Egg Yolk Peritonitis -- 20 month old Rhode Island Red.

[Bogtown Chick]

She's been puffed up on the roost and in the run for two days. She hasn't displayed any nesting activity just up and down to eat with the cold weather and now that it's warmed up she's coming out to the run to eat but only a little bit then puffs up in the corner and dozes while the others scratch for the remaining grains.

Rosie is our favorite and I think I've diagnosed her after looking at the poop chart photos on here. It came down to the one which was either worms or egg yolk peritonitis. I had her up to the house and her keel bone is prominent. No ascites that I can tell. Cloaca exam is negative although it seemed more restrictive...harder to check then other hens I've checked quite easily. One last check....and abodomen check... There is a mass probably the size of a double yolker egg...but irregular in shape.

I think she has the associated infection going on with it. She doesn't have the ascites or bulging of the abodomen...YET...so I think we could still have some time with her if I take care of the infection.

Hubby says no for vet care. I have to half hearted agree on this one. The prognosis is not good unless there is an expensive abdominal surgery and spaying...which with a vet with probably little to no experience would kill her probably anyways. We're going to do comfort measures with this one we've decided and then let her little clock wind down to where we have to take humane measures.

This is tough. As she's really charmed us these few months. We love her so and so has all of our company and guests.

This is the toughest one so far..... Well hopefully we'll get a few more months of smiles... yet.

 

[pwand]

She seems so young for this, however, I am not sure. Has she been laying at all. Did you check her crop? Could what you feel be egg bound? I hear yah that its odd shaped. Try the human calcium anyway to see if she might pass an egg. I would deworm her anyways and dust her. How does her poop look? Rule out things. There is a lady who I believe has experience with this, @Speckledhen I am hoping it nothing to serious.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/348/speckledhen

 

[Bogtown Chick]

yeah...she seems young to me too. I've read a lot of speckled hen's posts on this. Her theory is this Hatchery RIR of mine was bred to lay-lay-lay which distends or loosens the cloaca which then can get fecal matter backed up in to the oviduct and creates infection/scarring. Genetic issue with Hatchery birds.

it makes sense. She was my best layer this spring and last winter even...she didn't really rest after her first fall pullet eggs. She's a producer. The roo loves her....

Her poop is watery, yellowish, like squeezed through a small hole egg yolky. with small brighter green rope like poo. I gave her a dose of Valbazen tonight as it "could" be worms. However she was wormed late summer. She has not laid eggs since June or early July. I just thought it was an egg break due to warm conditions. Then I had another hen ill with Blackhead around the time June/July mark...which we successfully treated and thus went to the worming treatment for everybody. Soon we were started molts...still no eggs...I understood this...then came low photoperiod days. So I didn't want to push anything...but then came our cold and I've had a heat lamp on off and on through some cold cold nights. And thought I would give them a gentle push towards egg laying with a rope light on a timer in the coop since we're going on a 7 month break already....well, I'm afraid I may have forced something I wish I shouldn't have. But I also think there is a strong chance something was already up with her...so I'm going to give myself a little break here since I don't thing we were up to 10 hours of light yet even with the added time. IDK... Gosh she's a sweet hen.

I've got some Tylan 50 on hand --looks like that handles mostly respiratory but there is a blurb for necrotic enteritis...I wonder if it will go systemic to help with this peritoneal infection.


I also placed an order for Baytril. But that may not be here until mid next week.

What do you think pwand about those two? I'm tempted to jump in with the Tylan and just get her going.

Thanks for helping me think this through...

 

[casportpony]

Sorry you're going through this, I know how tuff it can be as I have lost several this way. Baytril would be the better antibiotic, or maybe tetracycline in a pinch. I've used Baytril for mine, but it always ends the same way I'm afraid.

-Kathy

 

[pwand]

I would start the Tylan. You have nothing to lose trying that. Would it be worth treating for Blackhead again? That is a long time not laying. I found another article of causes of this, its Pasteurella (fowl cholera) or Salmonella infection. I was surprise at that. Here a link for that.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/vet/pou...uctive_system/egg_peritonitis_in_poultry.html

What ever was going on for her had already started before the light, don't blame yourself for that.

Now here is something that seems silly, i am sure you heard of the chicken whisper, he said if we give to many great treats it can cause the hens not to lay. Any chance the hens are having to many delicious treats momma. Here is the video, his suggestions did work for this lady.

 

[pwand]

Sorry you're going through this, I know how tuff it can be as I have lost several this way. Baytril would be the better antibiotic, or maybe tetracycline in a pinch. I've used Baytril for mine, but it always ends the same way I'm afraid.

-Kathy

Does 20 months seem young?

 

[casportpony]

Does 20 weeks seem young?

Is she 20 weeks or 20 months? The thread title says months, but I did have one very young one that had a palpable mass and upon necropsy I found a nasty, necrotic egg.

-Kathy

 

[pwand]

Is she 20 weeks or 20 months? The thread title says months, but I did have one very young one that had a palpable mass and upon necropsy I found a nasty, necrotic egg.

-Kathy

Sorry, i meant 20 months.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo...opic=17568.0&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13894234208168

Her poop is much like the 4th one down under the abnormal. The poop board this morning under had lots of frozen milky yellow stool with a few of the bright green ropey looking ones.

I thought blackhead....but her fluff is not completely wet like my other hen's was...not to say I gave it careful consideration and thought it was earlier today. But doing a few more thread checks and then the abdominal mass I can palpate...it just seems to fit.

I do have Duramycin Soluble powder on hand as well. Tetracycline. Only thing is ...is she is more comfortable in the coop with her fellow chickens and I'm not wanting the others to drink this in a drench. I could mix a batch up and syringe some down her. Do you think 3 cc's x 2 a day would be a good dosing for Tetracycline? not enough?

 

[pwand]

You probably should bring her in.