Egg yolk peritonitis!?

[Soot the silkie]

I don't have much time to write this, but I'm pretty sure one of my hens has egg yolk peritonitis. She has most of the symptoms and a history with laying strange eggs. She's still very alert but lethargic, can still walk but doesn't have much of an appetite. She seems sort of fluid-filled when I hold her. We don't have any place to get proper antibiotics as far as I know so I've made her a tea of sorts out of cinnamon and oregano, which I hear works, but she hasn't drank any thus far, being a very uncooperative hen. I have her confined indoors. She laid a soft shelled egg about four days ago and has been lethargic since. She hasn't been really getting worse, but her poop is very fluid and white, sometimes with green bits in it. She looks utterly miserable, though not close to death. Is there anything I can do to help her more? I live somewhat rurally though not extremely, we have a few farm stores but none of them seem to carry the proper antibiotics. Is it really true that there's no sure cure for this condition? And if that's true, what can I do to make her feel as good as possible before she dies (if that's inevitable, which I refuse to believe it is)?

 

[Eggcessive]

I would also have plain water available in case she avoids the flavored water, so she doesn't become dehydrated. You can obtain procaine penicillin G at most feed stores (it is refrigerated and has several brand names.) It could help, but has to be given in injections. Dosage is 0.25 ml given into the breast muscle once daily for 4-5 days. A vet may prescribe better antibiotics, such as oral amoxicillin or even Baytril. Antibiotics may or may not help, but if you are not planning to eat her eggs or her meat, it would be something last ditch to try and help her. I would make her as comfortable as possible, offering some chopped egg, tuna, or liver in addition to her usual chicken feed. If she seems to be suffering, then I would euthanize her. Is her lower belly tight like a drum?

 

[Soot the silkie]

I would also have plain water available in case she avoids the flavored water, so she doesn't become dehydrated. You can obtain procaine penicillin G at most feed stores (it is refrigerated and has several brand names.) It could help, but has to be given in injections. Dosage is 0.25 ml given into the breast muscle once daily for 4-5 days. A vet may prescribe better antibiotics, such as oral amoxicillin or even Baytril. Antibiotics may or may not help, but if you are not planning to eat her eggs or her meat, it would be something last ditch to try and help her. I would make her as comfortable as possible, offering some chopped egg, tuna, or liver in addition to her usual chicken feed. If she seems to be suffering, then I would euthanize her. Is her lower belly tight like a drum?

Yeah, the plain water thing makes sense. She hasn't drunk either plain water or the herb water yet, I let her go outside for the evening and night for hopes she'd eat and drink in a more usual environment for her, but to no avail. I didn't know that penicillin had to be injected, I don't think that I would be able to do that anyway, so I think I'll try to look for a vet in my area. I hadn't thought about giving here egg, but I offered her a bit of her favorite bread, which she couldn't eat. She seems somewhat bloated, though not really tight.

 

[Eggcessive]

Usually, if they won't eat egg, bread crumbs, or their favorite treats, they are very ill. Some tube feed sick birds that refuse food, but I don't usually, since there is usually a good reason they are refusing food. Hens with internal laying or egg yolk peritonitis can have differing symptoms. Some have weight loss in the chest region, some have fullness in the lower belly, runny droppings, weakness, preferring to sit or lie down, and they may walk more upright, but each case may look different. To inject penicillin, use a 3 ml/cc syringe with a 20 gauge needle. Inject 0.25 ml 1/4 inch deep into the breast muscle daily for 5 days. I will dip their beaks into a small cup of water, and hold it up for them to sip often. If she should die, I would open her belly to look at her organs if you can. You can look for blockages in her crop, gizzard, and intestines, as well as look for cooked egg material in her abdomen. Pictures can be helpful of organs such as the liver and other findings.

 

[Claudine5]

I don't have much time to write this, but I'm pretty sure one of my hens has egg yolk peritonitis. She has most of the symptoms and a history with laying strange eggs. She's still very alert but lethargic, can still walk but doesn't have much of an appetite. She seems sort of fluid-filled when I hold her. We don't have any place to get proper antibiotics as far as I know so I've made her a tea of sorts out of cinnamon and oregano, which I hear works, but she hasn't drank any thus far, being a very uncooperative hen. I have her confined indoors. She laid a soft shelled egg about four days ago and has been lethargic since. She hasn't been really getting worse, but her poop is very fluid and white, sometimes with green bits in it. She looks utterly miserable, though not close to death. Is there anything I can do to help her more? I live somewhat rurally though not extremely, we have a few farm stores but none of them seem to carry the proper antibiotics. Is it really true that there's no sure cure for this condition? And if that's true, what can I do to make her feel as good as possible before she dies (if that's inevitable, which I refuse to believe it is)?

How is your girl doing?
Can you update us?
I am going through this now with one of my hens.