URGENT hen with potential water belly not eating or drinking

[Belovedturkey]

I just came home from a week trip, when I got home I noticed my bantam hen was behind a trash can, at first I assumed she was hiding because shes scared of me and avoids me at all costs as I’ve recently gotten her and haven’t spend much time with her. I came back and hour later to put my hens to bed and I noticed she was still there. I assumed she was stuck and pushed her out but she didn’t move and wasn’t clucking at all which is weird because she’s usually afraid of me. I picked her up and immediately realized she was very bloated and I thought of water belly. The next thing I noticed is how bony she is, it feels like she hasn’t eaten in days. I haven’t been here so I have no idea how long she’s been there or if their water was cleaned out regularly or not which could be the reason she’s sick, the run is also very muddy. The hen is also very unbalanced and not walking. I have her separated with some food and water. She’s taken a sip of water and pecked at the food once. I have a tube feeder, should I use it and should i try water belly treatment now or wait a bit, and is it bad because she can’t walk? I also noticed that she had poop on her butt piling up which is another reason I think she might have been stuck there for days

 

[nuthatched]

Rinse the poop off and check for fly strike. It sounds more like she was trapped for a few days.
It's unusual for a bantam to get waterbelly since they're not heavy layers.
What's her diet?
Have you ever wormed her?

 

[Belovedturkey]

I have her soaking right now so

Rinse the poop off and check for fly strike. It sounds more like she was trapped for a few days.
It's unusual for a bantam to get waterbelly since they're not heavy layers.
What's her diet?
Have you ever wormed her?

the poop will soften, is fly strike obvious or is it something I have to look closely for, and if I do what do I look for. She eats all flock because my flock is mixed and I give them scratch grains and table scraps every couple days but once again I’ve been gone so last week she’s probably only had access to too all flock. I haven’t never wormed her, I don’t know if her past owners ever wormed her. I’ve noticed that she’s using her stomach where she’s bloated to sit on instead of using her feet, and she’s keeping her toes curled

 

[Debbie292d]

She was probably chased there by a rooster or some bullying hens.

You can use a kitchen scissors to cut some of the mess off, then I'd soak her hind end in some mild dishsoap water and get the rest of it off her. You could trim more feathers back there if this is a recurring problem. We had one with this and that's what we did.

She'll probably poop some green poop since she's not eaten for a few days.

You said she pecked the food, so maybe she'll eat on her own, and you won't need to tube feed her. Try making a mash out of her food by soaking the crumbles or pellets with water. I'd also try some scrambled eggs. If she's in proximity of the other chickens, I'd cover her cage or put her where she feels safe and won't be attacked.

If you have anything for vitamins for chickens, like Poultry Cell or Nutri-Drench, I'd give her that in her water.

 

[nuthatched]

I have her soaking right now so

the poop will soften, is fly strike obvious or is it something I have to look closely for, and if I do what do I look for. She eats all flock because my flock is mixed and I give them scratch grains and table scraps every couple days but once again I’ve been gone so last week she’s probably only had access to too all flock. I haven’t never wormed her, I don’t know if her past owners ever wormed her.

There would be a hole under the vent if there was flystrike, if not, she likely doesn't have it.
I'd offer supportive care tonight , and give her a wet mash with some vitamins/probiotics if you have it.

 

[Belovedturkey]

I cleaned her water and put her back in to soak because the poop is still hard but she starting jerking her wings and tail,

She was probably chased there by a rooster or some bullying hens.

You can use a kitchen scissors to cut some of the mess off, then I'd soak her hind end in some mild dishsoap water and get the rest of it off her. You could trim more feathers back there if this is a recurring problem. We had one with this and that's what we did.

She'll probably poop some green poop since she's not eaten for a few days.

You said she pecked the food, so maybe she'll eat on her own, and you won't need to tube feed her. Try making a mash out of her food by soaking the crumbles or pellets with water. I'd also try some scrambled eggs. If she's in proximity of the other chickens, I'd cover her cage or put her where she feels safe and won't be attacked.

If you have anything for vitamins for chickens, like Poultry Cell or Nutri-Drench, I'd give her that in her water.

I haven’t some vitamins and electrolytes I can put in her water. Im planning to trim her feathers in ten minutes when I have someone here to hold her for to be safe and to get a better view

 

[Debbie292d]

I cleaned her water and put her back in to soak because the poop is still hard but she starting jerking her wings and tail,

I haven’t some vitamins and electrolytes I can put in her water. Im planning to trim her feathers in ten minutes when I have someone here to hold her for to be safe and to get a better view

The scrambled eggs and mash, if she'll eat it, should help her get her strength back. You can google how to make electrolytes or here's one recipe: They're all pretty close to the same.

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 teaspoons honey OR molasses OR granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda OR 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

 

[Belovedturkey]

I just cleaned of most of the poop and looked at her, I didn’t see an obvious hole under her vent but there was scab covered in pooped that I peeled of that could be considered a hole. I took the best pictures I could and put her pack in the water to keep trying to get all off the poop of. My father who was watching the flock said that she was in that spot but that he took her out of it, but he didn’t say anything else and he wouldn’t have noticed if she wasn’t walking or anything so I still don’t know what her symptoms were prior to tonight

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I picked her up and immediately realized she was very bloated and I thought of water belly. The next thing I noticed is how bony she is, it feels like she hasn’t eaten in days. I haven’t been here so I have no idea how long she’s been there or if their water was cleaned out regularly or not

not which could be the reason she’s sick, the run is also very muddy. The hen is also very unbalanced and not walking. I have her separated with some food and water. She’s taken a sip of water and pecked at the food once.

I have a tube feeder, should I use it and should i try water belly treatment now or wait a bit, and is it bad because she can’t walk? I also noticed that she had poop on her butt piling

I cleaned her water and put her back in to soak because the poop is still hard but she starting jerking her wings and tail,

I haven’t some vitamins and electrolytes I can put in her water. Im planning to trim her feathers in ten minutes when I have someone here to hold her for to be safe and to get a better view

Sounds like she's not taking to soaking very well.

Soaking a sick bird can send them over the edge. See if you can just apply soapy wet rags to the vent or use a spray bottle to help rinse to get the poop off.
If she doesn't tolerate that, then stop.

Get some sugar water into her and see if she will come around so you can work on her some more.

 

[Belovedturkey]

Sounds like she's not taking to soaking very well.

Soaking a sick bird can send them over the edge. See if you can just apply soapy wet rags to the vent or use a spray bottle to help rinse to get the poop off.
If she doesn't tolerate that, then stop.

Get some sugar water into her and see if she will come around so you can work on her some more.

Ok, I’ll stop soaking and get the rest off with wet rags.