Broody or egg peritonitis?

[JuliaSunshine]

I lost a hen a couple of days after she went supposedly 'broody'.
On Sunday, I found her sitting in the nesting box screaming when I got near. She was like that a couple months ago and I broke her broodiness by locking her up in a chicken jail for a few days.
So I did it again right away and every day I let her out and put her back in the chicken jail as she kept running to the nesting box.
On Tuesday early afternoon, she finally looked normal. I even saw her foraging with others quite a far from the safe zone of our house and the coop.
On Wednesday morning, she was found sitting on the floor of the coop almost dying.
Then within half an hour she died.

I'm wondering if she was having egg peritonitis instead being broody especially because on Tuesday, I noticed yellow stuff on the perch she was sitting. It could've been a broken egg yolk I didn't pay much attention to it at that time.
Or was she broody and developed egg peritonitis at the same time while being locked in the chicken jail?
She wasn't getting any calcium while being locked up for 3 days and she must've been stressed for being locked up.
She wasn't a healthy chicken to begin with as she had been sick for over 2 months from unknown cause in the last winter and still laid pee wee eggs until she died even though she was over one year old. She was the bottom of the pecking order and often alone.
But we loved her for her weakness and gentleness.

Now when I see a broody hen, I'd be worried if she's actually having egg peritonitis.

 

[nuthatched]

I wouldn't assume she had egg yolk peritonitis just with the information given, it usually makes itself known in other ways.
Was she leaking any yellow stuff?

 

[JuliaSunshine]

I wouldn't assume she had egg yolk peritonitis just with the information given, it usually makes itself known in other ways.
Was she leaking any yellow stuff?

I didn't see her leaking yellow stuff but the perch she was sitting on seemed covered with something yellow.
When she died, a little clear liquid came out of her vent but not much.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is very hard to know really, unless you open the belly and have a look, or send her body in to you state vet. I have learned a lot about illnesses from doing a necropsy at home. Since it it Friday, the body probably would deteriorate some even in the refrigerator if sending it in to the state lab. When I have a broody, many times they will keep trying to go broody. I had one hen who went broody at least 4 times one summer. I break mine in a large wire pen outdoors that sits on the grass and has a roost. I make sure they are getting feed and give some extra egg and scratch or sunflower seeds to get their strength back. After 5 days in the broody breaking pen,if they go to the nest box, they go back in broody jail for another 3 days. Sorry about losing your poor hen.

 

[JuliaSunshine]

It is very hard to know really, unless you open the belly and have a look, or send her body in to you state vet. I have learned a lot about illnesses from doing a necropsy at home. Since it it Friday, the body probably would deteriorate some even in the refrigerator if sending it in to the state lab. When I have a broody, many times they will keep trying to go broody. I had one hen who went broody at least 4 times one summer. I break mine in a large wire pen outdoors that sits on the grass and has a roost. I make sure they are getting feed and give some extra egg and scratch or sunflower seeds to get their strength back. After 5 days in the broody breaking pen,if they go to the nest box, they go back in broody jail for another 3 days. Sorry about losing your poor hen.

Thank you.
I buried her yesterday. A home necropsy is beyond me for now.
Maybe I will get a less broody breed in the future. One hen went broody again yesterday and it's her second time this year. But I'll look after broody hens better while they're in the broody jail.