# Sick Chicken



## sdellin (Feb 25, 2014)

Hello All, I will introduce myself in the appropriate forum, but I am a new member. I have Chickens, 13 hens a two roosters. I've been keeping chickens for about 5 years now. My first chickens were rescued from a factory farming rescue project. Most of them did not live long. I bought chicks from our local farming supply store and have recently adopted 3 more rescue hens.

Anyway, sometimes a hen will get sick, mostly the white leghorns from the factory farming rescue. But now I have a hen who has a distended belly and holds her tail down. I could not feel an egg bound up but I will check again. I am looking for answers on what this could be. I can take her to the vet, but last time I had one checked out I was told it was the liver swollen from the antibiotics they use in factory farming. 

I had read recently about "egg yolk peritonitis" and I'm wondering if that's what this is. If so, is there a cure? Doesn't look like there is from what I read and it looks like it's diagnosed in necropsy which means I wouldn't know unless she passed on. 

Are there any care sheets on this site? Is there a sticky or thread with common illnesses and treatments?

I will poke around in the meantime and try to figure out how to post a pic, but any help or suggestions would be appreciated.


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## teddy (Sep 6, 2012)

I can not help with the sick chicken, I isolate sick chicken from the flock, not to spread infection. Put I can help with the picture. Just use the manage attachments button in the reply form.

Sorry to hear about the sick one, hope you can get it better.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Is the belly soft like there is fluid there? That's known as ascites and will need to be drained off. The cause is usually internal laying. If you've got a good vet they can drain her, put her on a course of antibiotics to clear any infection she might have. Probability is very high it will return.

If her abdomen is hard, I don't think there is anything you can do. It can be from many things, it could even be a tumor that has grown quite large. Chickens seem to get cancers just as frequently as us humans.


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## sdellin (Feb 25, 2014)

robin416 said:


> Is the belly soft like there is fluid there? That's known as ascites and will need to be drained off. The cause is usually internal laying. If you've got a good vet they can drain her, put her on a course of antibiotics to clear any infection she might have. Probability is very high it will return.
> 
> If her abdomen is hard, I don't think there is anything you can do. It can be from many things, it could even be a tumor that has grown quite large. Chickens seem to get cancers just as frequently as us humans.


Her belly is soft, and now that you mention this I spoke with a woman who talked about draining fluid and told me that I could learn to do it myself. I will call UC Davis in the morning and see what they say, maybe they can show me how. I will check on her again in the morning and post again. Thanks for the reminder!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

We store that information some where in the closets of our brains, it just takes a single word to open the door.

Yes, you can do it once someone trains you how. Let me know what they say. Your large animal vet can do it, also.


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## sdellin (Feb 25, 2014)

Yes, I will let you know. I have to work on this today. She looks a little better, but they never recover from this. I looked into the suggestions above. Thanks again.


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## TheChickenGuy (Jan 29, 2014)

What is the droppings like?


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