Chickens keep getting water belly

[sorenheart]

Three of my chickens have gotten water belly in the past 2 years, and I’ve just discovered another chicken that has it. I’m at a complete loss for what to do at this point. My chickens are pets, and we treat them as such. Their coop is well ventilated and extra large, they get free range time every day, and they are on an all-flock diet because we have turkeys as well. They get fresh water every day - if not multiple times a day - and their coop is cleaned regularly. All of the chickens that have gotten it so far have been around 2-3 years of age and from different places (some we’ve hatched, and some we’ve purchased). One was a Japanese bantam, one was a turken, one was an ISA brown, and this fourth one is a barred rock that we hatched. I took both the bantam and the turken to the vet the moment I noticed their swollen bellies, and I plan on taking this one to the vet, but both times I was told that it’s just “bad luck.” I’m desperate to know if there’s anything I can do to keep this from continuing to happen.

I have three theories as to what *may* be causing it, but it’s hard to know for sure due to the randomness:

1. Stress caused by my male turkey. The only problem with this theory is that two of the chickens developed water belly (and eventually passed) long before he came along.

2. Dust from their coop as it sits on fine dirt (comes naturally from the land)

3. An excess of treats. However, any food I have given them has been limited to fruits. My dad, on the other hand, sometimes gives them bread, cabbage, and scratch grains but not often.

I would love to know if anyone has experienced something similar and if you have any useful tips for preventing it or even “curing” it temporarily. Thanks so much in advance!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Three of my chickens have gotten water belly in the past 2 years, and I’ve just discovered another chicken that has it. I’m at a complete loss for what to do at this point. My chickens are pets, and we treat them as such. Their coop is well ventilated and extra large, they get free range time every day, and they are on an all-flock diet because we have turkeys as well. They get fresh water every day - if not multiple times a day - and their coop is cleaned regularly. All of the chickens that have gotten it so far have been around 2-3 years of age and from different places (some we’ve hatched, and some we’ve purchased). One was a Japanese bantam, one was a turken, one was an ISA brown, and this fourth one is a barred rock that we hatched. I took both the bantam and the turken to the vet the moment I noticed their swollen bellies, and I plan on taking this one to the vet, but both times I was told that it’s just “bad luck.” I’m desperate to know if there’s anything I can do to keep this from continuing to happen.

I have three theories as to what *may* be causing it, but it’s hard to know for sure due to the randomness:

1. Stress caused by my male turkey. The only problem with this theory is that two of the chickens developed water belly (and eventually passed) long before he came along.

2. Dust from their coop as it sits on fine dirt (comes naturally from the land)

3. An excess of treats. However, any food I have given them has been limited to fruits. My dad, on the other hand, sometimes gives them bread, cabbage, and scratch grains but not often.

I would love to know if anyone has experienced something similar and if you have any useful tips for preventing it or even “curing” it temporarily. Thanks so much in advance!

I'm sorry you're having troubles.

Ascites is a symptom of an underlying condition. Often in laying hens reproductive disorders like EYP, Salpingitis, Cancer, Internal Laying, etc. can be the cause of fluid accumulation in the abdomen (symptom Ascites).

Do you notice the hens having problems with soft shelled eggs, expelling lash material or having any other reproductive problems or symptoms?

Organ dysfunction(s) involving the heart and liver can also be a cause for fluid to accumulate in the abdomen (symptom Ascites). Fatty Liver Disease laying hens can be sometimes have a genetic factor, but diet/nutrition also plays a role. Feed a nutritionally balanced poultry feed and limit treats like scratch grains, mealworms, etc.

Of course there's other conditions, infections, etc. that can also cause fluid to accumulate, so if you lose another hen, it may be a good idea to have a necropsy performed through your State Lab. They will give you a report of their findings and hopefully this will give you more information as to the cause. You may find that you are doing everything right and you'll still have losses, which is unfortunately common not matter what you do. Sometimes you may be able to adjust nutrition or something else to see a better outcome. You can look up your lab here https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...xsRCs_fle81zFHe3Y7R3HztBJXdhek7z1shUAHq6EtDX2

I'm very sorry you're dealing with this. It's not uncommon to start seeing losses at around 3yrs of age. While many hens can and do live much longer, sometimes they can start developing reproductive issues which eventually take their tole on the body and they begin to decline.