Hen recovered from EYP?

[HorseGirlAbby]

I have a five-year old Easter Egger hen who seems to have almost recovered from laying internally, multiple times. Her story: In May 2021, she laid her last egg. In the next month or two, I observed her getting into a box, three to four times a week, but nothing came of it. She started slowing down, and her stomach began to swell up. I'd had a hen die of EYP before, so I knew the symptoms, and she displayed them all. In November, however, her stomach began to decrease in size, and her eyes lost their squinty look. She started running around as usual, and getting up on the roost without an issue. This spring, though, she began to look droopy again, and her stomach began to swell. She had trouble getting on the roost, and I felt sure she would continue to go downhill. She started to walk like a penguin, and didn't groom herself as much; she spent most of her time standing around or lying down. A few weeks ago, she started to get better, again. This morning, she got up onto the waterer, for the first time in months. She's been showing interest in grooming herself, and doesn't lie down as often. Her stomach has again decreased in size. My question is, can hens really recover from egg yolk peritonitis? Because Nancy sure seems like she has.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is she starting to molt?

If you mean can they be cured of EYP, no. Can they "recover" or the symptoms get better? Yes.
Look at your timelines.
May 2021, she has symptoms. This is the time of year I assume she would have normally started to be productive in laying if you think back. She's just come out of molt and winter.
November 2021, she's doing better. Likely hormonally coming out of lay and starting to molt or has gone through a molt. A natural resting period.
This Spring (2022) she's symptomatic yet again, should be in full swing production for her age. Now it's summer, hot weather, some start to molt this early in the year or come out of lay, she's getting better.
It looks like a cycle to me. This is why some folks find that their hens seem to do well for a period of time with Hormone Implants (Suprelorin) which stops ovulation.

If she's doing good right now. Enjoy her. When she's having a rough time, offer supportive care - check for lice/mites, give vitamins, little treats of egg/meat or a tid bit of fruit, see that her crop is emptying, make her comfy.
It's not uncommon for hen with reproductive disorders to wax and wane (get better/worse) for months to years. It really depends on the disorder, the overall health of the hen and somewhat how well her body is able to adapt to the condition.

If you lose her, then a necropsy will reveal what was going on in there.

Just my 2¢

 

[Aunt Angus]

I *think* they can recover from EYP, but not internal laying. This is according to my avian vet. Peritonitis is the infection of the peritoneum. That can be cured with meds if caught early enough. Internal laying, which is what allows that nasty bacteria to thrive in there, is usually genetic, so the only way to really stop it (and this is not 100%) is to stop your hen from laying via spaying or hormone implants.

Sometimes, a hen might have an episode of internal laying due to stress, illness, or injury and actually reabsorb the egg material, but, again, that's not a cure.

I am going through this with my duck. She gas been laying internally, but I've managed to fight off EYP through aggressive antibiotic therapy and abdominal draining. I'm meeting with the vet again next week to discuss options. It's exhausting and terrifying. I'm hoping to stop the laying asap. But all the avian vets are booked until SEPTEMBER, for goodness sake. I am taking her in as an "urgent care" appointment ($$$$$!).

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Is she starting to molt?

If you mean can they be cured of EYP, no. Can they "recover" or the symptoms get better? Yes.
Look at your timelines.
May 2021, she has symptoms. This is the time of year I assume she would have normally started to be productive in laying if you think back. She's just come out of molt and winter.
November 2021, she's doing better. Likely hormonally coming out of lay and starting to molt or has gone through a molt. A natural resting period.
This Spring (2022) she's symptomatic yet again, should be in full swing production for her age. Now it's summer, hot weather, some start to molt this early in the year or come out of lay, she's getting better.
It looks like a cycle to me. This is why some folks find that their hens seem to do well for a period of time with Hormone Implants (Suprelorin) which stops ovulation.

If she's doing good right now. Enjoy her. When she's having a rough time, offer supportive care - check for lice/mites, give vitamins, little treats of egg/meat or a tid bit of fruit, see that her crop is emptying, make her comfy.
It's not uncommon for hen with reproductive disorders to wax and wane (get better/worse) for months to years. It really depends on the disorder, the overall health of the hen and somewhat how well her body is able to adapt to the condition.

If you lose her, then a necropsy will reveal what was going on in there.

Just my 2¢

Thank you for your reply. You're pretty much spot on. In June 2021, she had a bout with heatstroke, which may be what caused her to stop laying in the summer, because she normally would lay the entire season. The heatstroke, ironically, may be what prolonged her life.

 

[Compostflower]

What happened?

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

The hen, Nancy, is going strong. I call her Speedy, because she runs everywhere, and has so much energy. She's pretty skinny still, but all the bloating in her stomach has gone down. She's almost done molting, and basically a healthy hen. Here's a photo of her last week:

 

[Compostflower]

That’s great I’m glad to hear that! I think my duck is in the earliest stages of something like this and it’s good to see recovery without surgery.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Unfortunately, I think the disease has caught up with her. She's still eating and drinking, but walks like a penguin, and can't even get up on the roost. She's still so sweet, and the others are leaving her alone for now, so she'll stay in the coop as long as possible. But I think we've come to the end of the road.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Unfortunately, I think the disease has caught up with her. She's still eating and drinking, but walks like a penguin, and can't even get up on the roost. She's still so sweet, and the others are leaving her alone for now, so she'll stay in the coop as long as possible. But I think we've come to the end of the road.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Does she have any bloat or fluid in the abdomen? If she's filling with fluid, then you can try giving an Aloe Detox to see if that helps. Some folks will drain the fluid, but that does come with risks. Both options may help give some comfort for a little while longer.

Most of the time, I leave mine to do their thing, if they get to where they can't roost and have a favorite spot on the floor, I keep that clean and add extra bedding to make it more comfortable. I do check them for lice/mites, when they get to this point, they usually don't dust bath or preen very much, so keeping tabs on parasites is a good idea.
Staying with her flock is best, you may see hens go sit with her for a while, I see this especially if they were brooder mates, just quietly sit and then go about doing other things too.
Sadly, there does come a time when the end of the road is in sight.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I'm sorry to hear that.

Does she have any bloat or fluid in the abdomen? If she's filling with fluid, then you can try giving an Aloe Detox to see if that helps. Some folks will drain the fluid, but that does come with risks. Both options may help give some comfort for a little while longer.

Most of the time, I leave mine to do their thing, if they get to where they can't roost and have a favorite spot on the floor, I keep that clean and add extra bedding to make it more comfortable. I do check them for lice/mites, when they get to this point, they usually don't dust bath or preen very much, so keeping tabs on parasites is a good idea.
Staying with her flock is best, you may see hens go sit with her for a while, I see this especially if they were brooder mates, just quietly sit and then go about doing other things too.
Sadly, there does come a time when the end of the road is in sight.

Thank you for your kind words. She does have quite a bit of bloating, and can't get around very well. I'm inclined to just leave her, though, and let nature take its course. I know she's had lice in the past, so I will definitely check her today. Last night, she'd settled down in a corner, so that's probably going to be her spot.

I hate losing chickens. Nancy is one of my original six hens, of whom they are five left. She's always been so lively and full of energy, and it hurts to see her like this. She laid the most beautiful blue eggs, even one in the moving truck as we moved across the state with them. We did get to hatch one of her last eggs, but, sadly, it was a cockerel who we couldn't keep. Anyway, I'm just going to keep her as comfortable as possible, and keep her with her buddies as long as I can. I have a little sickroom she can go in if it comes to that as well. Thanks again for all your help. It's much appreciated.