Two chickens with swollen areas near vent

[christen88]

We lost a chicken two weeks ago with a red, firm swollen area below her vent. The vet said that she thought it was an egg that had left the reproductive tract and was floating near her organs. Our vet drained the fluid, gave her Meloxicam, and she was great for about a week. Then, she declined pretty quickly (swollen again) and died. Now, I have another chicken with the same red, swollen abdomen. She's acting normally, but I'm very worried that she'll end up like her sister. What could be causing this? It seems like a very odd coincidence that two chickens would get a "wayward egg?" Any thoughts? We love our backyard chickens but we are definitely not poultry experts! Thanks!

 

[Eggcessive]

Could you post some pictures of the area under the vent? Does she lay eggs or has she recently? It could be water belly, internal laying, or a hernia, but pics would help.

 

[christen88]

 

[christen88]

I know it's not a great picture, but it's the best my husband could get after her bath. I've soaked her in Epsom salts twice and given her Meloxicam (left over from our first chicken). She's acting normally now, but I'm very concerned because this is exactly what happened to our first chicken that died. Can egg issues be contagious?

 

[christen88]

Could you post some pictures of the area under the vent? Does she lay eggs or has she recently? It could be water belly, internal laying, or a hernia, but pics would help.

She normally lays, but hasn't since I separated her from the flock. (It's normally really hard to tell who is laying, they all use the same box.)

 

[Eggcessive]

Does her lower belly between the legs feel squishy or tight, and look enlarged? Egg issues and infections can be contagious if chickens are kept in really dirty conditions, or if there is vent pecking in the flock. But many hens can suffer from reproductive disorders, such as cancer, coelomitis/egg yolk peritonitis, and be internal layers. Water belly can be related to those or to fatty liver disease. We usually cannot tell exactly what is going on, until they die and a necropsy can be done by the owner or by the state vet lab. Some vets are knowledgeable about chickens, while many do not know much.

If your hen is acting better, I would just watch to see that she is eating and drinking well, and that her crop is emptying normally by early morning. Crop problems may be related to reproductive disorders. Many of today’s hatchery hens are prone to salpingitis and other disorders due to being super good layers. What breed are your hens?

 

[christen88]

Thanks for responding! Her belly feels tight and swollen. It definitely looks enlarged. I'm pretty religious about cleaning their coop, and they free range in our fenced backyard all day. She's still eating, drinking, and pooping normally, but not laying. All my girls are Speckled Sussex. I was able to find a vet through a friend that specializes in chickens, so I'm going to call her tomorrow. Fingers crossed!