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

[Bogtown Chick]

He does that when he's mad. LOL. He'll pick up something off the ground like he's playing possum...and pretending like he's doing something else and when you least expect it he'll come after you. The kids and I know that move all too well. LOL. But I thought the "last straw" thing sounded funny. Those chickens are funny...the way they do things. I can't tell you how many times we've giggled over something they've done. I'm sure everybody gets a kick out of their chickens though...

She is looking pretty good yet...I have to say. I see her and check her over everyday and can tell on her some of the subtlest of changes. I might also say that's she's been a loner most of her time with us, too. The rooster has always been "partial" to her and she always sought refuge by separation. I see her protecting herself yes...but there is this subtle difference to her that tells me her body is fighting. Thank you for your compliments on Rose's good looks. We think she's pretty too and she is personality plus which only adds to her attractiveness.

 

[pwand]

Chickens are funny. i love watching mine. I have my deck next to the run. I go out there and watch them. Of course they wan't something good to eat when I go out. Roger sounds like a character. You should do some videos of him.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Today while at work, my thoughts wondered through what could be going on with my flock. No eggs for many months. "Am I even good at this?" Is it worth all my efforts of hauling water and feed in frigid temperatures, snow up to my hind end. Sick birds.

And then this small blessing.... 1 egg turned around all my thoughts and second guessing I had swirling around in my brain today. It was so ironic.

Unfortunately it is not Rosey's egg. But it is most likely my New Hampshire's Sunny's and I was worried about her internally laying too. She has an odd feeling abdomen similar to Rosey's but not symptomatic like Rosey. So I now don't know what to think. There's a part of my wondering if I should do some Corid on the whole flock, too. I think Cocci is another reason for no eggs. Although I don't think we've had bloody poos or anything. The thinking and trying to figure this flock health has put me through my paces. Probably more than it should.

Rosey seemed to be puffed up and in pain this morning again. But this afternoon she was gregarious with some BOSS and greens again and popped herself up on the roost very easily. She basically looked better this afternoon than this morning. I'm thinking with the second round of antibiotics I did not use aspirin on her and I wonder if I used a little of this anti-inflammatory this would make a difference. It's just such a pain to get in her. I crush it and mix it with apple sauce then syringe down her beak. Her abdomen is larger than the others...not rigid yet but bigger with less suppleness then the others. I'm confident she continues to dump eggs internally.

So a mix of emotions today. Seeing Rose puffed up this morning. My whole thoughts on raising chickens. LOL. And then the wonderful surprise in the nest box telling me we're getting back on track with the flock.

Neem oil still hasn't arrived.

 

[ten chicks]

I have not read through entire thread,but chickens do take a break from laying,this is normal,decrease in daylight,decrease in egg production. When ill/injured,they may also stop laying.

When i administer aspirin to my birds,i wrap it in a pce of meat or cheese,they gobble it up.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Hi Ten Chicks. Thanks for joining in on my thread. Definitely think shorter days played a part of "no eggs" but my concerns were that we had not had any since the end of June. So I think we've had it figured out just through a calamity of events from one thing to another: Summer heat, possible worm/blackhead issues, then molting, then low photo period days. Also Pwand brought up possible too much treating. We've had these frigid temps this winter, and in Manitoba I know you've been party to them as well!, but I was giving extra scratch for cold nights and I think our nutrition has been subpar, even though they've had their regular feed readily available they've been just holding out for scratch. Since I've backed off on that and just offering greens, BOSS and feed, we might have evidence today that things are turning around...of course with longer days this would help too.

Working out health issues as well.

When I've wrapped aspirin or pills in anything...my birds have consistently shaken the pill out of the cheese, scrambled egg, meat, grape...whatever. LOL. Then proceed to eat the good stuff leaving the pill on the counter, floor, or where ever it flings to.

 

[pwand]

Hey thats a nice egg!! Who is going to fight over that one for breakfast. LoL.

It wouldn't hurt to go ahead and treat them with Corid.

Where exactly do you feel something? One of my birds had a broken soft egg that had come out of her a few weeks ago, I cleaned her out and felt something on her front left side. She about 9 months old. I worry she will have this problem herself. Can't seem to get the eggs to stay hard. Today was another soft shell egg in the poop box. I have two that are doing this from the same batch. The other one is just getting through a hard molt. I give them oyster shells and their crushed egg shells back.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Hahaha...Isn't that the truth?! I think it will be a fight for that egg. I think my mouth watered slightly when I saw it laying there in the nest box...hahaha. It is a solid egg for sure. I put it in an egg carton in the fridge. And it's just long/big enough where the carton won't close on that end. It will be interesting to see if our luck continues.

IDK...the Coccidia idea was just another thought is all. They get ACV in their water everyday. And no bloody poop. Nobody else dragging... I've got Sulmet on hand if there's an emergency and I see something drastic. Corid would be better I know.

When I palpate Rose and compare her to the others I am putting my hand right under the fluff on the ventral side. I'm assuming under the hips/thigh bones. This is where I gently squeeze. Most of the other birds have smaller easily pressed abdomens. Rose's is larger feeling with some resistance met from within such as a firm mass. I envision the "cooked" egg mass that are seen in some of the autopsies on here. Her Vent is empty but her butt tips down once in a while when she's puffed up. Much like Deckie's latter pictures.

Sounds like you are doing everything right pwand. I think too when they restart, especially after they've been on egg break...there are these mis-fires. I had 2 soft ones, last week. No shell. Just a ker-splat on the poop board. Actually there have been a few threads that I've read about some of these soft eggs. Isn't there one on the carousel of the home page now? Is there another vitamin/mineral that helps them use the calcium in their system to make the egg? Magnesium is it? I'm going to google or search here on BYC.

 

[pwand]

Some don't agree with ACV in the water everyday. Once in awhile. Its vitamin D with Calcium/magnesium needed for reabsorption.

The soft shell has been since they started laying. One was really bad, shes the one that did the major molt. It just seems like they can't get the calcium working for them. It gets frustrating.

Apparently you don't always see blood with coccodious. What about a sample to the vet?

 

[pwand]

I think if you do an internal exam you would feel the lumps in her. That what I did when I can feel the left side, might be her organ I am feeling, not sure

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I treated Blackhead with 5 days on metrodinazole and then went to a 1/2 cc of valbazen and 10 days later another 1/2 cc of valbazen.

I'll see if this one egg leads to others and if not...I think I'll treat for coccidia. It's such a tough call, though, when the days are barely long enough to get eggs, and there's no symptoms other than no eggs. But I hear what your saying pwand...that the blood doesn't have to be seen yet. I'll keep it in my thoughts for sure.

When I bring Rose up for some aspirin I will check her out again. Poor girl.