What was wrong with this hen? (WARNING: Graphic necropsy photos)

[LikeTurkeys]

Hi everyone,
This morning I had to euthanize one of my sister's 3 pullets. She had been lethargic and not eating for about a week, and stopped laying about a week before that. When syringe fed egg yolk, the crop was slow to empty. The droppings were greenish but of normal consistency. 4 days ago I put her on Amoxicillin (250 mg twice a day), but with no improvement.

This necropsy is the worst one I've ever done. Let me start by saying that she smelled horrible. The first cut into the abdomen revealed a stinking green exudate penetrating deep into the body cavity. The right side of the breast muscle had a cooked appearance and was more infiltrated by the rotting green material than the left side. The heart had a thick fibrinous white coating, the likes of which I have never seen before in a chicken.

The liver appeared normal in color and texture. The reproductive system was also in good condition. The gizzard, stomach, proventriculus and spleen were covered with the green rotting material and also stuck tightly to the breast (the part which had the 'cooked' appearance). I attempted to separate these organs but unfortunately they proved more fragile than the material that held them together, so I ended up damaging them.

The lungs and intestines looked healthy. The kidneys appeared moderately swollen and with some evidence of necrotic tissue (pale mottling), however not severe.

I did not examine the cloacal bursa, the inside of the crop or the windpipe & trachea.

What caused the rotting flesh (foul green material) and also the thick white coating on the heart? Photos are attached (the last one shows the extent of the green material and also the 'cooked' upper left side of the breast muscle)

Thank you!

 

[JustCallMeMaple]

Did her gallbladder rupture? This is pretty fascinating I'm studying the pictures.

 

[JustCallMeMaple]

Was her blood septic? It's pretty dark for a fresh dead chicken.

 

[STACEYH]

Could be Gangrenous dermatitis .....https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul.../overview-of-gangrenous-dermatitis-in-poultry

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Did her gallbladder rupture? This is pretty fascinating I'm studying the pictures.

No, it was intact, if slightly enlarged.

Was her blood septic? It's pretty dark for a fresh dead chicken.

Quite possibly, if so some google searches indicate that this may have caused the fibrinous pericarditis.

Could be Gangrenous dermatitis .....https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul.../overview-of-gangrenous-dermatitis-in-poultry

I might suspect this if it were primarily in the skin. The green/grey necrotic material unfortunately extended far into the body cavity as well, and antibiotics had no effect (though it's possible they were just administered too late). It is also not associated with fibrinous pericarditis. Also, note that it is usually prevalent in overcrowded and dirty environments, which this chicken was not in.

 

[peeper89]

 

[JustCallMeMaple]

Are the other chickens acting normal? Any signs of transmission or does this look like an isolated infection situation?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. I don’t have any ideas on the cause. Your state CA has an inexpensive necropsy service available in 4 locations. It may be too late for this chicken, but if you see any other birds with problems, I would call the lab and send in the chicken with a prepaid label to one of the 4 locations. Here is a link:
https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/animal_health/pdfs/CAHFS_NecropsyFactsheet.pdf

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Are the other chickens acting normal? Any signs of transmission or does this look like an isolated infection situation?

This is a good question. I did have a Cream Legbar pullet of the same age die naturally just the evening before this one, which is of course very suspicious. But when I did a necropsy, the symptoms were vastly different.

For one, there was no rotting green material. The heart was also normal in texture and color. However, the liver was massively enlarged (3-4 times the normal size, extending well below the keel bone) and clearly necrotic. The spleen was in a similar condition. The kidneys were also enlarged more than in the Whiting True Green and with the same necrotic mottling as in the spleen and liver. The digestive system was shriveled and the intestines were a pale white color. (Interestingly, I was unable to find an ovary, and the bird was nearing production age, 24 weeks old). This bird however died within 3 days of showing symptoms of lethargy and inappetance, and was well-fleshed as compared to the Whiting True Green.

No tumors or other such abnormalities were seen in either bird. But in the Legbar, I suspected lymphoid leukosis (without tumors), or perhaps some sort of fowl adenovirus. I don't know what to suspect in this Whiting True Green. Photos are attached of the Legbar necropsy, with the cloacal bursa at the end. Please forgive the poor lighting as this necropsy was performed in the evening outside.

Sorry for your loss. I don’t have any ideas on the cause. Your state CA has an inexpensive necropsy service available in 4 locations. It may be too late for this chicken, but if you see any other birds with problems, I would call the lab and send in the chicken with a prepaid label to one of the 4 locations. Here is a link:
https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/animal_health/pdfs/CAHFS_NecropsyFactsheet.pdf

Absolutely, I've used their services before and they've always done an excellent job! These 2 I posted myself, and the post mortem lesions seemed unrelated, but I will certainly send in a bird if a third one dies.

 

[JustCallMeMaple]

That's pretty interesting you can tell it's just enlarged and not functioning as it should. What could cause the body to do this. I mean yes infections can get you sick but there doesn't seem to be a point or center of infection. Bacteria can cause issues, have you split the organs and checked any thickening of the intestine? The fat looks off maybe yellow fat disease?