[kymw90]

Hi All

I have a hen that has been walking like a penguin for some time. We took her vets and the vet said it could be worms ( the vet we felt was very judgemental as she found lice and we hadn't wormed and the vet said she was thin.. we owned up as we had forgotten it was that time to worm and louse etc but the under weight we were shocked at as all our hens lay fabulously and eat and drink and scratch and are just bloaters with food but all remain a little bony but happy )
Eeryone was happy and poorly chook cheered up (she had lost her friend a few days before) now she has returned to appearing depressed. She is eating and drinking, she is waddling with the others but she has this swollen abdomen. Its kinda firm but squishy at the same time. We believe she's laying still.?No egg is appearing at the vent. The vet at the time ruled out egg bound. There is no muck around her vent either infact she has the most white and clean feather of the lot... and no prolapse!

So what could it be??? Is it worth another vet visit with disapproving eyes? We love our hens and certainly have not neglected them in the slightest..THEY OWN THE GARDEN!! Please help we don't want to loose her from doing nothing..

Destressed Mother Hen

[bantam novice]

Hello there,

As I understand it laying hens can be a little bony.  It is the meat birds that put the weight on. 

Does she feel hot?  You can take her temperature by feeling under the wing of one of your other birds and then immediately use the same hand to feel under her wing to compare the two.

Have you checked the coop for redmite?

[ANHBUC]

Think another trip to the vets as it could be egg peritonitis and the quicker she gets treatment the better if it is that. 

[Lewjam]

Allot of vets don’t really know what a laying chicken should feel like.

They are not fat, and feeling the breast bone is not uncommon - meat birds are different but egg layers are surprisingly bony (thus why no one bothers eating them!)

[helens-hens]

I agree with Anhbuc - get her to the vet as soon as you can, the way she is walking and swollen abdomen are 2 common symptoms of egg yolk peritonitis.

Hope she is OK

[kymw90]

ok thanks everyone.. What will the vet do give her some sort of antibiotic or does it need to be drained?? Should I ask for a bird specialist or tell them our suspected diagnosis ?? I really am worried this vet will think the worst of us but if something can be done to save her I will do it happily

[helens-hens]

Hi there

If you can get a vet who specialises in birds all the better. Do you have any other vets in your area that you could try?

If you can't and you need to see the same vet, you could perhaps do a search online for egg yolk peritonitis and take a print out to the vet.

I have had a quick look now and there are plenty of articles online but I will warn you that they all generally conclude that the prognosis is not good.

Will keep everything crossed and hope that all is OK...

[helens-hens]

Whereabouts are you kymw90 - there are lists of chicken friendly vets & perhaps there is 1 in you area.

[Marrianne]

Hi I had same symptoms in a hen a few yrs ago and left it as she was eating and seemed O.K in herself. Within a few days she went downhill but the vet said she was too ill and had to be put to sleep.Seek further vet advise now to hoefully save her, Good luck,keep us posted.