Updated! - Test Your Diagnostic Skills - Warning, Contains Graphic Necropsy Photos

[coach723]

Not sure what you are asking? Salpingitis and internal laying are very similar. Once an infection sets in in the abdomen of a bird caused by egg matter and bacteria the infection is egg peritonitis. Sometimes the peritonitis can be treated with antibiotics, depending on the root cause, but it can recur. They kind of go hand in hand when a bird has a reproductive issue. A lash egg usually looks like a solid mass and when cut open looks like layers and layers of cooked egg. Sometimes it's more yellow, and it may contain egg matter. Mostly the mass is made up of pus. That's how the chickens body tries to contain the infection, by encapsulating it, and the result is what is commonly referred to as a lash egg. Sometimes birds will pass lash eggs, so you have an idea what is going on. Sometimes they just remain in the abdomen and you don't find them until necropsy.
Hope that makes sense.
Here's more info on EYP: http://www.theveterinaryexpert.com/backyard-poultry/egg-yolk-peritonitis/

 

[Deltabwa]

Ok, that makes sense yes, thanks. I thought peritonitis was the technical term for internal laying, regardless of the reason for it. But you're saying it's all the same. That thing at the 2:50 mark was completely empty but had a horrible odor. The bunch of them in the sack, that I opened at the end, they looked like cutting open a chunk of cheddar cheese and had no odor.

And the link from the Chicken Chick. She said to cull the entire flock.???? That's not the case is it?

 

[casportpony]

And the link from the Chicken Chick. She said to cull the entire flock.???? That's not the case is it?

What, did she say that? That's crazy. No, no need to cull the flock.

 

[Deltabwa]

pshew!! I was really hoping not!! I didn't think so but wanted confirmation It's at the bottom under "treatments"

 

[casportpony]

pshew!! I was really hoping not!! I didn't think so but wanted confirmation It's at the bottom under "treatments"

I'll have to re-read it.

 

[coach723]

Holy moly, no!! I re-read, and I THINK what she was saying was that it is an option, and I would expect that only in the case where egg production is for profit and the only reason the chickens exist. She does say that "It's not realistic for most backyard flocks kept for pets". For most it's an occurance, not rare but not epidemic either. I would never cull my entire flock for this. It doesn't happen enough for me to be convinced that they are passing it around in any way. Everyone of mine that has had it has been a hen bred for prolific laying of eggs, SO FAR none of my heritage breeds that don't lay as often has had it. Just my experience up to now.

 

[Deltabwa]

Yea, I saw that and figured that's what she was saying but even just saying it, to some, they may do it. This one is a Buckeye and just turned a year old on Sept 18. Totally surprised me and was unexpected for sure!

 

[rebrascora]

So sorry for your loss, but well done on opening her up to investigate the cause and thanks for posting a video of it.
I agree it's salpingitis. Poor girl! That whole pink lumpy section that you handle and eventually cut into is her oviduct and it is packed with lash eggs, which are infected egg material and puss which becomes cheesy in hens. You can see that there were still yolks ripe and ready to be released from her ovaries, but there was no way they could get past all that mass of infected debris, so she may also have started laying internally as well.... which could have caused peritonitis.
Peritonitis is when an infection occurs in the abdominal cavity I believe , whereas that infection (salpingitis) is confined to the reproductive tract. With internal laying, egg yolks released by the ovary when they are ripe, drop into the abdominal cavity instead of travelling into the oviduct (in this case because the oviduct is blocked with infected material) If the yolks in the abdominal cavity become infected, then it is Egg Yolk Peritonitis (EYP) but they can sit there and build up to quite a mass without becoming infected which is straight forward internal laying and fluid often leaches out of them over time which also leads to ascites (water belly).

Salpingitis...... infection in oviduct and produces lash eggs some of which may be expelled but usually clog up their system like this.

Internal laying..... egg yolks from the ovary drop into the abdominal cavity where they build up and have no way of being expelled and may lead to ascites(water belly).

Egg Yolk Peritonitis.... those egg yolks in the abdominal cavity from internal laying become infected.

I hope that clarifies the differences between these common reproductive ailments


If it is any consolation, she would never have recovered from that.

Regards

Barbara

 

[casportpony]

Excellent post!

 

[Jspenc02]

I don’t know if I’m in the correct post, please bear with me. I have had 4 young, healthy chickens die recently. I finally was able to do a necropsy and will post my pictures here to not offend anyone. I think they are getting an impacted crop, but I do not know tha anatomy of a chicken as well as I know human anatomy. Anyways, I recently got a new brand of wood shavings and they appear to have a lot of “fines” along with the flakes. I did tell the store I was using them to bed chickens and this is what they sold me. I do give them some scratch twice a day, and was also worried about rats. This is my first necropsy and I just kinda winged it, so bear with me.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/dying-chicken-with-bloody-vent.1219521/#post-19502015