Chicken died while we were trimming her nails :(

[brendalwelch]

Hi all,
We are devastated... we noticed that one of our backyard chickens, Pancake (just turned three years old), had long nails and she was having trouble getting in & out in the coop so we read about trimming her nails. I thought that the fact that she had longer nails indicated that she wasn't doing her usual scratch & peck. She was also appearing lethargic & panting so we caught her to check her out. My 14 year old daughter laid her on her back in the grass (to calm her) and we noticed poopy butt. I worked on cleaning her nails so I could see the quick in order to trim her nails. She tolerated being on her back for a few minutes (she's been handled quite a bit) but started to kick with her feet. Ultimately she started making a squeaking noise and when we thought she might be in distress, we brought her up right but she was dying. And she died right then. She was only flat on her back for a few minutes and we can't figure out what happened but we wonder if she suffocated somehow or we just exacerbated whatever condition was troubling her. Thoughts, please! We feel terrible!

 

[Weeg]

I'm so sorry your going through this, that must have been so hard.
Sounds to me like she was already experiencing some trouble. The long nails could indicate that she wasn't being active, and that is a symptom of a lot of diseases/conditions.
What did the poop on her butt look like? Poop, or more like fluid draining from the vent? That could indicate reproductive trouble.
Did she have any other symptoms before hand that you noticed? Its hard to diagnose what may have happened with so little info, but I understand you may not have many more answers.
@Wyorp Rock @azygous
The above members may have more ideas.
The every best way to know would be to get/do a necropsy. You can send her into your state lab, or do one at home yourself. I'd be happy to walk you through it.
I hope we're able to get some answers for you, and I'm sorry for your loss. This wasn't your fault.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

I have read that if you put a chicken upside down or on their back, they can suffocate because their organs are lose in their body. I’m not sure that killed her though, I have held my birds upside down before I knew that could happen and no one has ever died because of it.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

We had a similar think happen with a hen years ago. She was flipped in her panic to escape and feed and water flowed from her crop into her lungs.

 

[Battlepants]

It sounds like being upside down can lead to them getting material from their crop to their lungs causing aspiration. Note, this was from an article about holding them upside down by the legs, so I have doubts that this was your fatal issue. That being said, I would probably refrain from doing this with any others as it sounds like there is still some risk.

On the note of the poopy butt and appearing lethargic and panting, I feel like this is your real root cause. No ability to pass through the system, the system will eventually overflow. This coupled with the nature of chickens being prey animals, and that they will hide their symptoms until they physically can't anymore.

Something that might help find the cause is checking the crop - if it is still full and she wasn't eating, then this would very likely be your cause.

 

[Pierre duck drake]

Hi all,
We are devastated... we noticed that one of our backyard chickens (just turned three years old) had long nails and she was having trouble getting in & out in the coop so we read about trimming her nails. I thought that the fact that she had longer nails indicated that she wasn't doing her usual scratch & peck. She was also appearing lethargic & panting so we caught her to check her out. My 14 year old daughter laid her on her back in the grass (to calm her) and we noticed poopy butt. I worked on cleaning her nails so I could see the quick in order to trim her nails. She tolerated being on her back for a few minutes (she's been handled quite a bit) but started to kick with her feet. Ultimately she started making a squeaking noise and when we thought she might be in distress, we brought her up right but she was dying. And she died right then. She was only flat on her back for a few minutes and we can't figure out what happened but we wonder if she suffocated somehow or we just exacerbated whatever condition was troubling her. Thoughts, please! We feel terrible!

I'm sorry for your losschickens can not breath when they are on their back so she probably got suffocated.

 

[brendalwelch]

I'm so sorry your going through this, that must have been so hard.
Sounds to me like she was already experiencing some trouble. The long nails could indicate that she wasn't being active, and that is a symptom of a lot of diseases/conditions.
What did the poop on her butt look like? Poop, or more like fluid draining from the vent? That could indicate reproductive trouble.
Did she have any other symptoms before hand that you noticed? Its hard to diagnose what may have happened with so little info, but I understand you may not have many more answers.
@Wyorp Rock @azygous
The above members may have more ideas.
The every best way to know would be to get/do a necropsy. You can send her into your state lab, or do one at home yourself. I'd be happy to walk you through it.
I hope we're able to get some answers for you, and I'm sorry for your loss. This wasn't your fault.

Thank you! She had pasty poopy butt (not liquid draining). No other symptoms other than having trouble getting in and out of our coop (on stilts). I've been reading more about how chickens can aspirate from their crop into their lungs when on their back and can be even at higher risk if they are weakened or sick as ours appeared to be. Ugh

 

[Weeg]

I have read that if you put a chicken upside down or on their back, they can suffocate because their organs are lose in their body. I’m not sure that killed her though, I have held my birds upside down before I knew that could happen and no one has ever died because of it.

Same. I've had my birds on their backs for much longer than the OP to treat bumble foot. I do think that flipping her on her back may have pushed her over the top, but also possibly some underlying issues going on.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

Same. I've had my birds on their backs for much longer than the OP to treat bumble foot. I do think that flipping her on her back may have pushed her over the top, but also possibly some underlying issues going on.

Yeah, I have also Cradled my birds and it doesn’t affect them.

 

[Weeg]

Thank you! She had pasty poopy butt (not liquid draining). No other symptoms other than having trouble getting in and out of our coop (on stilts). I've been reading more about how chickens can aspirate from their crop into their lungs when on their back and can be even at higher risk if they are weakened or sick as ours appeared to be. Ugh

You said that she was acting lethargic before you trimmer her nails right? I think that this is your root cause. What her crop full at all if you can remember?
i have had chickens on their back for long periods of time to treat bumble foot and had no issues. Do you have roosts in your coop? What do you feed?
I'm so sorry.