Advice needed for sudden death of hen

[Deb B]

My Colombian Wyandotte died suddenly this afternoon. She is 8 months old, and has been laying since 22 weeks. This morning she seemed fine, came out of the coop into the run, ate her breakfast and was hanging with the rest of the flock. She laid her egg sometime during the day. When I came out at 4 pm to let the flock out to free range she was sitting on the ground away from the others. She didn't get up to go free range. I was able to reach in and pick her up without objection (she usually doesn't like to be picked up), so I brought her in the house and set her up in the basement with some food and water with added electrolytes. I'm fairly new to chickens but her crop seemed fine (golf ball sized lump of food, firm but not squishy, could feel some pellets in there) and her vent seemed normal. No diarrhea was present in the run, nor did she poop while I had her in the basement. I force fed her a little water with a syringe which she didn't like. But she steadily became more listless and by 6 pm she died. It appears she either got up and moved around right before she died or she had convulsions because she knocked over her food and got bedding in the waterer.

Any ideas? No apparent injuries, no foul smells, nothing out of the ordinary. I'm keeping my eye on the rest of the flock but as of when I closed the coop up this evening they were fine. Thanks in advance.

 

[Michael Apple]

By what you described, it sounds like a strain of Marek's disease. There are six viruses that cause Marek's disease in poultry. One attacks older birds and causes rapid weight loss, and as it progresses the bird will lie on it's side, twitch, and convulse before death. I've witnessed it before even in birds which were vaccinated. Some develop resistance and some do not. There really should be more research dedicated to controlling the group of viruses that cause Marek's. I am sorry about your hen. You did what you could for her.

 

[mammat]

All of my hens that have died flop around during the process. Necropsy said negitive marecks.

 

[Michael Apple]

All of my hens that have died flop around during the process. Necropsy said negitive marecks.

So what did the necropsy determine as cause of death?

 

[Deb B]

By what you described, it sounds like a strain of Marek's disease. There are six viruses that cause Marek's disease in poultry. One attacks older birds and causes rapid weight loss, and as it progresses the bird will lie on it's side, twitch, and convulse before death. I've witnessed it before even in birds which were vaccinated. Some develop resistance and some do not. There really should be more research dedicated to controlling the group of viruses that cause Marek's. I am sorry about your hen. You did what you could for her.

Thanks for your input. My birds were vaccinated for Marek's, although I know that isn't a 100% guarantee. The weirdest part about this is that this particular hen has been an egg laying machine, laying 6 days a week including this morning. That doesn't seem like something a hen would do if they had a progressive chronic disease. She acted perfectly normal this morning. I'm just worried that it's something the rest of the flock will contract.

 

[Deb B]

So this morning I decided to chuck out her eggs because I don't know what killed her. When I cracked open the egg she laid yesterday morning had a large amount of blood in it (sorry I didn't think to get a picture). I had two other eggs of hers and they looked fine when I cracked them open. Is it possible that she hemorrhaged when she laid the egg and bled out internally? In this case she laid the egg after 12 noon, was found acting ill at 4 pm and was dead by 6 pm.

They are on layer ration, get grit and oyster shell, usually get a treat of spinach, a small amount cracked corn and whatever leftovers from the day before for breakfast, and free range about 3 hours a day in the evening.

Thanks