egg yolk peritonitis?

[casportpony]

Neither of my mature laying hens have laid since the middle of June. I have assumed that they decided to start laying in the woods so I couldn't find their eggs, but I knew they should have started sitting by now if that was the case. I have recently introduced new pullets to the flock, but that has all gone well. I found my Easter Egger in a nesting box today for the first time in weeks, and I was thrilled until I found this. Does this look like the result of egg peritonitis? I haven't noticed any of the other common symptoms yet, but I'm really worried since both mature hens stopped laying at the same time.

Not sure how I missed this... How is this hen?

-Kathy

 

[So Cal Chic]

@So Cal Chic , where i her abdomen is the mass you felt?

-Kathy

Thanks for responding, Kathy.
I inserted my finger into the vent about 1 1/2". Based on this anatomy chart, it's the mesentery.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/10845/chicken-anatomy

 

[horsemom1326]

Kathy, Hazel finally seems to be back to normal. She didn't start laying again until December. I was pretty worried for several months. Thank you!

 

[casportpony]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...arning-contains-pictures-of-pus#post_16585204

-Kathy

 

[newmarch2014]

I found our Easter Egger, Meanie, lying in the coop shavings Tuesday afternoon. I thought she might be brooding (one of the others is) so I picked her up and put her outside the coop. Noticed she was walking low to the ground, but thought maybe her legs had fallen asleep. When I put the ladies in the run for the night, she was back in the same spot. When I checked on her a few hours later, she hadn't moved. She's usually first on the perch, and when I tried to pick her up, she waddled/walked low to the ground to get away from me. She doesn't like to be picked up or touched all that much and she tried to get up to the ramp, but was so weak she couldn't make it. She returned to the corner to rest on the shavings. Normally my most consisted layer, she hasn't laid an egg in months since molting and cold/dark weather. The rest of the ladies began laying early January. I started research BYC and based on symptoms, thought she might be egg bound.

Day 1: Weds morning she was in the same spot, so I moved her into the house where I could examine, treat her and keep her warm. Began treating her for egg bound symptoms (with crushed calcium). No results. She was weak, sleepy, lethargic with drooping tail feathers and wings and wouldn't eat. Conducted vent exam and lubricated vent. Didn't feel an egg and vent was normal, not swollen. Did feel a mass in her abdomen area. She didn't lay an egg.

Day 2: Thurs morning, further research led me to suspect yolk peritonitis, especially after I noticed a large orange/yellow stain but no poop in the shavings where she'd slept Tuesday night. I wouldn't say she was swollen exactly, but she did appear somewhat larger than normal. Started treating her for yolk peritonitis with D-10 dissolved in solution of steeped oregano and cinnamon (home remedy cure w/successful result I read about on BYC). Weak, sleepy and lethargic. Ate some meal worms. Administered well over one cup of fluids throughout day.

Day 3: Fri: Continued treating with D-10 dissolved in water only. Seemed more alert (she was in the mud room and could hear the rest of the flock clucking and laying their eggs.) Late afternoon she was up and standing, had gotten out of her box and been walking around because I could see evidence of runny/watery fluid with scant solids that looked like poop. She ate a couple Tbs of cut up red grapes. Still sleepy, lethargic, and drooping tail feathers, but no longer waddling and starting to fight me when I syringe fluids. Scant one cup of fluids administered. Days 2 and 3, she was excreting a lot of foul smelling liquid, much more liquid than I was giving her as evidenced by the towels I've been swapping out daily. They are dark colored towels so no way to see what color, but fluids on floor were not bloody or yellow.

Day 4: Sat. Sleepy, lethargic, tail feathers drooping and not moving around too much. Not excreting as much fluids, but still foul smelling, and more than I'm giving her. Did stand several times when I changed out her towel, and moved her into the tub, she ate a few Tbs minced red grapes and a handful of grains of cooked rice. Found her later standing facing the wall at one point, but mostly lying in her towel lined box. Continuing to struggle against me when I administer D-10 fluids, but no real appetite.

Day 5: Sun. Alert and struggling against being given D-10 fluids. Pecked at some cut up tomatoes, but still no real appetite. Standing for longer periods. Abdomen is not swollen. Vent is clean, not swollen.

My daughter is out of her mind, fretting that Meanie (our flock enforcer) is dying. I am seeing results of improvement over the first day: alert and struggling against receiving fluids, not waddling, standing straight up when walking. I'd have thought, that by now she'd have been greatly improved or dead if it was yolk peritonitis. I'm wondering, how long before returning to normalcy? Or if I've completely misdiagnosed her altogether?

How is your hen? My hen that just got over peritonitis was touch and go for over a week. by day 9 of the antibiotics I had hope as there was improvement. I honestly believe the only reason she made it (besides the antibiotic of course) was that I kept trying every food I could think of to entice her to eat. One day she would eat yogurt, the next day she wouldn't touch it, one day scrambled eggs would be scarfed down, the next day she would only eat baby chick food. She existed for probably 4 days on strictly dried meal worms floated in the antibiotic water. She finished her 12 days of antibiotics a week ago and is back out with the flock and doing very well though she does take a lot of short naps through the day compared to normal but considering she is skin and bones and started sprouting all her pin feathers from the molt that was started months ago I figure a lot of energy is being taken up making feathers and trying to put on weight.

 

[So Cal Chic]

Thank you for asking.
Unfortunately, Meanie died 10 days after bringing her inside to diagnose and treat.
Fairly certain it was yolk peritonitis due to the yellow/orange mixture that looked like soft cooked egg yolk I found on the towel a couple days before she died.
I treated w/D-10 for eight days before she died. Last three days she had no appetite and ate nothing whatsoever, not even grubs or earthworms I dug up for her. I tried scrambled eggs, yogurt, pulped tomatoes, cooked rice--all her favorites. The last day she was just sleeping, not moving.
Quite sad. Although she hadn't laid an egg since fall molting, she was our most consistent layer and my only Easter Egger laying those beautiful pale blue/green eggs.

 

[newmarch2014]

Aww I am so sorry that she didn't make it. I know it can be frustrating when you try everything you can and it still is the time for that one to go. I am hoping my Red is just plain done laying so she can just live out her days with no more problems. I have another Red that layed a partial soft shell about a week and 1/2 ago and it is her only thing she has layed in 3 or so weeks. I now am checking them each day for swollen tummies to try to catch any potential problems early. I am not happy to hear yours was an EE, I guess the Reds are prone to it (mankind has messed with them enough to lay lots and fast and burn out) and was hoping the other birds in my flock are not as prone to it but it is a point that my EE's have laid like crazy in this first 6 months so they will probably burn out in a blaze of worry too. I may stick to Orps from here on out, great temperment, only 4-5 eggs a week but at 2 they are still steady in those 4-5 eggs a week. Hopefully they will never have this issue.

 

[So Cal Chic]

I know, it's very sad. Especially for my daughter as they are her "ladies" and she loves all of them.
I know what you mean about the Orps. I have two Buffs myself. One of them has gone broody on me three times in the last two years. next time I'm going to have to break down and get a fertilized egg for her.
I have to say, I also have two cocoa moran-types that lay the dark eggs and a laced wyandot and the whole flock are pretty good layers. Sure, they slack off once in a while, but I would, too if I was pushing an egg out every 30 hours or so.

 

[poppymychicken]

My chicken Bunny is showing all the signs for egg yolk peritonitis but where I live duramycin 10 isn't available. Are there any substitutes? What should I do?

 

[BettyWill]

Oxytetracycline is what to ask for.