Congested chicken. Results:klebsiella pneumoniae..?!?

[Andora]

I just went out to check on her and she is perfectly alert, clean aside from a little white poo on the fuzzy butt, and if I hadn't have heard her rattle I would assume she is healthy.

I'm not sure what that means.

She's isolated on my back porch right now and she's eating like normal--a little scratch, some mash that I put bananas and apple cider vinegar and chopped up left over apple into, and drinking water like normal. Her crop feels normal too, it has a little food in it. I can feel the scratch grains or grit in there. She's not nearly as congested now as she was first thing this morning, but she still rattles and she sounds hoarse when she chats with me.

Her poop is really odd looking. It's a large off white puddle, thick not watery, with a worm shaped green thing, and yellow like broken egg yolk on the edges. It's easy to see since she's isolated on the porch. If you think it will help I can take a picture. lol

 

[Andora]

I just found her dead, flat on her back.

 

[Imp]

I'm so sorry

Imp

 

[speckledhen]

I'm so sorry, Andora.

 

[Andora]

Thanks.

Her only symptoms were chest congestion and watery poop. She was never fluffed up or droopy and sleepy, her feathers were clean and shiny.

What do you think she died from? She was even walking around the yard by herself pecking and scratching just a few hours ago.

I really hope this was just an isolated illness. I don't think I can save her body for necropsy since it's the weekend. Hopefully the mucus swab will show something. Every other bird I have seems healthy.

 

[speckledhen]

I really don't know what was wrong with her. They tend to hide illness till it's pretty serious. Let's hope the swabs tell you something. Again, I'm very sorry you lost her.

 

[jesskelweb]

Andora,
Feeling very sad about your chicken. Hopefully today or tomorrow you will get some answers from the swabs. You seem very attentive to your chickens and I am sure you did everything possible to prevent her death. Hoping your week gets easier and you find comfort in the answers from the lab.

 

[keljonma]

Sorry to hear about your hen. It is so hard to lose them.

I would suggest you fog the entire hen house and the birds with Oxine AH to disinfect. I found using a warm mist vaporizer in the hen house overnight does the job easier and inexpensively.

 

[Andora]

They live in two little wooden coops, I don't think I could easily fog them...they spend most of their time outside, anyway. They only go in the coops to lay eggs and to roost. I lime the yard every couple of weeks right before it rains...I'd like to pretend that helps a little. I also bleach their coops at least once a month, though I change out the shavings once a week.

I just called and they don't have the results of her culture done yet. They said they would call when it's ready. Everyone else seems perfectly healthy as far as I can tell...

 

[speckledhen]

Sounds like you do way more than most folks to watch out for their health, so please, don't beat yourself up about it. Just let us know when you get the results.