Anyone have experience with egg yolk peritonitis?

[MarieNC]

My black sex linked hen Delia (she will be 3 in April) was diagnosed today with egg yolk peritonitis, poor thing. She stopped eating yesterday and I noticed she was sitting off by herself. Last year she had an impacted egg shell (which she expressed) and a resulting infection, so I thought this was happening again. Took her to my excellent avian vet who drained the fluid in her abdomen. Delia is staying at the vet overnight so they can get some fluids and food in her and start her on antibiotics. I will be giving her antibiotics and tube feedings when she comes home. They want to stabilize her for exploratory surgery to see if the egg yolk is contained to specific areas, of if it's all over the place. They said that sometimes this condition can be managed, where folks just bring their hens in periodically to have the fluid in their peritoneal cavity drained. But if the yolk is all over the place, there is no cure. Just wondering if anyone has managed this condition before.

 

[seamouse]

I am sorry that I have not had good experience managing this. I've lost two hens to EYP in the past not quite year, and a third is in the "hospital cage" in the house heading into her end decline. I've stopped trying to treat her, and because I have not yet learned to kill one of my hens, I'm just giving her a daily soak in a tub of warm water with epsom salts, which clearly provides some relief but is not curative. I'm confused by the prevalence of EYP. Two were hatchery barred rocks, one a dorking from a reputable heritage breeder. Good luck. -Rochelle