I suspect your hen *might* have ascites, but finding out why can be tricky. I've done a few necropsies where hens had ascites, but almost all of the had something like cancer, fatty liver, a stuck egg, EYP or they were internal layers. A friend of mine had a necropsy done on his hen and the cause of her ascites was heart related, so many thing can cause the fluid to accumulate.
If it's not ascites and/or one of the problems mentioned above, she might have an infection in her intestines and/or repro tract. Figuring that out is also tricky, 'cause it could be bacterial *or* fungal.
If she were mine I would probably worm her 3-5 days in a row with Safeguard at .2ml per 2.2 pounds (20mg/kg), but I would only do this if she were eating and drinking properly.
Can you do a cloacal exam on her and then do one on a healthy hen, that's a good way to feel abnormalities.
-Kathy
If it's not ascites and/or one of the problems mentioned above, she might have an infection in her intestines and/or repro tract. Figuring that out is also tricky, 'cause it could be bacterial *or* fungal.
If she were mine I would probably worm her 3-5 days in a row with Safeguard at .2ml per 2.2 pounds (20mg/kg), but I would only do this if she were eating and drinking properly.
Can you do a cloacal exam on her and then do one on a healthy hen, that's a good way to feel abnormalities.
-Kathy
Last edited:
