water belly

[fwinn]

What is water belly chicken?

 

[GitaBooks]

Water belly is also known as ascetis and is when the liver stops function due to heart failure and hypertension.The belly fills up with fluid that leaks from the liver and leads to death.

Its common in older laying hens because they laid so many eggs in the past and it wears them out.

Boilers can get it, probably because they grow so fast.