Crime Scene Investigation

[Country Parson]

I was away for a few days on business and came home to a report that one of my precious Pilgrim girls was found dead inside the coop. My kids put her outside, and she was there for several hours before I got back. I'm not really sure what got her (there was a small hole near her beak, and something chewed a bit on her hind end---though that may have happened when she was laying outside).

Despite the tragedy, I decided to salvage some of her down and I gutted her to inspect her overall health (since I have 3 other Pilgrims to worry about). One thing I noticed was that there were no undeveloped eggs. When I slaughtered the female embdens in the Fall each female had several of these (and they were not laying eggs). On this bird there was nothing---not even the slightest evidence of egg development anywhere. She was born early last Spring, and I would have thought by this time of the year (in Ohio) I would have seen the beginning of egg development.

Thoughts?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just wanted to say sorry for your loss

 

[Silver Spring Waterfowl]

I'm sorry! That's not a good homecoming. Some birds take longer to develop than others. Maybe that is all it is.

 

[Omniskies]

Some Pilgrims don't lay until their second year. Some that do lay aren't fertile until their second year.

It's always hard finding something like that. I'm really sorry to hear it. If a cursory autopsy looked clear then hopefully it was just her and not a disease.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
I too am sorry for your loss but i suggest you examine her rear end closely there is a small mouse like creature Shrew (not a rodent) who have been known to enter dead animals via this route. It would be highly inlikely that a shrew could kill a goose because of the size difference, but might feed on the innards if they had a chance.