Possible egg peritonitis

[Hua]

Hi everyone! I have a chicken that isn't feeling too well and I can't figure it out. I think it might be egg peritonitis, but I haven't dealt like anything like that before so I'm not sure.

She's a 10 month old easter egger that looks like a red sex link, but lays green eggs very regularly. The flock is free range plus is fed compost and a seed mix, and has free choice oyster shells next to a waterer in the coop.

May 15- Noticed a clear mucusy blob in the nesting box. No shell remnants or yellow yolk.
May 16- She stayed in the nesting box all day, panting and getting up every hour or so for water and oyster shells. In the evening she was with the flock, but not socializing. Her crop was slightly full. There were no egg/Shell in the nesting box or around the coop that could have been hers. I also couldn’t feel an egg inside of her. At night she roosted with the flock.
May 17- She was with the flock, but not socializing. Still interested in food, but not as much and still drinking. She started having some diarrhea. At night she roosted in a box without bedding.
May 18- Today her diarrhea is worse. Very watery with green clumps. Her appetite and crop feel the same as yesterday and her vent looks the same. At night she roosted in the empty box again. Her tail is up, but her feathers look dull.

What do you guys think it is? Egg peritonitis or worms? Should I give her a bath tomorrow, wait it out or what? I read about someone doing an Epsom salt enema, would that help? I also have baytril on hand if I need it.

 

[micstrachan]

It really could be anything, but the mucus blob... did it resemble egg white? Do you know when she last laid a normal egg? I’ve never heard of an epsom salt enema for chickens, only an epsom salt soak.

 

[Hua]

It really could be anything, but the mucus blob... did it resemble egg white? Do you know when she last laid a normal egg? I’ve never heard of an epsom salt enema for chickens, only an epsom salt soak.

I guess it did. Like the egg white without a yolk. It was weird and I’m only guessing it’s from her since she is acting off. She last laid an egg on May 14. The Epsom salt enema was from a post I saw on here. I’ve never dealt with anything like this so I’m really clueless.

 

[micstrachan]

She may have had a shellless egg break inside and only the white has come out. Is she still panting? Is she pumping her tail at all? Can we see a photo of her body language?

 

[Hua]

It’s night now so I’ll send a pic of her tomorrow. I didn’t notice her pumping her tail and she hasn’t been back in the nesting box for 2 days.

Are there any other things it could be? I wasn’t too alarmed until I saw all that diarrhea today. I just don’t want an internal infection to occur if there is a shell in her.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Need some experienced help ....

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @azygous @aart

 

[aart]

I'd isolate bird in a wire cage within the coop for a day or two....so you can closely monitor her intake of food and water, crop function(checking at night and in morning before providing more feed), and her poops. Feel her abdomen, from below vent to between legs, for squishy or hard swelling.

Best to put crate right in coop or run so bird is still 'with' the flock.
I like to use a fold-able wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller mesh(1x2) on bottom of crate under tray.
Then you can put tray underneath crate to better observe droppings without it being stepped in. If smaller mesh is carefully installed, tray can still be used inside crate.

 

[azygous]

Chances are she's having some sort of reproductive issue. Her symptoms are very much like a tiny one-year old Cream Legbar hen I'm treating right now for egg issues.

My hen hasn't laid a real egg in weeks. She has been leaving a "mucous blob" with a thin membrane under her perch frequently. Yesterday, she began acting sick, off her feed, lethargic. This is a sign infection could be starting.

I'm treating her with 200mg of calcium citrate plus D3 (400mg for a much larger hen) and penicillin 250mg each day. Calcium helps restore reproductive health and the antibiotic will treat any infection that's going on due to the inflammation of the reproductive track caused by abnormal eggs.

She's still in the flock but inside a special enclosure. You may want to do as @aart suggests, put her in a crate in the run so you can more easily monitor her behavior, poop, and ease in treating her.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you take a stool sample to your vet for testing?

I agree, it does sound like she is having some reproductive problems. I would not administer any type of enema. Even if you have read it here on BYC, some things change or new information may have come to light since the original post was made. With an enema you risk flushing bacteria and anything else you can imagine back up into the oviduct.

If she is very lethargic and needs extra care, separate her out or cage her next to the flock so it's easy for you to monitor her. I would offer her some poultry feed, extra vitamins and calcium. See that she is drinking well.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Thank you @aart @azygous @Wyorp Rock