 

[SoilMatesofGA]

Two days later and she looks like a different bird. She’s active again, foraging, drinking water, eating from the feeder, and her abdomen is a lot less swollen and less red.
I don’t think she has layed an egg in the past four days, but something changed. My other RIR lays almost daily, so I think the single brown eggs I’ve been getting are from her sister, not this one.
I stopped giving food scraps a couple days ago (other than yogurt on Saturday), so they all forage and eat organic complete feed (with oyster shells as part of the pellets). I added free choice oyster shells last night too and an additional bell waterer instead of only nipple waterers.
Is it possible she couple get better on her own? I ordered needles and syringes if I have to go that route later this week.
She even made it upstairs to roost last night after spending Saturday night on the ground in the run.

 

[Ciggynel]

View attachment 2294083Two days later and she looks like a different bird. She’s active again, foraging, drinking water, eating from the feeder, and her abdomen is a lot less swollen and less red.
I don’t think she has layed an egg in the past four days, but something changed. My other RIR lays almost daily, so I think the single brown eggs I’ve been getting are from her sister, not this one.
I stopped giving food scraps a couple days ago (other than yogurt on Saturday), so they all forage and eat organic complete feed (with oyster shells as part of the pellets). I added free choice oyster shells last night too and an additional bell waterer instead of only nipple waterers.
Is it possible she couple get better on her own? I ordered needles and syringes if I have to go that route later this week.
She even made it upstairs to roost last night after spending Saturday night on the ground in the run.

Wonderful! I am so glad she is doing better! Order some Oregano oil capsules squeeze some in here water once in a while it helps just dont over do it. She will start laying again it just might take her a week or so. Good you ordered syringes it can happen again or not. I usually clean, sterilize, and reuse mine. My hen after one or two draining bounced back and recover back to her sassy lil self.

 

[SoilMatesofGA]

My hen after one or two draining bounced back and recover back to her sassy lil self.

I ended up not draining her. She's acting 100% normal again, except she hasn't leg a regular egg yet, but I've seen three soft ones over the past 10 days or so, as if she's still working out the kinks. I know one was hers and assume the other two were also since the rest are laying fairly regularly now that I stopped feeding garden scraps. I'll check out the oregano oil. Thanks!