How to Send a Bird for a Necropsy - Pictures

They need the whole bird, refrigerated, not frozen. If you live in CA, there are four labs that do necropsies on poultry (chickens, turkeys, waterfowl) for $20. I know that they do out of state necropsies, but I think they charge for those. You could call them and ask what they charge for out of state "backyard poultry". The lab I use is the one in Tulare, CA. If you are in CA, call them and ask for their FedEx account number, it will save a bunch on shipping charges.

CAHFS
18830 Road 112
Tulare, CA 93274-9042
(559) 688-7543
(559) 686-4231 (FAX)
[email protected]


The other labs are listed here:
http://www.cahfs.ucdavis.edu/services/lab_locations.cfm

If it's Friday, unless you want to overnight for Saturday delivery, I would suggest shipping on Monday for Tuesday delivery. What you need to do, if you haven't already done so, is put your bird in your refrigerator, NOT the freezer! Then you need to find a box, line it with styrofoam (I use the 4'x8'x1" stuff from Home Depot. You can also get smaller pieces at an art store like Michael's, but is way more expensive. Click here to see foam options. You'll also need at least one ice pack. Here are some pictures that I took of the last bird that I sent:


Inside the box you should also include a submission form in a ziplock baggie. Do not tell anyone at FedEx that you're shipping a dead animal... that seems to really worry them. Just make sure that nothing will leak.

Hope this helps!

-Kathy

Thanks so much for this! Chicks going out on Monday to Kansas State University, which will do a necropsy for free. There's a disposal fee of $10 and then the cost of shipping, but I think it'll be very much worth it to find out what happened to my little 1.5-week-old peachicks.

amsunshine said:

Thanks so much for this! Chicks going out on Monday to Kansas State University, which will do a necropsy for free. There's a disposal fee of $10 and then the cost of shipping, but I think it'll be very much worth it to find out what happened to my little 1.5-week-old peachicks.

Click to expand...

Glad you're able to do that, necropsies have been really helpful for me, so hope it will be for you, too. Ask them if you can use their FedEx number, it will save on shipping.

-Kathy

California Lab Locations

CAHFS is a livestock and avian diagnostic laboratory, not a small animal laboratory. Questions concerning dogs, cats, snakes, and fish should be directed to your local veterinarian.
The CAHFS Toxicology Section may be contacted regarding any poisoning cases in all animal species at this number: (530) 752-6322.
Each laboratory in the CAHFS System performs specific tests. If the CAHFS Lab nearest your location does not perform the test(s) needed for your submission, the specimen may be forwarded to the lab in the CAHFS System that does perform the test.
Business Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM
Emergencies only on Saturday and Sunday.


Davis Laboratory

The Davis facility consists of two laboratory buildings: The John E. Thurman, Jr. Building, and the Kenneth L. Maddy building. Davis is staffed and equipped to provide the full range of diagnostic procedures in the disciplines of pathology, bacteriology, mycology, serology, avian virology, mammalian virology and toxicology for all species of livestock including poultry. It also houses the Equine Analytical Chemistry laboratory, which is staffed and equipped to provide equine drug testing.
The Davis laboratory also conducts tests on specimens forwarded from the other four laboratories, which have not been staffed and equipped to perform them. As the central laboratory of the CAHFS, it provides professional support and supervision of tests and procedures to be used throughout the CAHFS. Discipline specialists at Davis, working with diagnosticians at the other laboratories, develop standard protocols and provide standardized reagents for use in the CAHFS. They also have supervisory responsibility over activities of their specialty, including both monitoring of testing procedures and the training of personnel in the use of such procedures at the other laboratories.
The Davis Laboratory accepts AVIAN, LIVESTOCK, and HORSE submissions. Carcasses may be submitted for necropsy. Submissions for livestock and horse biopsies, serology, bacterial cultures and electron microscopy are also accepted. The Toxicology section of the Davis Lab will accept specimens from all animal species, including domestic animals, wildlife, and sea mammals.
Address
620 West Health Science Drive
Davis, California 95616
(530) 752-8700
(530) 752-6253 (FAX)
[email protected]

Turlock Laboratory

The Turlock laboratory provides diagnostic support for the needs of the poultry industry in the northern San Joaquin valley. It provides diagnostic services in pathology, bacteriology, serology, mycology, and in some aspects of virology. The Turlock Laboratory serves as a point of access to the CAHFS and all of its services except necropsies of large animals. Specimens (except large animals, cats and dogs) will be transported to other laboratories of the CAHFS for diagnostic procedures that cannot be conducted at Turlock.
The Turlock Laboratory accepts all AVIAN submissions including carcasses, serology samples and bacterial cultures. The Turlock Laboratory now performs the Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD) Elisa test on ear notch samples.
For USPS mail & deliveries, use our PO Box address.
Address
1550 N Soderquist Road
PO Box 1522
Turlock, CA 95380-2204
(209) 634-5837
(209) 667-4261 (FAX)
[email protected]

Tulare Laboratory

The Tulare laboratory is located in the facilities of the Veterinary Medical Teaching and Research Center, University of California, Tulare. It provides diagnostic laboratory support for the food animal industries and the veterinarians who serve these industries in the central and southern San Joaquin valley. Services offered on-site include pathology, bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, regulatory serology and certain aspects of virology. The Tulare Laboratory accepts all AVIAN, LIVESTOCK and HORSE submissions.
Serology and toxicology samples are sent, as necessary, to other CAHFS laboratories for testing.
Address
18830 Road 112
Tulare, CA 93274-9042
(559) 688-7543
(559) 686-4231 (FAX)
[email protected]

San Bernardino Laboratory

The San Bernardino laboratory provides diagnostic laboratory support for the livestock and poultry industries of southern California, and conducts serological tests required for programs of the Animal Health Branch. It is staffed and equipped to provide diagnostic support in pathology, bacteriology, mycology, milk quality, serology, and some aspects of virology and parasitology. It serves as a point of access for all services offered by the CAHFS.
The San Bernardino Laboratory accepts AVIAN, LIVESTOCK, and HORSE submissions: avian carcasses and biopsies, livestock and horse carcasses and biopsies, serology and bacterial cultures.
105 W Central Avenue
San Bernardino, CA 92408 2113
(909) 383-4287
(909) 884-5980 (FAX)
[email protected]

-Kathy

FYI - UC Davis will run fecal floats for$10.50 apiece..about 2days turnaround. And you can mail samples in.

Florida Chicken Lovers, We have lost one of our beloved hens expectantly. Florida Wildlife Hospital in DeLand suggested we take her for a Necropsy to see what happened to her. We took her to: Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services 2700 North John Young Parkway Kissimmee, FL (321) 691-1467 We received a Accession No. to use for questions or explanations as we receive updated reports. A preliminary report was sent via email the evening we dropped her off! The cost was $30.00 (check or money order only!) Make sure your chicken is in a bag on ice in a cooler. It was a good move since it gave us a snapshot of the health of our backyard chickens. Hope this helps others keep our pet chicken healthy and happy! Bart and Trish

tmasker said:

Florida Chicken Lovers, We have lost one of our beloved hens expectantly. Florida Wildlife Hospital in DeLand suggested we take her for a Necropsy to see what happened to her. We took her to: Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services 2700 North John Young Parkway Kissimmee, FL (321) 691-1467 We received a Accession No. to use for questions or explanations as we receive updated reports. A preliminary report was sent via email the evening we dropped her off! The cost was $30.00 (check or money order only!) Make sure your chicken is in a bag on ice in a cooler. It was a good move since it gave us a snapshot of the health of our backyard chickens. Hope this helps others keep our pet chicken healthy and happy! Bart and Trish

Click to expand...

Bronson Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
Florida Dept. of Ag. and Consumer Services
2700 N. John Young Parkway
Kissimmee, FL 34741 Phone 321-697-1400 Fax 321-697-1467
http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Div...ction/Diagnostic-Laboratory-Testing-Services/

Source: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Div...Lab-Sections/Necropsy-Sample-Submission-Hints
Necropsy Sample Submission Hints

Adequate cadaver submittal

It is preferred that the cadaver be submitted chilled instead of frozen. However, should the interval between the animal's death and receipt at the laboratory be greater than 3 days, the carcass should be frozen prior to shipment.

The cadaver must be put inside a sealed bag to prevent leaking, with enough ice packs and absorbent material. Body and ice packs should be placed inside a Styrofoam box and an external cardboard box.
Packaging must meet the following conditions:

1. A leak-proof primary receptacle(s).
2. A leak-proof secondary packaging.
3. An outer packaging of adequate strength for its capacity, mass and intended use.
4. For liquids (ice and body fluids), absorbent material in sufficient quantity to absorb the entire contents must be placed between the primary receptacle and the secondary packaging so that, during transport, any release or leak of a liquid substance will not reach the outer packaging and will not compromise the integrity of the cushioning material.

Inadequate Cadaver Shipping

The animals must be sent following good shipping practices to prevent leakage. The cadaver submitted must be fresh, since the gross and microscopic evaluation of the cadaver is hindered by advanced postmortem autolysis. The normal microflora invades all tissues and organs; therefore, a reliable bacterial analysis cannot be made. Autolysis also hinders other testing, including but not limited to fluid evaluation and virus isolation.

NOTE: According to DOT, any person who knowingly violates a requirement of the Federal Hazardous Material Transportation law is liable for a civil penalty of not more than $27,500 and not less than $250.00 for each violation.

More US labs listed here:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

-Kathy

Thank you Kathy! I've been searching all over for this info. I called local vets today, and they all either didn't know enough about chickens to treat, or had to "get back to me." I'm contacting the closest labs tomorrow morning so I can figure out what is going through my flock!