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?
