Curved keel on 25 w.o. pullet

[Airyaman]

I recently lost a pullet to some type of what I believed to be a respiratory issue.

Let me back up slightly: I think Marek's exists in the my flocks. I have not confirmed it but all of the signs point that way in a subflock. The following is about a girl who is not in that subflock.

One day the pullet was in the woods more often than usual. Then the next day she was making a funny sound when she breathed. Other than that I think things were normal. The next day she was chased by a cockerel and it took her a while to catch her breath and breathe normally. Later that day, it happened again, and she really never recovered after that.

I put her in isolation for two days and treated her with VetRX (it was all I had over a holiday weekend). She died shortly after.

When the AL state lab did a necroscopy, no Marek's signs, no infections, just a curved keel?

Could a curved keel end up being fatal in the description above?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have a copy of the report that you can post?

A curved keel can be due to genetics, developmental issues or some other Musco skeletal deformity.

Did the report say she developed the deformity, or could this have been an injury that she was unable to recover from?

While a crooked keel may not cause death in itself, it could be a contributing factor is the bird is uncomfortable, not eating well, not moving about much, etc. Failure To Thrive.

I'm sorry that you are not finding all the answers you are looking for. Sometimes they don't come easily or immediately.

 

[Airyaman]

Here is the report, called "Pixie report". For comparison and the reason I suspected Marek's (that and two other birds in that same flock with Marek's symptoms), I've added another prior report called "Pullet report".