My chicken is bottom heavy and struggling with balance

[Chickens_and_Cats]

Hi there!
One of my chickens has recently been under the weather and struggling with her breathing (shaking head etc).
We had a look into it and thought it could possibly be gape worm - due to the flock being slightly over due on their yearly worming treatment.
Since then she has been a lot better, seeming nice and bright with a lovely red comb and plenty of energy! Plus her breathing is a lot better!
However, despite her seeming full of energy, she does have the odd spells of tiredness and has quite poor balance - as if her bottom and tail are weighing her down.
Has anyone had a similar experience?
Any guidance on diagnosis or treatment would be much appreciated!
Thank you so much!
Chloe

 

[Wyorp Rock]

When was her last egg?

Feel of her abdomen below the vent between her legs for bloat or fluid.
She may be starting to have some reproductive issues. These can cause some of the symptoms you see.
Offer supportive care. Vitamins a couple of time a week, see that she's eating/drinking. Look for lice/mites on a regular basis and make sure her crop is emptying overnight.

 

[Chickens_and_Cats]

When was her last egg?

Feel of her abdomen below the vent between her legs for bloat or fluid.
She may be starting to have some reproductive issues. These can cause some of the symptoms you see.
Offer supportive care. Vitamins a couple of time a week, see that she's eating/drinking. Look for lice/mites on a regular basis and make sure her crop is emptying overnight.

Thank you! I’ll try some vitamins and check for mites etc. And yes, she has got quite a lot of fluid build up- she’s three years old and I don’t think that she has laid an egg since stopping for winter a few months ago.

 

[Eggcessive]

Does the fullness below her vent show up in a picture? Water belly (ascites) can be a common finding in hens after death when yellow fluid comes out of the belly during a necropsy or butchering. It can go along with reproductive disorders. Some chickens develop labored breathing, and some try draining the fluid with an 18 gauge needle and syringe, which may ease breathing temporarily.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you! I’ll try some vitamins and check for mites etc. And yes, she has got quite a lot of fluid build up- she’s three years old and I don’t think that she has laid an egg since stopping for winter a few months ago.

I agree, it sounds like she may have Ascites. Draining can be done if she's having difficulty moving about, labored breathing, etc. A mentioned, it's a temporary measure, but can give a hen comfort for a period of time.

Does the fullness below her vent show up in a picture? Water belly (ascites) can be a common finding in hens after death when yellow fluid comes out of the belly during a necropsy or butchering. It can go along with reproductive disorders. Some chickens develop labored breathing, and some try draining the fluid with an 18 gauge needle and syringe, which may ease breathing temporarily.

 

[Chickens_and_Cats]

Thank you so much for the advice!!
Ascites sounds very likely given her symptoms, we have ordered up some syringes and will try to drain it once they arrive.
Thanks again,
Chloe

 

[Chickens_and_Cats]

I agree, it sounds like she may have Ascites. Draining can be done if she's having difficulty moving about, labored breathing, etc. A mentioned, it's a temporary measure, but can give a hen comfort for a period of time.

We managed to drain some fluid - once it started, a lot came out pretty quickly. She seemed to be moving a bit better even straight after! Still a lot left but we’ll drain some more another day too. I have attached some images of the fluid - we were expecting it to be yellow/brown but it was more of a pinky shade

 

[Wyorp Rock]

You may have nicked a blood vessel when you inserted the needle.

I'm glad she seems to be feeling better.

 

[Eggcessive]

Interesting about the pink color of the fluid. What do her droppings look like—any pictures?