Mysterious Chicken Deaths

[Foxhound lady]

First a bit of a history.

In April we had a 2 yr old EE pullet pass away. She was laying on the coop floor as if having a dust bath. When I went ot pick her up she collasped back down. She passed away with what seemed to be like a seizure 1 hr later as we were walking in the door to the vet. At the time i didnt think of doing a necropsy (wish I had) but the vet seemed to think it might be something to do with the liver from the symtoms.

Flash Forward to Today

1 yr old SLW laying on coop floor same as the other. Died hour later as walking in the door to vet with what appeared to be seizure taht lasted 30 seconds. Poo in carrier was mostly urates instead of fecal matter and very runny. This time we did do a necropsy w/o sending off (cant afford at this time)


Birds are form Privett and Ideal and raised under the same conditions

Results on visual problems

Heart-smaller then average for a bird her size
Kidney-smaller then average
Liver- lots of blood clots with no normal looking lobes, extremely soft and mushy (as is it looks like wet dog food) falls apart when touched.

He took samples for the mircoscope and we get back with me on the resultstomorrow

Any ideas on what would cause this

Feed-Layena Crumble w/ free access oyster shell
Free Ranged during day
Water-availble in many/favorite spots.

 

[feathersnuggles]

What's the weather, especially temps, been like?

 

[Foxhound lady]

Um Hot! right now mid '90's w/ high humidity normally in April 60-70's

 

[feathersnuggles]

I'd wonder if the SLW (being a heavy breed bird) might have died of heat stroke. It's serious the work their bodies do to try and stay alive in the heat. They don't sweat like we do. They just pant, drink water and look for shade and wet dirt to lie in. They also like a breeze. Maintaining a stable internal temperature is a lot of work for a large breed during the heat.

I don't know about April and your EE? The two deaths might not be related. For now, look to your shade, fresh cool water and lots of ventilation to help the rest of your birds.

 

[Foxhound lady]

I should mention that they have fans in the coop and we live in the piney woods (lots of shade which me no grass and lost of dirt). Yes heat stroke is a real possiblity in this area for any animal.

think I might have to get them a kiddy pool again. they younger girls havent seen one but the older girls never seen such happy critters.

 

[b.hromada]

Sorry about your birds.

I just lost my Pekin duck this past Friday, and my Australorp hen this evening.

We found our duck in a nest box, she had laid her egg, and looks as though she had died in her sleep. Now, my hen, she was very lethargic early this evening, and passed away shortly thereafter. Yes, its been very hot here too.
I always have fresh water, and there is lots of shade. I might add, that they are inside the house until about 3:00 p.m. everyday. Wish I knew what happened. It really saddens me.

 

[MotherJean]

Erysipelas?

According to Merck:

"Erysipelas is primarily an acute infection that results in sudden death. In an affected flock, a few birds may be depressed but easily aroused; within 24 hr, a few birds will be dead. Just before death, some birds may be very droopy, with an unsteady gait."

"Lesions: At necropsy, a generalized darkening of the skin or various sized areas of diffuse darkening is common. The liver and spleen are usually enlarged and friable [which means crumbly] and may be mottled. There may be other gross lesions such as peritonitis, pericarditis, catarrhal exudate in the GI tract, and degeneration of fat associated with the thigh and heart."

 

[b.hromada]

Quote:
Thank you for this information. Sounds like my hen too. Didn't see my sweet Pekin, because she died sometime during the night.

 

[medan]

We have scorpions and some ant with orange hair in northwest ga. They have killed a couple of my chicken’s always younger smaller ones (I have seen then dang chickens eating scorpions and live) but maybe you have a more potent insect killer like a black widow ect…

 

[feathersnuggles]

Did you get the results from the test yet? I'm curious about what they showed.