Dead chickens

[lbidder114]

I have lost a few hens in the past week and was wondering if there is somewhere I can send them for a necropsy and if there is a place that will do it for free. I am in NH and I know UNH does it but was told its $125 if it's sent out through my vet.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Lisa

 

[farmtotable]

Maybe check with your county's extension office, or if you have any local poultry farms or hatcheries they might know.... I would be somewhat surprised if any agency would do it for free, since there's quite a bit of work involved and funding is short on pretty much every level. Can't hurt to ask though! You might even check with your vet, maybe there's multiple places to choose from but they just use UNH? Probably a dumb question, but you've ruled out predator attacks right? Sometimes it's hard to find the small wounds caused by weasels, and just one can devastate a flock. My neighbor lost her entire flock in one week to weasels; they kept coming back for seconds. The bite marks were surprisingly small, which I guess makes sense because weasels basically operate like little furry vampires.

 

[lbidder114]

I will look into different places to get it done. They are def sick, the first one was the day after Xmas, not eating, lethargic, open mouth breathing, couldn't use her legs. I had fed and watered her every few hours for the whole time. She died this past Monday. Yesterdays bird was droopy wings and tail, hanging her head low, I took her to the vet, she was very very skinny and dehydrated but she was still on her feet. Vet didn't know what to diagnose as. So I checked her sister when I got home and she was skinny too but not as bad. I set them up in the house. Bird 1 was dead by morning, sister is on her feet eating, drinking and pooping. I dewormed her and gave her ammoxicillin(low dose of people stuff) figured it can't hurt to try she was most likely going to die like her sisters. Hours later she seems to be doing well and some color returning to her waddles and comb?? I have no clue whats going on and seems like no one else does either. Chickens are a pain in the *ss and I don't know if I want to do this again, I love my girls and get to attached and so do the kids. I just want to fix them!

 

[casportpony]

I have lost a few hens in the past week and was wondering if there is somewhere I can send them for a necropsy and if there is a place that will do it for free. I am in NH and I know UNH does it but was told its $125 if it's sent out through my vet.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Lisa

Maryland does out of state chickens for less than that.

 

[casportpony]

Here are some links for you:
http://mda2.maryland.gov/animalHealth/Pages/laboratory.aspx#necropsy
http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/org/md/cpcvm/clerk/state.asp

 

[casportpony]

Here's one in NH that charges $35 for in-state poultry.
http://www.nhvdl.unh.edu/service-fee-schedule

 

[casportpony]

Another link:
http://agr.wa.gov/FoodAnimal/AnimalHealth/statevets.aspx

 

[casportpony]

This is a cut and paste from another post of mine​

If you still have her body and you want to send her off for a necropsy, put her in the refrigerator, not the freezer. Since it's Saturday, you should wait until Monday to overnight her. UC Davis lets residents use their FedEx account number, so if you decide to send her, ask them, it will save you a bunch of money.

You'll need to find a box, line it with styrofoam (I use the 4'x8'x1" stuff from Home Depot, but you can use anything, I guess... you can also get smaller pieces at an art store like Michael's, but is way more expensive). Click here to see foam options. You'll also need at least one ice pack. Here are some pictures that I took of the last bird that I sent:

Box lined with foam on four sides and bottom. Seams of foam taped sealed.


Box, sides, bottom and and top.


Frozen ice pack in ziplock baggie.


Brown paper on top of ice pack.


Hen in ziplock baggie on top of brown paper.


Brown paper on top of hen.


Ice pack on top of brown paper.


Lid on top of brown paper.

 

[casportpony]

I will look into different places to get it done. They are def sick, the first one was the day after Xmas, not eating, lethargic, open mouth breathing, couldn't use her legs. I had fed and watered her every few hours for the whole time. She died this past Monday. Yesterdays bird was droopy wings and tail, hanging her head low, I took her to the vet, she was very very skinny and dehydrated but she was still on her feet. Vet didn't know what to diagnose as. So I checked her sister when I got home and she was skinny too but not as bad. I set them up in the house. Bird 1 was dead by morning, sister is on her feet eating, drinking and pooping. I dewormed her and gave her ammoxicillin(low dose of people stuff) figured it can't hurt to try she was most likely going to die like her sisters. Hours later she seems to be doing well and some color returning to her waddles and comb?? I have no clue whats going on and seems like no one else does either. Chickens are a pain in the *ss and I don't know if I want to do this again, I love my girls and get to attached and so do the kids. I just want to fix them!

FWIW, birds get pretty large doses of amoxicillan.


From: http://www.scribd.com/doc/72234998/Plumb-s-Veterinary-Drug-Handbook-Sixth-Edition
For susceptible infections:
a) For most species: 150 – 175 mg/kg PO once to twice daily (us-ing 50 mg/mL suspension) (Clubb 1986)
b) 100 mg/kg q8h PO (Bauck and Hoefer 1993)
c) 100 mg/kg q8h, IM, SC, PO (Hoeffer 1995)
d) Ratites: 15 – 22 mg/kg PO twice daily; in drinking water: 250mg/gallon for 3 – 5 days (Jenson 1998)

 

[lbidder114]

You are a life saver!!! She is being kept cold in our garage. **** cold in there but not freezing. I think I can drive her to UNH I will call them Monday am it's not far from me. I gave her about 125mg of amox at noon and just now so I hope in helps. I had to put it water and syringe down her . I got it very far back but I hope I didn't aspirate her, after she was breathing real heavy.
Thanks again for your help. I hope I can save this last girl. I do have other layers but I feel like I killed a whole family