debigag
Chirping
- Feb 26, 2016
- 51
- 15
- 56
A note about her intestines......in the third photo you can see me holding something between my two fingers. THAT is all there is of her intestines. They were compact and very hard. In my 3rd hen that died whom I opened, her intestines took up three times a much space as these ones. Hers were much softer and full of food.Hi
Sorry to hear about your hens that died. It doesn't sound like Marek's to me as it usually affects youngsters under the age of 12 months.
One sounds like she may have had ascites (water belly) or perhaps egg bound. Bloated and walking like a penguin are indications of those and if so, she probably got to the stage that her lungs were collapsing from the pressure of it or heart failure is also common. Watery poop is usually an indication that she is not eating enough and the foul smelling yellow reflux will probably be due to bile coming up because it can't go down through her system. The excessive thirst may be because she is dehydrating as a result of the water belly, odd as that seems.
Well done for opening her up. I know it's not a nice thing to do especially when they are pets The photos don't show anything obviously untoward apart from the inside of the gizzard being rather yellow.... again due to bile. Liver looks healthy enough from what I can see. That orangey yellow fat is normal for an old hen. Was there a lot of fluid in her abdominal cavity where she appeared bloated? It would have helped if you had lifted out her intestines and arranged them in a circular shape just so that we could see if there was any obvious blockage. Also, did you find any eggs (partially formed or just little yolks and any masses that looked like cooked sausage meat (lash eggs)?
Sorry, I can't really offer any more comment on it at the moment. Are there other posts where you have documented their symptoms as they have happened, just in case there is something there that you have forgotten to outline here?
Hoping this is the end of your chicken health problems. I know with mine that I have long periods where they are all fine and then I have a bad spell when they all seem to want to be ill, which can be pretty demoralising. Hang in there. Things will get better.