Sudden Death

[crazychick26201]

I lost a chicken suddenly last evening. I found her dead in the run when she had been fine just moments before. No sign of injury. She was eating, drinking and laying eggs normally. She was just a year old. The only thing I can think of is she had a bit of loose poop and I bathed her about ten days ago. Previously I had dosed the flock with Corid because it has been a cold wet spring, followed with 4 days of probiotics in the water. Any ideas out there as to what happened? I know it is impossible to be sure without a necropsy but I can’t get that done nearby.

 

[Starburst]

Can you post a picture of her? I am so sorry for your loss. Losing a chicken can be hard.

 

[crazychick26201]

Her name was Nellie.

 

[Starburst]

So she wasn't sneezing or showing any signs of illness. I am having trouble thinking of why she might have died, so I am just thinking of common diseases. Hopefully, someone with a little more experience can help you. She was a beautiful bird. Did you use shampoo or any soap when giving her a bath? And if so, what type/brand? It's possible she had a heart attack, but she is pretty young for that age, ore she could have eaten something poisonous. Maybe parasites? I am sorry, I am not much help. @Eggcessive do you have any ideas?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Can you send her to a lab for a necropsy?

 

[Eggcessive]

West Virginia’s state vet does not do necropsies for some odd reason. I am not sure if OH or VA would accept her for one. Sometimes many of us do our own home necropsies just to look at organs for something obviously wrong. It can be common to lose an occasional chicken around a year of age. If she was laying eggs regularly, I would guess that it might be a heart problem. If she was not laying, then a reproductive issue may have been a problem. So sorry for your loss.

 

[crazychick26201]

Can you send her to a lab for a necropsy?

Believe it or not, WV does NOT have a necropsy lab for backyard chickens. The number provided is a Moorefield number and they only serve the poultry industry here. My vet will do a necropsy but only if she can when the bird is delivered and she has time. She did a necropsy on one of my birds she had to euthanize. Another bird which died at home and I immediately refrigerated, and took to the office, she could not get to till the next day and she told me the bird was too far deteriorated to do a necropsy. So I guess I am really screwed in that department. Plus she is the only vet in my area who will look at chickens. I am not a newbie to chicken keeping. I watch my birds carefully and keep things very clean. However we have had a cold wet spring. So maybe some mold? My bet is some internal problem. Her belly felt a bit swollen to me when I examined her.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Huh. That does surprise me given how many chicken diseases can run rampant and decimate farms.

Swollen belly. Do you think it could have been salpingitis or something equally as insidious and hard to detect? As long as it isn't something she could spread to the rest of your flock...

 

[Aunt Angus]

Huh. That does surprise me given how many chicken diseases can run rampant and decimate farms.

Swollen belly. Do you think it could have been salpingitis or something equally as insidious and hard to detect? As long as it isn't something she could spread to the rest of your flock...

I forgot she'd been laying. Quite a mystery. I am very sorry.

 

[Eggcessive]

I started doing my own necropsies after losing a few hens over a couple of years. There are videos and articles on how to do one. Even if you don’t spot something obvious, you can take pictures of the organs, and post them here for opinions. Here is a video that shows and labels most of the abdominal organs in one frame: