One of my hens has a similar problem so i did some research... YOLK PERITONITIS. The yolk misses the oviduct and goes into the abdominal cavity. Hens can live with Sterile peritonitis for a while, but it puts stress on their system. Of course if an infection sets in, it is even more serious. However my cochin hen has lived with it for about a year. When I first looked it up at the first signs of symptoms several sources said the liquid in the belly might naturally be reabsorbed, and it was best to do nothing. She did not develop and infection, but unfortunately her body did not reabsorb the fluid either. She still can roost with the others and eats normally, but she does not run around like the other hens. I tried to drain the fluid after it was clear that her body was not going to reabsorb it, but by that time the fuild was too thick to really drain.
I copied the following from another thread:
"Peritonitis can be caused by a number of things, most often by yolks missing the "funnel" and falling directly from her ovary into her abdomen. Other types of infections and sometimes cancer can also cause peritonitis. There are also two types of peritonitis - sterile and septic. If your girl has sterile peritonitis, it means that the fluid in her abdomen is not filled with bacteria and is not caused by an internal infection. With this type of peritonitis, the best thing to do is leave the hen alone. If she is extremely uncomfortable and having a hard time breathing, you can try draining off some of the fluid to relieve pressure AS LONG AS you do the procedure under sterile conditions- if you introduce bacteria into her abdomen, she will get a nasty infection and the peritonitis will turn septic - then she will likely die. With sterile peritonitis, the hen will have trouble getting around and will have some loss of appetite, but she will continue to eat and will improve gradually over time- potentially she will recover totally or she will always have fluid build-up. I have a hen with sterile peritonitis and she has been this way for over 3 years now. She has a harder time breathing as the fluid has put pressure on her airsacs and lungs (this is especially evident when she roosts at night) but she is still hanging in there. When she stops ovulating for the year, usually in winter, the fluid is reabsorbed into her body and she is totally normal. She's running around and acting quite silly at the moment... Your vet can choose to remove the fluid, but it usually builds up again quite quickly. Massive fluid loss all at once can cause shock, as well, so if fluid is removed, usually only about half of it is taken at a time.
The other type of peritonitis is septic peritonitis- the fluid gets bacteria growing in it and then there isn't much you can do for her as the infection is so wide-spread and huge that usually even massive doses of strong antibiotic aren't enough. In that case, you can tell that your hen has this type because they go downhill rapidly and lose their appetite. Often they have a fever (hot comb- very hot under wings). If your hen has cancer, this can also cause peritonitis, but she will go downhill with this type as well, and will stop eating and act very sick indeed.
If your hen is still eating well and drinking, she likely has sterile egg-yolk peritonitis and may very well just carry on for years without any added intervention. If you have the resources and this hen is a pet, you may want to ask about getting her spayed and having the offending ovary and the yolks removed from her. There is risk involved, but many have done it with success".
Another thread:
Egg yolk peritonitis (the presence of yolk material in the coelomic cavity) is a common cause of abdominal distension in birds. Yolk material by itself induces a mild inflammatory response and may be reabsorbed by the peritoneum. Because yolk is an excellent growth medium for bacteria, peritonitis may result from secondary bacterial infection. Localized to diffuse fibrinous peritonitis may result, and may lead to secondary ascites and organ inflammation or compromise in chronic cases.
Egg peritonitis is characterized by fibrin or albumen-like material with a cooked appearance among the abdominal viscera. It is a common cause of sporadic deaths, but in some flocks may become the major cause of death and give the appearance of a contagious disease. It is diagnosed at necropsy.
Lodgment of eggs in the oviduct was probably due to reverse peristalsis brought about by breakage of the thin-shelled eggs and secondary bacterial infection. Peritonitis follows reverse movement of albumen and Escherichia coli bacteria from the oviduct into the abdomen. If the incidence is high, culture should be done to differentiate between Pasteurella (fowl cholera) or Salmonella infection.
When hens have too many large ovarian follicles, a problem described as erratic oviposition and defective egg syndrome (EODES) is seen in broiler breeders.
Herbal AntibioticsThis condition is accompanied by a high incidence of double-yolked eggs, prolapses of the oviduct, internal ovulation, and/or internal laying that often results in egg peritonitis and mortality. EODES is prevented by avoiding light stimulation of underweight pullets too early and following body weight and lighting recommendations for each breeder strain. Overweight hens may also have a higher incidence of erratic ovulations and mortality associated with egg peritonitis.
Clinical Signs:
Sudden death, loss of appetite/anorexia, weakness, depression, respiratory distress, lethargy, fluffed feathers, lack of vocalizations, yolk-colored droppings, swollen vent and/or abdomen (the swelling feels spongy to the touch), and ascites. Some of these symptoms also mimic egg binding. Ascites is most commonly seen in cockatiels and waterfowl.
Nesting behavior or recent egg laying is commonly reported at presentation. Abdominal wall herniation may be a complication in cases of extreme abdominal distension secondary to increased coelomic pressure. Although ascites is not present in all birds with egg yolk peritonitis, fluid evaluation may be diagnostic when ascites is a presenting clinical sign. Grossly, the fluid is slightly yellow to yellow, with possible visualization visualization of yolk material and protein strands. The fluid may appear noninflammatory (as in this case) or inflammatory, with or without sepsis. Typical findings would be only yolk or fat globules in the former case and a mixture of heterophils, macrophages, lymphocytes, fat globules, and yolk globules with or without bacteria in the latter case.
Any ascitic fluid from a bird should be cultured, especially in cases of egg yolk peritonitis. Coliform bacteria have been the most common isolates in egg yolk peritonitis. (Sources: Abdominal Effusion in a Bird, Merck Vet Manual, Ruptured-yolk peritonitis and organochlorine residues in a royal tern.)
