Perfect Example of EYP — Graphic Photos

[Mimi13]

It looks like you did a very nice job. As a RN, I loved looking at the photos. Your pictures are very good and your explanations are an easy read. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I could not do it on any of my flock whenever the day comes. I wouldn't be able to see through my crocodile tears.
I Thank you.

Thank you and I completely understand what you are saying.

Back in November I had to euthanize one of my first four girls, Butter, my fluffy Buff Orpington. She had a severe case of Ascites and could no longer get around. I waited until she let me know it was time, that she just couldn’t carry on anymore. It was extremely hard to euthanize her and I was squalling and kissing and talking to her while walking away from the rest of the flock to the other side of the house.

However, I find the actual euthanization to be the hardest. Once the animal has passed, the biology part intrigues me so much and the veterinarian-wanted-to-be comes out. I have found that covering the head helps. It just becomes a body.

 

[Vickischics]

Thank you and I completely understand what you are saying.

Back in November I had to euthanize one of my first four girls, Butter, my fluffy Buff Orpington. She had a severe case of Ascites and could no longer get around. I waited until she let me know it was time, that she just couldn’t carry on anymore. It was extremely hard to euthanize her and I was squalling and kissing and talking to her while walking away from the rest of the flock to the other side of the house.

However, I find the actual euthanization to be the hardest. Once the animal has passed, the biology part intrigues me so much and the veterinarian-wanted-to-be comes out. I have found that covering the head helps. It just becomes a body.

I have no clue on how to do it. Do tell the best way or provide me a link to read or watch. I'm sure with time and raising chickens, I will be faced with that chore. I will not allow any animal esp. My pets to suffer.

 

[Eggcessive]

Thank you for posting the necropsy results of your hen. It is not easy to do one on a beloved animal, but it does give some closure to find out what killed them. I recently had 2 old hens die, and the necropsy in one showed fatty liver hemorrhagic disease and ascites. The other showed lash egg material in the oviduct and cancer. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Mimi13]

I have no clue on how to do it. Do tell the best way or provide me a link to read or watch. I'm sure with time and raising chickens, I will be faced with that chore. I will not allow any animal esp. My pets to suffer.

Below are the videos I settled on before my very first cockerel decided to go rogue. Just a warning, there are times this lady can get a bit weird, but bear through that part. It’s very minimal. I did chose to use this way with most of my chickens. However, I have also used a kill cone (which holds the bird) when processing several cockerels, but never my sick girls that I euthanized.

This video is one of many on the anatomy of a chicken. One thing that does help when looking for problems during a necropsy is knowing what the inside is supposed to look like. Unfortunately I had lots of practice looking at the inside of cockerels/roosters, but sad thing is, most disorders involve the reproductive system of the females and this rogue males don’t help in that instance. But, you generally will be able to see what is wrong without having to dissect the reproductive tract.

Here is the article I wrote the first time I slaughtered a bird, just in case you’re interested.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-deed-is-done-my-flock-is-now-at-peace.74152/

 

[Mimi13]

Thank you for posting the necropsy results of your hen. It is not easy to do one on a beloved animal, but it does give some closure to find out what killed them. I recently had 2 old hens die, and the necropsy in one showed fatty liver hemorrhagic disease and ascites. The other showed lash egg material in the oviduct and cancer. Sorry for your loss.

Thank you! Don’t you think I was correct in saying it was EYP, with septicemia, that killed her? I still am at a loss as to what caused the water she was sitting in if it wasn’t liquid that escaped her feverish body.

 

[Eggcessive]

I wonder if it was fluid from her abdomen passing out the vent. Many of the ones I have necropsied have had ascites. I just don’t know the answer for sure.

 

[Mimi13]

I wonder if it was fluid from her abdomen passing out the vent. Many of the ones I have necropsied have had ascites. I just don’t know the answer for sure.

I’m not saying that isn’t possible, but when I opened her there was no liquid at all in her cavity, none. As a matter of fact the stuff inside had a drier, sticky texture. You could even hear the stickiness in the first video when I was prowling around in it. I guess it’s possible that her fever could have helped any remaining fluid to evaporate.

My BO that I necropsied back in November (Lord, where has the time gone) had fluid that sloshed around in the inside before I even cut her open and then it gushed out once I made a slit. Here is that video.

Just a side note on Butter, I had no idea what the “bag” was that contained the fluid, but the more I look at it, it appears to be her oviduct. I guess it is possible for the Ascites to collect there, I certainly don’t know. And the thickening part of the bag could have been the shell gland. Hmmmm! Very interesting. Now I’ve got to go back and research that some more.

Thanks for listening!

 

[Eggcessive]

That fluid in the video looks yellow, which is ascites fluid in the abdominal wall. There is a condition called cystic right oviduct where there may be a sac of clear colorless fluid in the right oviduct that usually shrivels up early in life. Normally the hens only have a left functioning oviduct.

I don’t really know what caused the fluid, maybe drooling?

 

[Birdmom2020]

Wow! This was so informational! I'm so so very sorry for your loss

But I will say that this post is very helpful and very well put together. I've never had any diseases in any of my flocks but I'm 100% sure that it will happen over time. Those of us on byc are very fortunate to have people like you to explain and show very detailed information on these types of things. Thank you so much! And like I said I'm so sorry for your loss. Isabelle was definitely a beautiful girl and she most definitely didn't die in vain! ❤❤

Edit to correct-- Isabella I meant. My daughter's name is Isabelle and my phone sticks to autocorrect on that!