Chicken full of air under skin???

[sparkles2307]

I didnt take a pic cause you cant really see from looking at him, but I picked him up yesterday and his entire left side, crop to knee is swollen. DH says hes full of fluid, but to me it felt like air. Not really tight, very sqishy in fact. Only on the one side and all the way to where the feathers end and the leg scales start. He didnt seem to be in any discomfort, he calmly sat there and let me probe and didnt flinch once. He's also not limping or acting like anything is wrong... his skin is not discolored, there are no signs of injury... the only idea we had si DH said that all the running around when we separated him from the 95 buthcer roos last week might have bruised him somehow? Any ideas?

Oh he is a 5 mo old White Rock.

 

[sparkles2307]

OK so I googled around a bit, and apparently it really IS air under his skin... and since there is NO sign of injury (he never got pecked by the other roos cause he is the head honcho) I am guessing the air under the skin is from recent trauma (the chasing/catching when we moved the 95 roos out) and not that bacterial infection? Can I use one of DH's cow needles to let the air out?

 

[sparkles2307]

really no one knows anything about this or if I am on the right track?

 

[toredano]

I had a chick with a busted airsac.We didnt get to her in time and she was way to far gone after 2 days. So we put her out of her misery.
I am not sure if you have the same thing happening..Sometimes airsacs heal on their own. IF it is the air that is. You can withdraw the air out from under the skin with a needle and syringe.But you need ot do it for a few days several times a day. If its an infection.. not sure.. there are people on here that can tell you alot more about it.

 

[SurprisingWoman]

I have no idea but I hope someone responds soon.

I googled and this link looks pretty good:


http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9981

 

[MandyH]

Sometimes when poultry get injured they can get air under the skin. All you do is take a sterile needle and poke a hole in the skin and gently press the air out. It should be fine after that.

 

[sparkles2307]

OK I am doubting bacterial infection due to him not having any injuries, ever. I will use one of our cow syringes and try letting the air out. Will that hurt him much? He's pretty big for a 5 mo old... will I need DH to hold him for me do you think?

 

[Judy]

Quote:
If vet care is not an option, I would certainly go with the treatment described in this link, especially of an initial needle puncture reveals it is gas/air and not fluid.

 

[MandyH]

The times I have done it, I just grabbed them up and sat them across my lap. All you need to do is just prick a hole in the skin, you don't have to put the needle inside of them. Just stick the tip of the needle in the skin and kind of lift up a bit. Just be careful not to rip or tear the skin, because you don't want to make a dig place for bacteria to enter the body. You just want to puncture the skin. Mine have never flinched, just protested at being held down on my lap for a bit. Nothin to it !!

 

[sparkles2307]

OK, good tips, thanks all. Looks like I get to be a vet on something BESIDES new calves for the first time in a long time tonight!