Hi All, We have a 3 year old hen who has abdominal swelling. She was waddling the other day and wouldn't go up to roost at night, only slept on floor of coop. so we separated her, put her in a dark, warm pet carrier and gave her tums and food and olive oil in bread thinking it was egg binding. Today she isnt any better and I gave her a warm soak and lubed her up and checked inside the vent and do not feel an egg. After checking the vent, yellow poo with some things that looked like capers in it came out. I now refreshed her water and used some calcium and acv in it and she is drinking ok. She is eating ok too, but now she just stands, will not sit. We have 10 hens and someone has been laying some HUGE eggs. I am wondering now if it is her. Maybe an egg broke inside? She is really swollen in the belly. She also has developed a black dot on her comb and it is very droopy. This afternoon I noticed her comb is now grayish a little in one spot. I don;t know what else to do. No vets in the area cater to chickens. My cousin is a vet tech in NC and the vet she works for said there may not be much else I can do. I just want to make sure I exhaust every option before letting nature take its course. This will be the first hen we have ever lost. She has always been the "oddball" and has a crooked tail and has been a little wonky since we got her. My son named her Sketch, because she's a tad bit Sketchy. This is one of the reasons we love her so. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Welcome to BYC. I think it is possible that your hen may be suffering from internal laying, egg yolk peritonitis, or ascites (fluid collecting in the lower abdomen.) They can have an upright posture, waddle like a penguin, have runny stools, poor appetite, and may have a history of laying thin shelled or broken eggs, or not laying. Antibiotics sometimes are used to treat infection, but there is usually not a good outcome long term. If there is fluid in the lower belly, it can be removed periodically with an 18 gauge needle to ease breathing or make more comfortable. There is also a condition called fatty liver hemorrhagic disease in hens who are overweight and laying has decreased.
