Egg Peritonitis
This is probably the most common disease of chickens and is a result of an egg yolk initially moving into the abdomen rather than being "captured" by the fimbrae at the top of the oviduct.
In a normal egg cycle, the ovary releases a single ovum (yolk) which is picked up by the fimbrae at the top of the oviduct. The bird only has one oviduct and the egg passes down through the oviduct picking up albumin (egg white), the egg membrane and then the egg shell, before being passed out through the cloaca. The cloaca also has the ureters from the kidneys and the rectum passing urine and faeces through the same exit point.
In birds coming into lay and birds which are stressed for various reasons there is the possibility that the ovum moves into the abdomen where it can create a sterile chronic inflammatory reaction which looks similar to scrambled egg when examined on post mortem. The bird will become ill from the reaction and may die. As the oviduct leads to the rectum, it is also possible for bacteria to move retrograde up the oviduct and infect the egg peritonitis leading to a bacterial peritonitis which is very difficult to successfully treat.
The bird is depressed with a swollen hard abdomen and will often die whatever the treatment. You should consult your vet for more advice on treatment and prevention of this common condition.
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