Dead chicken and milky fluid discharge from mouth

[muircheartaigh]

Hi guys,

This morning I found one of my chickens dead in my coop. I suspected a respiratory illness from the moment I observed her batch in the coop and apart from adding apple cider vinegar to the water as a preventative and watchful waiting I didn't do too much in the treatment of the bird. When I placed the bird outside on a bale of straw I noticed a milky fluid discharge from her beak. Rigor had set in but there was some warmth near her breast bone. I'm confused by the milky discharge. Can anyone comment about the potential origins of this fluid. Is it related to respiratory illness? Sinus fluid? Decomposition of the body? (It was only 11 hours since I'd last checked the hens).

Thanks for any feedback. This is very upsetting for me as it is the first bird that's died under my care. Searching for answers.

 

[SunnySide7]

Hi there,

Same thing happened to my chicken yesterday. Looking for answers myself. Did you ever find anything out? You're the first post I've read.

Thanks

 

[Faiyumi]

Is it possible she got ahold of something poisonous to eat? It's sounds potentially like bile. Without a photos it's a little hard to be sure. It could have been sour crop leaking out. There's just a lot of things it could have been. The warmth would have me suspect sour crop issues. It's something digestive I think. Though some sinus could overtime in death turn milkyish.

What made you suspect respiratory illness? How is the rest of the flock doing?