Were you aware that there is a disease called water belly in chickens and other poultry breeds? Water belly is the common name for a condition called ascites.
Ascites, or water belly, is a condition that is hard to treat and unfortunately has high mortality rates. I’m going to teach you ways to prevent water belly. I’ll also teach you how the disease works and how it affects your chickens. Lastly, I’ll let you know how this condition can be managed.
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What is water belly in a chicken?
If you haven’t ever had a bird that developed water belly, the term may be completely foreign to you. Water belly, or ascites (I’ll use them both) describe a condition that is common found in rapid-growing breeds of poultry.
Main cause of water belly in a chicken- pulmonary hypertension
Ultimately, the main cause of illness in a bird with ascites is pulmonary hypertension. This means that the bird’s body, mainly heart and lungs, are under tremendous amounts of stress. There are several reasons that this can occur and I’ll get to those in just a minute.
The heart and lungs work furiously to deliver vital oxygen to the tissues and organs of the body. Birds with ascites cannot keep up with the oxygen demand.
Unfortunately, this disease has a high mortality rate. This is due mostly to heart failure.
Signs of water belly in chickens
The disease is characterized by a handful of symptoms. The most common is the ‘water belly’ appearance. The abdomen is swollen and enlarged. When poked, it feels squishy, as if the belly was full of water.
This isn’t far off from the cause of the squishy, swollen abdomen. Chickens with ascites will develop a large amount of fluid in the abdominal cavity. The fluid is yellowish in color. Fluid from the liver will fill the abdomen, creating the water belly appearance.
Birds with ascites will often show symptoms of fatigue and reduced growth due to the lack of oxygen. They will often have decreased energy and a reduced appetite. This then causes the birds to slow in growth.
Ascites will also cause birds to appear in respiratory distress. This makes sense as the body is craving oxygen. Birds with water belly will pant even when they are not hot.
Lastly, water belly in chickens will cause the birds to have blue wattles and combs. As the oxygen available is given to the more important organs, the less important wattles and combs will turn blue from the lack of oxygen.
I’ve mentioned that ascites comes with a high mortality rate. Birds that have water belly can eventually die from the disease.
What causes ascites in poultry?
There are several reasons that a chicken or other poultry may develop ascites. Growth, elevation, respiratory diseases and other factors can lead to water belly.
Growth and water belly
Ascites is most commonly seen in poultry that grow quickly. It is commonly seen in meat birds with rapid growth rates, like Cornish crosses.
The disease is caused by the inability for the birds heart and lungs to deliver enough oxygen to the other organs and tissues of the body.
Birds that grow rapidly may experience growth that is so fast the heart and lungs cannot supply enough oxygen to meet the needs of those rapidly growing tissues. This high demand for oxygen to the growing muscles of the bird causes a tremendous amount of stress on the heart and lungs. They simply can’t keep up with the demand.
Save me for later!
Elevation and ascites
Another common cause of water belly is elevation.
Farms that are located at higher elevations have a lower amount of oxygen available in the air. This puts a normal heart and lungs under stress to deliver enough oxygen. Add in a fast growing bird with higher oxygen demands and the incidence of water belly rises.
Respiratory disease and water belly
Respiratory diseases can cause ascites in birds. A respiratory disease will decrease the effectiveness of the lungs. They will cause the lungs to struggle to get ample oxygen to the organs.
A prolonged bout of respiratory disease can easily turn into a respiratory disease and a case of water belly in chickens.
Other possible causes of water belly in chickens
Ascites may also be caused by poor nutrition or genetics. Some birds may be genetically predisposed to develop water belly. They may have hearts and lungs that are not as strong and struggle to deliver oxygen.
Some studies show that certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to water belly in chickens.
Preventing ascites in chickens
Water belly in chickens is easier to prevent than it is to treat. There are two main ways to prevent ascites from developing in chickens: through the environment and through the chicken’s diet and nutrition.
Preventing water belly with the environment
The first thing that you’ll want to do is check and make sure that you aren’t living in an area of high elevation. If you live where the oxygen is thin, you may have issues with water belly developing in your chickens.
Since respiratory disease is a factor that can cause ascites, you’ll want to do what you can to prevent respiratory disease in your chicken flock.
Make sure that your chickens have good ventilation.
The coop or barn where the chickens are should be well ventilated. Clean, fresh air will help reduce the amount of bacteria or viruses that will cause respiratory disease. Stale and stagnant air harbors disease-causing organisms, so you’ll want to flush those out with clean air.
If your coop has bedding, make sure that the bedding is clean and low dust.
Use a flaked bedding, not a fine bedding. Also, don’t use cedar bedding for your chickens. Cedar bedding is toxic to the chicken’s respiratory system and can lead to respiratory illness.
Preventing water belly through nutrition
Always make sure that your chickens have access to clean food and water at all times. Remove stagnant water.
Remove old feed or wet feed daily.
Moldy feed can cause illness. Ensure that your chickens are getting a properly balanced diet that is intended for chickens. Don’t feed chickens duck feed or ducks chicken feed.
One of the reasons that meat chickens develop water belly is due to their rapid growth.
You can slow the growth to reduce ascites. Even a slight reduction in growth will decrease the incidents of water belly in your flock.
You can reduce the amount of growth by either providing a feed with a smaller amount of energy or by reducing the amount of feed.
For example, if you are feeding a grower feed that is 26% protein and your chickens keep developing ascites, you can lower that down to a 24 or even 22% protein feed. They will still grow fast but they shouldn’t develop water belly the same way.
Chickens that are provided with a constant supply of feed may develop ascites. If your flock is developing water belly, you can reduce the total amount of feed that they are given. Instead of giving feed 24/7, try feeding them twice per day.
How to treat water belly in a chicken
Unfortunately, ascites is hard to treat. There is not a permanent solution that is approved to treat water belly. You can’t call your vet or go to the local feed supply store and get a medication that will cure it.
However, there are some methods that have promising results that are being researched that you could try. If you have a bird that develops ascites, you may want to try some of these natural cures for water belly.
Draining water belly in a chicken
When you call your veterinarian about water belly in chickens, they are likely to tell you that they can drain the fluid from the swollen abdomen in chickens with water belly.
They can use a needle and syringe to remove the build up of fluid from the liver. Keep in mind that while this will make the bird more comfortable, it is not a permanent solution. It must also be repeated as the fluid will continue to build up.
Here’s a video that explains draining water belly in chickens:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=1G7GWlkq_6M%2520frameborder%3D0%2520allow%3Daccelerometer%3B%2520autoplay%3B%2520encrypted-media%3B%2520gyroscope%3B%2520picture-in-picture%2520allowfullscreen
Natural cures for water belly
As I mentioned before, there are no medications or ‘cures’ that can treat ascites. You can’t go to a feed store and order a medication for it. However, there are some natural treatments that are being researched that are showing promise.
If you find yourself with a bird that has water belly, you may want to try one or some of these treatments and cure it.
Oregano may be a treatment for ascites.
Oregano essential oil may be a treatment for ascites in birds. In one study, Greek oregano reduced mortality rates in broiler birds with ascites by 59%. It may be a good idea to feed birds that could develop ascites oregano as a precaution.
Vitamin C has been shown to reduce the incidents of water belly. It may be another possible treatment for ascites in chickens. Vitamin C is thought to improve the efficiency of the digestive tract and cause less stress on the bird’s body. This study using broiler birds indicates that supplementation of Vitamin C greatly reduced both the cases of ascites and the number of deaths from ascites.
Brewer’s yeast, flax oil and the herb eyebright have all been tested as possible treatments for water belly in chickens.
Check out these posts for more information about possible water belly treatments:
Water Belly or Ascites in Backyard Chicken Flocks
Ascites Overview from MyPetChicken
Feeding to Reduce Ascites in Poultry
How long can a chicken live with ascites?
This truly depends on the condition of the bird and if it is treated or not.
Some chickens will deteriorate rapidly if the underlying cause is not remedied.
A few chickens that are caught early can have the ascites remedied. Birds with fairly advanced ascites may not truly recover. Some that are treated by having the fluid removed can live up to several months but generally in a deteriorating condition.
Can you eat chickens with ascites?
Ascites is not a disease or infection, so the meat is safe to eat. You may notice when you butcher meat chickens that some of them have developed the condition and didn’t show outward signs before being slaughtered.
Final thoughts about water belly or ascites in chickens
This is truly one of the situations where ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’.
There isn’t a good way to treat water belly in chickens, so it’s a better idea to prevent it from occurring if possible.
Monitor birds with rapid growth rates, such as Cornish crosses or other meat type chickens. Reduce feedings if necessary.
Make sure the birds always have access to fresh water and feed. Remove old feed or feed that is wet.
Good ventilation will help keep respiratory disease at bay. Use flake bedding that isn’t cedar. Pine flakes are a good option.
If you find yourself with a chicken that has ascites, some possible treatments include Greek oregano, Vitamin C, brewer’s yeast, flax oil and the herb eyebright.
Have you had a chicken that developed ascites? How did you manage/handle it? Let me know below!
I’ve had 6 white Leghorns (from the same batch) from the Tractor Supply Store that have come down with ascites. I believe my girls were all genetically predisposed to ascites. I’ve tried everything you mentioned in your articles. I have my last Leghorn that has gone down with it. I ‘m trying the following: Nutra Drench, Eyebright, Brewer’s yeast, yogurt, Baytril, CoQ10 and Milk Thistle. I will drain her in the next day or two. None have survived this awful condition. 😭😭
Christie that’s terrible! I’m so sorry to hear that! I would mention it to the store that you bought them from. They may want to mention it to their chick supplier. Ascites is no fun at all. Let me know if the last one pulls through!
I have a five year old black sex link named Melissa. She currently is having her fourth bout of water belly.
I am treating it by using a syringe and withdrawing fluid. Mostly the fluid is pale yellow but while I was gone for three weeks, it was reported it had gone green.
This chicken is a champ. She is out right now with the flock, being active, tail high and acting the boss. But she has swollen again and in need of another withdrawal of fluids. The withdrawal has sent her into respiratory distress before and in general, respiratory is one of the signs that she is also not feeling well. The purple comb, and some wheezing or gasping. However, since she is so dedicated to joyful living we have to help her!
I am going to look into the Vit C (I have some elderberries) oregano oil, brewer’s yeast, flax oil possibilities: does anyone know of any feed recipes? How much is a safe amount? Do you start light and move on up?
It should also be stated that she has lost a lot of weight but is at the same time full of vim and vinegar! I would like to see her healthy again. IT’s worth a try.
Looking for recipes, dosages, experience with oregano etc.> what to mix with?
Laura,
Here’s what I’ve been able to find in scientific literature-
Oregano is effective at varying levels from as little as 15 mg of oregano per kg of body weight to as much as 600 mg/kg of body weight. If you try oregano, I would start with a small dose and work my way up as needed. Oregano improves the gut bacteria and reduces ascites by improving digestion.
There is a patent requested for an ascites treatment. The treatment includes brewer’s yeast and the herb eyebright. This treatment recommends feeding brewer’s yeast continuously for the duration of the chicken’s life at a rate of 1 gram per 4 pounds of chicken each day. That would continue for the life of the chicken. In addition to this, eyebright is fed for 7 days. The eyebright is given 12.5 mg per 4 pounds of chicken.
There is not a recommendation for how much vitamin C chickens should get daily. They do produce some vitamin C on their own but some researchers recommend 50-60 mg of vitamin C per kg of chicken daily to treat ascites. It’s also possible that giving vitamin C with CoQ10 can treat ascites. 300mg of vitamin C per kg of chicken with 40 mg CoQ10 per kg of chicken has been effective at treating ascites.
The results on flax oil are less consistent. Some say it’s effective, some say it’s effective when used with another treatment. It’s worth a shot though either way. The most promising results are when ascites is due to pulmonary hypertension syndrome. Flax oil can be fed at a rate of 50 grams per kg of feed consumed.
I really hope that this helps you save your girl! Keep me posted!
I just learnt the condition this morning after losing my 5th bird with similar signs and symptoms. I had to take a closer look at it and compared its status with the rest of the chickens in the poultry then I concluded that it was ascites. I then took time to read about the condition in chickens. I have gotten very helpful insights and and I am up to try out the remedies suggested. My flock is 3 weeks 2 days today. I am only praying I will be able to find the things suggested as possible remedies
This condition has greatly affected my chickens,the first batch I had ,30% died because of ascites. I observed that isolated chickens which were not fed like others survived ,confirming that reduced feeding helps to control ascites in fast growing birds. My question is ,can the vitamin C for human beings be given to chickens in cases where there’s no vitamin C for chickens?. Kindly help by sending response to [email protected].
I followed your directions for my chickens and am hoping for positive results. At the time I noticed the mites, I had my first hen go broody.
Thanks for this article. I had a young araucana chicken who never laid eggs. She seemed to get much bigger than the other chickens. She and one other one tended to stay behind in the coop while the others free ranged, so I thought maybe she was eating too much grain (we have 24 chickens so organic laying mash with whole grains is always available). Her mate, also an araucana, did the same but she is normal size and loves her fresh veggies we bring down. I noticed that she often panted at night even in winter when they were all getting up on their perches. I had never heard of water belly before so didn’t check for it.
But, unfortunately, a few days ago, she was killed by the neighbour’s puppy who got into the enclosure. When I picked her up, she was really heavy, I felt like she was much heavier than the last time I had picked her up. And I felt like her belly was squishy. After reading this and other articles, I am thinking she maybe had water belly. I am just wondering if it is a problem to have the feed on hand. I am not sure how to do it differently because with so many chickens, the dominant ones would guts it all if I did it a few times a day (I am thinking). Anyway I would love to know your thoughts.
Hey Christine,
It does sound like your hen had water belly. 🙁 There are several things that could have caused it, so I’m not sure that having the feed always out was to blame. Since it was just the one hen, she may have been genetically predisposed to have it. I wouldn’t worry about the feed being out unless you start to notice it in other chickens. If you start to see problems with other chickens then you might want to pull the feed. The other chicken is probably OK from the fresh vegetables that she eats. She’s probably getting enough vitamin C to keep it at bay. I hope this helps!
I have 3 chickens. My Bard Rock has had symptoms of water belly 3 times. Her 1st bought was summer of 2019. Very sick: lethargic, not eating, hardly standing because she was so heavy, purple comb and labored breathing, belly was hard. I was told she would probably pass in a day or so, so I cuddled her and cried. She got better, however a few months later, she had most systems, but ate like a pig and wasn’t lethargic. All the other symptoms were there. She got better. For the past week, she has her swollen belly and breathing issue and no other symptoms. What’s going on?
Marion,
Some chickens seem to just be predisposed to ascites. I would try to incorporate vitamin C and herbs into her normal diet to keep it at bay since it keeps coming back.
Thank you. I’ve always been under the impression it’s always fatal. Thank you so much for your reply.
Marion,
I think in the past birds that had it were kind of written off. There’s a better understanding now as to the different reasons as to why birds get it and depending on the cause, it may be a treatable condition.
Can I crush an adult vitamin C. Or add water to dissolve it? And it would be OK if my healthy girls have it also?
Yes you can. That’s really one of the easiest ways to find vitamin C for chickens. And yes, your healthy hens can have it too so there’s no need to feed them separately!