Sudden death of seemingly healthy chicken...necropsy

[aart]

soluble granite grit

Granite is not soluble...oyster shell is.

 

[Folly's place]

In some countries, 'soluble grit' is oyster shell, and 'insoluble grit' is granite or other rocks. Here we call 'grit' the insoluble kind, and oyster shell is the other, which hens use to meet their need for calcium to build those egg shells.
Mary

 

[Kiki]

Did you take any pictures?

Are you aware that some state labs only change 25 dollars for a Necropsy. Which state are you in?

 

[SmiYa0126]

I'm so sorry! I check out my girls poo every morning after they wake up. Your girl probably was having very few poops or mostly urates. I had a hen that are a bunch of straw. I fed her watermelon for about a month before she cleansed everything through.

I've learned not to be lackadaisical over their care. Their poo is a great indicator of what's going on.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Granite is not soluble...oyster shell is.

Thank you for the correction

 

[Possum-Pie]

Thank you for the correction

Actually, it really depends on the coarseness of the grind of the oyster shell. technically, if you ate oyster shell powder (or a chicken did) it would dissolve in the gut and be available calcium. When we eat "Tums" or other calcium tablets it is just calcium deposits dug from a mine and finely ground, But I've seen a lot of oyster shell that is very coarsely ground with large chunks. This will sit in the Gizzard until dissolved providing a grinding surface AND eventually digestible calcium.

Granite is a solid rock and is not at all digestible.

 

[3SiameseCats]

Actually, it really depends on the coarseness of the grind of the oyster shell. technically, if you ate oyster shell powder (or a chicken did) it would dissolve in the gut and be available calcium. When we eat "Tums" or other calcium tablets it is just calcium deposits dug from a mine and finely ground, But I've seen a lot of oyster shell that is very coarsely ground with large chunks. This will sit in the Gizzard until dissolved providing a grinding surface AND eventually digestible calcium.

Granite is a solid rock and is not at all digestible.

Yes except the oyster shells will wear down and chickens are meant to have non-dissolvable rock in their crop. They need to have this rock because it will not erode with the water they drink. I’m thinking the lack of grit in her crop is what did her in. Also her being sterile could also be the answer. Some causes of it are correlated with shortened life span in humans and other animals, so it would make sense. But I have a feeling it was the lack of grit in the crop.

 

[EuroChook]

I am a nurse practitioner so am familiar with surgery and autopsies. My Austrolorp died suddenly at some point in the night. I wanted to assure myself that it wasn't a spreadable disease so I figured that if I could find a "smoking gun" cause by cutting her open I wouldn't worry about the rest of the flock.
Heart/lungs looked without pathology. The first glaring thing was a section of the mid-colon was VERY distended. I then opened the gizzard and it was full of twisted grass blades to the point that there was no more room.
I feed crushed oyster shells and they have access to pebbles, but I could only find one pebble in her gizzard. Does anyone have an idea as to what may cause her not to eat enough rocks to break down the grass? She is 2 1/2 years old.

Sometimes there aren't enough rocks to break down the grass. Especially if it's particularly long, that can cause a bowel obstruction. Very important to keep grass relatively short.

 

[EuroChook]

Do nurse practitioners routinely perform autopsies? Im just wondering is all .

 

[EuroChook]

I'm so sorry! I check out my girls poo every morning after they wake up. Your girl probably was having very few poops or mostly urates. I had a hen that are a bunch of straw. I fed her watermelon for about a month before she cleansed everything through.

I've learned not to be lackadaisical over their care. Their poo is a great indicator of what's going on.

Wow. Watermelon can work? I will keep that in my box of tricks.