Advice Needed

[Chicken_Guru]

I have a 4 year RIR. She has had pasty butt which we have been cleaning, but now she looks like she is constipated, isn't walking very well and just sits all day.

What is wrong?

 

[micstrachan]

Does she still lay? She may be backed up and having trouble passing her decal matter, but it’s hard to know what’s backing her up without more information. What does she eat? What is used for bedding in the coop and litter in the run? Does she have grit?
Also, how is her crop functioning? Is it emptying overnight? Is her abdomen bloated with fluid? This would indicate ascites, which could be caused by a number of different things, including infection, organ failure, cancer, or laying problem.
Can she get up to theroost at night?
If you can answer these questions, it may help us get pointed in the right direction. I’m sure others will chime in, too.

 

[Chicken_Guru]

Does she still lay? An egg or two a week, but not since this happened. What is used for bedding in the coop -Pine Bedding, just garden dirt in run. Does she have grit? Yes, and she free ranges in backyard. Also, how is her crop functioning? I just now isolated her Is her abdomen bloated with fluid? It looks like it. Can she get up to theroost at night? She never has roosted- always sleeps in her box

 

[Chicken_Guru]

Her crop is fine. Still not walking very well. She is eating watermelon now ad drinking water. I have separated her from her girlfriends. She has green poop.

 

[Chicken_Guru]

She had her last breath today.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She had her last breath today.

I'm sorry for your loss

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. It sounds like she may have had egg yolk peritonitis, internal laying, or ascites. Those are very common in laying hens. Having trouble getting around, an enlarged lower belly, separating themselves, and poopy butts can be signs. Normally, they don’t continue to lay eggs, but it is hard to know without either doing a necropsy yourself, or send her refrigerated body to your state vet for a necropsy. Here is some reading about common reproductive disorders:
http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

 

[HappyDancin']

Dang
It sounds like you did a good job helping her feel comfortable during her illness. Do you think this was egg peritonitis? Did she die of these same symptoms (originally posted in May)?

Egg peritonitis is chronic, isn't it?

I think I have a hen who might have this condition. She often acts just fine. Then she'll have a flare up and it's clear she's feeling ill (with the above listed symptoms). Does that seem right?...do symptoms come and go? (...until they eventually succumb?)

 

[coach723]

Dang
It sounds like you did a good job helping her feel comfortable during her illness. Do you think this was egg peritonitis? Did she die of these same symptoms (originally posted in May)?

Egg peritonitis is chronic, isn't it?

I think I have a hen who might have this condition. She often acts just fine. Then she'll have a flare up and it's clear she's feeling ill (with the above listed symptoms). Does that seem right?...do symptoms come and go? (...until they eventually succumb?)

How old is your hen? Sometimes they will have varying symptoms, sometimes they will just have a consistent downward slide. EYP is infection caused by egg matter that is deposited in the abdomen due to some kind of reproductive malfunction. If your hens abdomen is bloated and hard/firm, then likely there is matter building up either from internal laying or salpingitis. Sometimes ascites is also present, which is fluid build up which feels more water balloon like. For most of these conditions it's just a matter of time, treatments have to be started very early for any hope they will be effective and many times treatment is just not effective depending on what the underlying issue actually is, and often by the time symptoms are noticed it's already well progressed because they hide it so well. I usually just leave them be as long as they are relatively comfortable and still doing normal chicken things. Once they go off food and water, become very inactive or listless, isolate themselves, or are obviously suffering, I euthanize. I've had them last as long as 18 months with salpingitis, but it can also be much quicker than that. If you want to know for sure then doing or having a necropsy done after she passes is the best way to find out as many conditions can present with very similar symptoms. Sorry it's not a more encouraging outlook.

 

[HappyDancin']

How old is your hen? Sometimes they will have varying symptoms, sometimes they will just have a consistent downward slide. EYP is infection caused by egg matter that is deposited in the abdomen due to some kind of reproductive malfunction. If your hens abdomen is bloated and hard/firm, then likely there is matter building up either from internal laying or salpingitis. Sometimes ascites is also present, which is fluid build up which feels more water balloon like. For most of these conditions it's just a matter of time, treatments have to be started very early for any hope they will be effective and many times treatment is just not effective depending on what the underlying issue actually is, and often by the time symptoms are noticed it's already well progressed because they hide it so well. I usually just leave them be as long as they are relatively comfortable and still doing normal chicken things. Once they go off food and water, become very inactive or listless, isolate themselves, or are obviously suffering, I euthanize. I've had them last as long as 18 months with salpingitis, but it can also be much quicker than that. If you want to know for sure then doing or having a necropsy done after she passes is the best way to find out as many conditions can present with very similar symptoms. Sorry it's not a more encouraging outlook.

She is a 2.5 year Sicilian butter cup. She's doing great right now. She's actually only showed those exact symptoms once (not eating, listless, inactive, isolating, uncomfortable). She pulled through her first bout after a few days, and is now (several weeks later) back to laying an egg or two per week.

From what I've read, EYP seems it's something that she may deal with the rest of her life - I've read that there is no prevention or cure. Of course "EYP" was my diagnosis...
But again, so far so good! My lil gal is a tough chickie!