Buff Orpingtons and heart attacks? Lone sister help too? Long post.

[M n M no nuts]

Hi
This is the first time I am posting something although I have read lots. I too am having this issue just today. I had 2 Orpington and one just died yesterday and her sister today. Neither had any outwardly apparent reason, no bugs, blood, injury or egg bound that I could tell. They were both fed a healthy diet of pellets, fodder, and vegetables so not over weight either. Do not know why this has happened but sudden death heart attack is the only thing I have been able to explain what has happened to my 2 golden girls. If anyone has any other possible explanation please let me know so I can try to prevent this from happening.
Thank you
Sad in NC

 

[Mrs. K]

Chickens often times are not real long lived animals. I have had this happen to me over the years, birds are just fine, and suddenly just dead. So quick, you can hardly believe they are dead. You can go months, or years, or just a month. It is just disconcerting because it is so quick.

Now obviously, if several birds in your flock start getting sick, or acting sick, well then you have a problem. But a sudden death in an ordinary active flock is rotten luck, but not much to worry about, it happens.

I would try and get 1 or 2 birds, ASAP. Check on this site for integration, but really one on one, is not a real problem. I have had good luck with locking up the original bird, in a dog crate, and letting the new bird explore the coop/run without being chased or harassed, and then putting them together as close to dark as possible. A LOT DEPENDS on your coop and set up.

Mrs K

 

[Allthefloofs]

So sorry for your loss! We had two BOs and lost both of them before they were 9 months old, one died at 7 months, one at 8. The second one we were able to have necropsied and she died of a liver hemorrhage. I was told by the vet that some heavy bodied birds are more likely to die from hemorrhagic liver syndrome. I was then told that some lines of BO in the US have a tendency toward it genetically. Ours died on my lap and it was really sad, she was my favorite chicken. After that we decided we probably wouldn't buy any more from hatcheries, it's just too heartbreaking to lose them before one year old.

 

[Vannah]

So sorry for your loss! We had two BOs and lost both of them before they were 9 months old, one died at 7 months, one at 8. The second one we were able to have necropsied and she died of a liver hemorrhage. I was told by the vet that some heavy bodied birds are more likely to die from hemorrhagic liver syndrome. I was then told that some lines of BO in the US have a tendency toward it genetically. Ours died on my lap and it was really sad, she was my favorite chicken. After that we decided we probably wouldn't buy any more from hatcheries, it's just too heartbreaking to lose them before one year old.

I just lost my 2 yr old BO, Tansy today. She and her sister, Lemon are my favorite girls. This is my first loss. She died suddenly, no signs of illness, a secure coop & run, no injuries, I don’t understand what happened. I’m heart broken. I’m so sorry for the loss of yours as well. I’m with you on that…I can’t take the heartbreak again.

 

[Allthefloofs]

I just lost my 2 yr old BO, Tansy today. She and her sister, Lemon are my favorite girls. This is my first loss. She died suddenly, no signs of illness, a secure coop & run, no injuries, I don’t understand what happened. I’m heart broken. I’m so sorry for the loss of yours as well. I’m with you on that…I can’t take the heartbreak again.

To date we have had 4 Orpingtons of either the Buff or Lavender variety, all hatchery girls and only one is alive and has made it past the 3 year point. Every other one has died before 1 or 2 years. Our last standing BO should have died last year, she has a problem with her reproductive system and constantly has Egg Yolk Peritonitis. Every 4-6 months we have her drained and have birth control placed just to keep her alive. I think the are just genetically not sound. I'm so sorry about your sweet Tansy. I think there are some losses that just hurt more. When they are our favorites or our firsts it's just unbelievable how painful it can be.

 

[omalmals]

I had 6 Buff Orpingtons and one minute Saphire was acting totally normal, I looked out the window and she was dead. Total shock. I wracked my brain to look for a reason and there was nothing I could think of. Then I remembered I have a camera on the yard and there was footage! Apparently what happened is one of the other Orps (Angel) just ran from across the yard and made her submit, one light peck. Saphire got up, and started to walk away as if everything was normal (this only happened once before I know of), but this time stumbled and fell to the ground and appeared to be seizuring. All the other birds came running and were just watching her. She tried to get up once, but fell down again and died. When Angel went to peck her body one of the other birds (a Wyandotte) stopped her. I had feared she was poisoned, still not sure if that's the case but she was doing nothing unusual before this happened. She was scratching and pecking in the yard like she always did and was healthy. So I'm glad I had the camera because now I know she wasn't attacked in any way.

 

[Mrs. K]

Sounds like a heart attack to me. Nothing you could have or should have done. It is so startling, they are so alive and perfectly fine one moment, that you can hardly believe they are dead the next. I am personally getting to the age, where this does not sound like a bad idea.

Mrs K

 

[man_hammer]

The Orpington is considered one of the largest breeds, and unfortunately prone to congestive heart failure and sudden death because of their large size.

Acute heart failure is commonly called a Heart Attack. This is more common in large fowl that have been bred for size, especially cock birds but also in hybrid broilers that put on weight quickly.

The condition is made worse by poor genetic variation by breeders, inbreeding. Particularly if buying chicks from local pet shops.

I recently had a blue orpington 4.3 years old develop what appeared to be a respiratory illness. Having done everything in my power to relieve her of her distress, taken her to two separate vets and bird specialists. Who could not find anything wrong with her. With no other information to go with we assumed it was bronchitis or pneumonia. But there was no mucus or discharge or swelling or conjunctivitis in the eyes. Making diagnosis more difficult.

Her symptoms appeared as the temperatures started to rise at the end of spring. First her voice disappeared, after several weeks she began wheezing, and coughing occasionally.

After two weeks the condition began to progress rapidly with labored breathing, extending neck as if she is chocking. Breathing through her mouth. Wheezing. The wheezing sound was likely fluid in her lungs. But not rapid breathing like you get with pneumonia. Her coughing would increase during the night, a classic sign of congestive heart failure. Towards the end her comb would turn blueish. Another symptom of organ failure.


We continued to treat it as if it was a respiratory illness by giving her plenty of raw eggs with a bit of orange fruit. This helps create proper mucus so that respiratory illnesses can clear out faster. Raw butter to soothe her trachea from all the coughing

She was fed mostly a high quality raw diet all her life, which maybe bought her some time and why the condition had developed so gradually.


After three weeks under our care, a heat wave of 85 degrees had hit our location. Her breathing became more labored. So we brought her indoors during the day so she can enjoy AC, but unfortunately it was too late, and she began to choke from the fluids in her lung and finally had a heart attack,. Horrible to watch having cared for this wonderful creature for so many years.
There was so little information online about this subject that we initially thought it was respiratory system but now we are 100% certain it was a heart failure.

Had we had a proper diagnosis early on we could have probably avoided this catastrophic event by making essential changes to her diet and environment.


Like having her sleep outdoors in a cage rather then a coup, to increase air circulation and cool her down in warm weather.

Diet: A diet rich with raw unsalted butter, Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. More orange fruits like papaya, carrot. Raw eggs are especially helpful in helping to reverse the heart condition if detected early enough. Live mealworms. Raw ground beef.

I would have also included a little starch in her diet, Like steamed rice or wheat. Twice a week. To help reduce strain on her heart.

Avoid cooked food, processed food, oatmeal, millet. Pasteurized dairy. Grumbles and chicken feeds with ingredient names that you do not understand.

Watch her weight, from getting too high.

Stress, minimize teasing or handling her, avoid exciting her too much, generally just let her enjoy as much space and freedom with her flock.

Avoid transferring from home to home or separating orpingtons from their siblings, they are particularly sensitive to these kind of lifestyle changes at older ages. As are many chickens.


One strange symptom we should have paid more attention to , is slight deformations on her eggs especially when she gets stressed. A sign of illness , organ problems.

 

[Mrs. K]

Where did you get your diet advice, I have never heard of feeding chickens butter or oranges?

You never mentioned a bluish comb, or a pale grey. That has been the indication of heart disease for me. Or a weakness or lethargic action.

I think there is a strong possibility it was respiratory issue. It sounds like respiratory.

Regardless, I don't think that the diet would make much difference in the lifespan of the bird. If a bird has a genetic ailment that affects the heart or lungs, there really is not much you can do for it except offering the bird the coup de grace.

Mrs K

 

[man_hammer]

Where did you get your diet advice, I have never heard of feeding chickens butter or oranges?

You never mentioned a bluish comb, or a pale grey. That has been the indication of heart disease for me. Or a weakness or lethargic action.

I think there is a strong possibility it was respiratory issue. It sounds like respiratory.

Regardless, I don't think that the diet would make much difference in the lifespan of the bird. If a bird has a genetic ailment that affects the heart or lungs, there really is not much you can do for it except offering the bird the coup de grace.

Mrs K

Oh thanks for reminding me. She did develop a bluish comb but it would come and go as we continued to hand feed her. And as she would relax.

My diet advise comes from studying various forms of nutrition that fall under raw paleo diets. We are a raw paleo family. And we have been feeding our chickens mostly raw for a decade now.

Another thing I forgot to mention is feeding raw ground beef to chickens, which I have done for years. Chickens come from same scavenger family of birds as crows, they love scraps of raw / rotten meat. But mine prefer fresh ground.

Considering that there is no other treatment available for congestive heart failure for chickens, humans or pets.

High quality Raw Diet is the only available option that has proven to have positive outcomes for humans.

Unfortunately due to lack of diagnosis we could not do much for this bird in the end. And in retrospect, having her endure multiple veterinary visits probably added to her anxiety.

I would have also included a little starch in her diet, Like steamed rice or wheat. Twice a week. To help reduce strain on her heart.