Update, Necropsy Results

[micstrachan]

I am so sorry... when my goose Silly died, I could not bury her without knowing why she dropped dead. I took her to my vet (a dog and cat vet but she was willing to try and see if we could figure it out) she opened her up and found all her intestines were black up until they were pink again and at that point, we found a metal washer that got stuck in her insides. omg.... a metal washer. I still have that thing... to remind me to pick up any and every small piece of metal I run across so my other birds won't eat them. View attachment 1252021

Yikes! Great reminder! Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I am so sorry... when my goose Silly died, I could not bury her without knowing why she dropped dead. I took her to my vet (a dog and cat vet but she was willing to try and see if we could figure it out) she opened her up and found all her intestines were black up until they were pink again and at that point, we found a metal washer that got stuck in her insides. omg.... a metal washer. I still have that thing... to remind me to pick up any and every small piece of metal I run across so my other birds won't eat them. View attachment 1252021

I'm sorry to hear about your goose
Thank you for reminding to be more aware of what chickens, ducks and geese can ingest.

I keep one of those magnets on stick and occasionally "sweep" my run, just to make sure a staple, etc. has not come loose. I may someday miss something, but checking does give me a bit of comfort.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

I am so sorry... when my goose Silly died, I could not bury her without knowing why she dropped dead. I took her to my vet (a dog and cat vet but she was willing to try and see if we could figure it out) she opened her up and found all her intestines were black up until they were pink again and at that point, we found a metal washer that got stuck in her insides. omg.... a metal washer. I still have that thing... to remind me to pick up any and every small piece of metal I run across so my other birds won't eat them. View attachment 1252021

that is scary!

i know Kathy has posted some pics of stuff that Peas (not hers) eat and that is crazy!

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Looks like it was her liver.. 91/2 months old. Strange if you ask me, but here are the results
Post-mortem Examination
The necropsy was performed by Dr. Brian Stevens on January 11, 2018 at 8:00 am.
EXTERNAL FINDINGS:
The female chicken weighs 2.513 kg and is in good body condition with normal muscle mass, excess fat reserves, and normal hydration. Thereisayellowbandontheleftleg.
INTERNAL FINDINGS:
The liver is diffusely friable and pale tan. The left liver lobe is mottled red and tan over the surface and on cut section, there is scattered hemorrhage affecting approximately 40% of the left liver lobe. There is a large free-floating blood clot loosely adhered to the left liver lobe, which contains approximately 100 mL of frank blood.
DIAGNOSIS:
Liver: Diffuse hepatic lipidosis with parenchymal hemorrhage throughout the left liver lobe Coelom: Hemocoelom
COMMENTS ON POST-MORTEM EXAMINATION :
The only significant finding on post-mortem examination of this bird is the severely friable and pale liver with multiple regions of hemorrhage and subsequent coelomic hemorrhage. The amount of blood exuding from this site in combination with the amount of hemorrhagethroughoutthehepaticparenchymawouldhavebeensufficienttohavecausedthesuddendeath. Thepresenceof this hemorrhage as well as the appearance of the underlying hepatic tissue is consistent with the syndrome termed 'fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome'. The exact underlying cause appears to be multifactorial and likely involves a combination of nutritional, genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors. Chickens affected by this condition are typically in good to obese body condition suggesting that diet may play a role in this disease process. This is a chronic process that typically occurs over multiple months and would not be related to any recent changes in feeding practices. Histopathology of all tissue is pending to rule out any other underlying disease condition, which may have contributed to hepatic rupture in this case.
Reference : Trott KA et al. Fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome in the backyard chicken: a retrospective histopathologic case series. Vet Pathol 51(4):787-795, 2014.
****************
This happened on Wednesday 1/10-18
This afternoon I went to do my usual check of the flock and when I opened the coop door one of my 9-1/2 month old Buff Orpingtons hens was laying there dead. I was devastated, these birds are my babies. Last night and this morning she was absolutely fine. I looked her over forinjuries and found none. I did however think her vent looked odd and took a photo. I also took her for a necropsy and will know theresults in the next 24-48 hours. The only thing the pathologist said was that chickens are like goldfish they sometimes just die. I was not happy with that, but I’ll know the real reason soon enough, but waiting is driving me nuts in case it’s something that could cause more of my babies to die Could she have a prolapseand would it cause sudden death? It’s been super cold until this Monday today beingWednesday and egg production has been way down except for my two khaki Campbell ducks who lay everyday regardless. But yesterday and today egg production was almost back to normal.

Sorry for your loss. I lost my very first hen, also a buff Orpington, to this very same thing. I opened her up and noticed her belly full of blood and I had a terrible time even finding her liver, it was so fatty and broken up that it was just some pale crumbles. Apparently fatty liver with a fracture and subsequent hemorrhage is a pretty common cause of sudden death.

 

[Kiki]

I am so sorry... when my goose Silly died, I could not bury her without knowing why she dropped dead. I took her to my vet (a dog and cat vet but she was willing to try and see if we could figure it out) she opened her up and found all her intestines were black up until they were pink again and at that point, we found a metal washer that got stuck in her insides. omg.... a metal washer. I still have that thing... to remind me to pick up any and every small piece of metal I run across so my other birds won't eat them. View attachment 1252021

I am sorry for your loss but want to thank you for sharing.

 

[flwrldy]

Hi, I saw you use New Country Organics. Have you had any issues with your hens turning their nose up to it? I got a couple bags a couple months ago and by the 2nd bag, I gave them a call to ask if they changed anything. No, said it was the same. The next batch I got was like night and day. They liked it again. So hmmm... IDK. I REALLY like this feed but what do you think about all the peas? Yellow peas galore lately. They used to have an even mix of green and yellow, now seems to be mostly yellow and so many shells. Way more than normal. I'm beginning to question the consistency but there's no other food like it.
Anyway, I'm very sorry you've lost some hens. It hurts because you've raised them and love them.

Hi, I saw you use New Country Organics. Have you had any issues with your hens turning their nose up to it? I got a couple bags a couple months ago and by the 2nd bag, I gave them a call to ask if they changed anything. No, said it was the same. The next batch I got was like night and day. They liked it again. So hmmm... IDK. I REALLY like this feed but what do you think about all the peas? Yellow peas galore lately. They used to have an even mix of green and yellow, now seems to be mostly yellow and so many shells. Way more than normal. I'm beginning to question the consistency but there's no other food like it.
Anyway, I'm very sorry you've lost some hens. It hurts because you've raised them and love them.

Thank you. I didn’t know that about the pea’s, and so Yes I’m wondering that myself now, because I lost a second hen this weekend to the same thing. I’m so upset. I did read that Buff Orpingtons are for some reason more susceptible to FLD as well as younger birds, which mine are both. I’m allergic to soy, but at this point I’m willing to try anything. I read that biotin, kelp, and milk thistle are great for the liver, but I know New County organics has kelp in it. It’s February and I live in NH so I can’t put them on a diet. I’ve started giving them a few cabbage heads a week, since cabbage is suppose to be good for the liver. They have a huge coop and run, so they have plenty of room for exercise. I haven’t let them free range because the ground is covered in snow and ice and is frozen, and a neighbors dog keeps getting loose and runs right over to the run when it does, so I’m afraid to let them out, besides it being a frozen tundra. Today I prayed over my chickens. I felt silly, but I am trusting God. I hope He shows me what to do. I’m so upset and heart broken over losing 2 hens.

 

[flwrldy]

Sorry for your loss. I lost my very first hen, also a buff Orpington, to this very same thing. I opened her up and noticed her belly full of blood and I had a terrible time even finding her liver, it was so fatty and broken up that it was just some pale crumbles. Apparently fatty liver with a fracture and subsequent hemorrhage is a pretty common cause of sudden death.

I’m sorry for your loss too, and having to do the Necropsy yourself. It’s seems it is common and more so in Buff Orpingtons.

 

[Loona]

Thank you. I didn’t know that about the pea’s, and so Yes I’m wondering that myself now, because I lost a second hen this weekend to the same thing. I’m so upset. I did read that Buff Orpingtons are for some reason more susceptible to FLD as well as younger birds, which mine are both. I’m allergic to soy, but at this point I’m willing to try anything. I read that biotin, kelp, and milk thistle are great for the liver, but I know New County organics has kelp in it. It’s February and I live in NH so I can’t put them on a diet. I’ve started giving them a few cabbage heads a week, since cabbage is suppose to be good for the liver. They have a huge coop and run, so they have plenty of room for exercise. I haven’t let them free range because the ground is covered in snow and ice and is frozen, and a neighbors dog keeps getting loose and runs right over to the run when it does, so I’m afraid to let them out, besides it being a frozen tundra. Today I prayed over my chickens. I felt silly, but I am trusting God. I hope He shows me what to do. I’m so upset and heart broken over losing 2 hens.

I called New Country Organics to ask about the Lot #'s. He said they advise the stores who buy it to not sell bags past 3 months. Nutrition does begin to degrade. I asked what the lot number was that they delivered most recently to the store I get it from and he said 6830. So told my husband what to look for. What did they put in our cart? 6600. Nope, my husband said 6830. So of course they said they had nothing like that, but my husband walked back there and showed it to them! LOL So I don't think I'll buy from the store anymore. I am going to meet the driver at drop off points. NCO said they will always be from the freshest made that way too.
I told him about the feed from late last year and he didn't know why but he said they did have a time where they used black eyed peas instead?? I never noticed that, but maybe that's what it was? IDK, chickens were really picky. Never saw so much waste. But now its back to what it was and I was so glad to get a fresh bag. Looks fresh too.
I am very sorry to hear you lost some hens. It is heart breaking because we do what we can to take care of them and they rely on us 100%. I've lost two from our flock and almost 2 more but this board helped me out in times of trouble. I hope everything is ok now.

 

[Loona]

That's right, feed must be dated in the USA. Even if it's a code, they must tell you how to read it.
Mary

The only thing listed on New Country Organics is a lot number. I do wish it was a date instead.

 

[Folly's place]

Loona, they must give you a mill date if asked. If they won't don't buy it, and tell them why.
Mary