hen with swollen & hard abdomen - is it egg peritonitis? *UPDATE*

[Lothiriel]

My 2 1/2 year old SLW hen has had a swollen abdomen for a few days. I felt it 2 days ago and found it pretty hard. My mom did some research and found that it might be egg peritonitis. It seems to be getting softer (as of earlier today) and I'm hoping she's getting better (she's my favorite out of almost my entire flock). Can anyone confirm this? Is it egg peritonitis? I haven't found the pieces of egg yolk in her poop, but I'm still not sure. Any ideas as to what it is? I would really appreciate it!

 

[silkiechicken]

Is she listless or tired? Or just being a bit labored with the swollen abdomen? If the first, could also be egg bound (is this egg peritonitis?) or if the latter could be acities.

 

[Lothiriel]

No, she isn't listless or tired. In fact, she has gone around with the other chickens, and her tail is straight up as normal. She just hasn't laid any eggs lately and her abdomen is swollen and is a little less hard. So I guess she isn't egg bound.

And by the way, what is acities?

 

[hinkjc]

Ascites is basically where fluid fills the body cavity, causing stress on the organs, especially the heart and eventually failure. The most common symptom is a bluish comb because of the heart failing and lack of blood supply/oxygen. This is a common in broiler chickens due to their fast growth rates.

Jody

 

[dlhunicorn]

she might have become an internal layer... see this :
http://dlhunicorn.conforums.com/index.cgi?board=diseasecasestudies&action=display&num=1169201098

 

[Lothiriel]

Well, she isn't a broiler, and her comb is red, and I haven't found the rubbery yellow thing in her poop. So, I'm a bit confused here.

Her abdomen has gotten softer since yesterday, so maybe she's getting better?

 

[Southern28Chick]

Quote:
WHOA!!! I didn't read all the post just looked at the pictures. Was that her uterus they took out? And was that yellow stuff yolk?

 

[dlhunicorn]

those "rubbery" things dont always appear...with mandys bird just at the very end (the final bit of evidence it was an internal layer) and it must have taken a long time for all those "yolks" to build up that she had accumulated... (yes...the bird was "fixed" and cannot lay anymore eggs...)

 

[Lothiriel]

Well, can a chicken just all of a sudden become an internal layer? Winnie (that's her name) has been a really good layer, until she got a swollen/hard abdomen. She has been egg bound once before. Maybe the weather could have caused it. It's been really hot one day and then chilly the next. Could that play a part in it?

 

[dlhunicorn]

...it was not my intention to diagnose what your chicken has... you are in a much better position to do that...as you say this may be due to something else entirely...I was just wanting to give information so you could recognize it if she does continue to not lay ... just something to keep in mind (especially if you see such in her poo!)