Help my w/Egg Yolk Peritonitis

[Goldnmine]

my hen started what I thought was egg bound but seems to be egg yolk peritonitis. For the past 3 weeks about every 6-7 days she gets real lethargic and off to herself. Once she passed some of an egg w/just the membrane, and once some of just a little bit of yolk (all liquid). I gave her a warm bath soaking 10-15 minutes and a tums and within 6-12 hours she's back to eating and acting normal but not laying. I have read some forums about giving antibiotics D-10 but now they require RX. Also they say it is not for eggs for consumption. Anyone know of anything else to try? Took her to a vet and he said spay or euthanasia, we don't want to spay and I'm not giving up on her just yet

 

[rebrascora]

Hi
Sorry to hear your hen is not well. It sounds like she may be laying internally, but probably not infected yet....which would be EYP. They can go a considerable time laying internally before infection sets in and sometimes the build up of yolks and fluid in their abdomen causes organ failure and they die without getting an infection, so Egg Yolk Peritonitis will not necessarily happen and antibiotics would not help unless there is an infection.
Unfortunately once they have started laying internally, it is unlikely that they will ever manage to lay properly again and your best course of action is to try to prevent them from ovulating, so that the mass of yolks in their abdominal cavity does not increase. This can be done via hormonal implant (superlorin) every 6 months or so which will work out pretty expensive, spaying, as has been suggested by your vet, but that is major surgery for a chicken and also expensive and risky, or you could reduce her exposure to daylight and food and see if you can trick her body into moult and winter "non laying" mode. I don't know if the latter will definitely work but I certainly saw my internal layer improve dramatically over the autumn moult and winter period, only to notably deteriorate in the spring when she started ovulating again. Trying to trigger her to go broody might be another option, if she is a breed that has a tendency to it. Again, a restriction in food and a nest of eggs may help to stimulate it.
It may also help her to be drained if there is a fluid build up (ascites) which often occurs with internal laying. Draining can give significant relief but usually needs to be repeated and will only treat a symptom not the cause.

Good luck with your girl.

Regards

Barbara

 

[Goldnmine]

Thank you Barbara! Do you have any advice on how many hours of light/dark to trick her into winter? How big of a space should I confine her to in the dark?

 

[rebrascora]

She should be fine in a cardboard box .... with ventilation of course.... she only needs space to stand/roost because that's all she would do during the hours of darkness.
I would aim for about 10, perhaps even 8hrs of daylight, but I would reduce it down slowly rather than all in one go, maybe by an hour every few days.

I'm not sure this will work as I haven't tried it, but from my experience my hen was significantly better during the winter months and clearly started to deteriorate in the spring when her comb got red and she resumed ovulating and it is the only thing I can think of that might stop her from ovulating, that you could manage yourself without expensive veterinary intervention.
Of course some hens get quite depressed during moult and winter, so you will have to try to find a balance, even if it does work.
Please keep us posted on her progress.

Regards

Barbara

 

[Goldnmine]

Thank you! I don't know if this will work either but I figure it's worth a shot.