Water belly

[amar13]

I had a 3 year old chicken that had water belly so I drained it. I took about 45ml out very slowly she was doing fine and it went quick but by the time I put her back down she died. Her comb turned purple, she wasn’t struggling to get down it anything. I feel so so terrible I wish I never tried. I am just wondering if I did something wrong. The fluid was yellow that came out. Thank you all so much.

 

[nuthatched]

It sounds like she had internal laying issues, unfortunately she wouldn't have lived much longer. I'm sorrry.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. She may have been already struggling. Was she having labored breathing before you tried to drain her? I usually don’t drain hens with suspected ascites/water belly unless they are having trouble breathing. The one hen I did drain only lived about 2 weeks after the first draining. Water belly is always fatal eventually. It is related to liver failure from reproductive disorders, cancer, fatty liver disease or heart failure. You may want to do a necropsy on her body to look at her organs since it might give a clue as to what was causing it.

 

[amar13]

Sorry for your loss. She may have been already struggling. Was she having labored breathing before you tried to drain her? I usually don’t drain hens with suspected ascites/water belly unless they are having trouble breathing. The one hen I did drain only lived about 2 weeks after the first draining. Water belly is always fatal eventually. It is related to liver failure from reproductive disorders, cancer, fatty liver disease or heart failure. You may want to do a necropsy on her body to look at her organs since it might give a clue as to what was causing it.

Thank you. She was definitely struggling a little bit. She was breathing heavy yesterday and today but still a little active. I did not expect this outcome at all. I just keep going over the whole process I wish I would have just waited, I feel so terrible about it. I absolutely didn’t want to see her suffer.

 

[amar13]

It sounds like she had internal laying issues, unfortunately she wouldn't have lived much longer. I'm sorrry.

Thank you. Kind of wishing I would have just waited.

 

[Fontaine]

You’re special chicken was already dying. It took love and commitment to try to help her so you should feel good about that. chickens hide their suffering and had you done nothing she would’ve suffered a bit longer and died alone. I am so sorry for your loss but you should have no regrets.