Dead Hen - Updated with Preliminary Necropsy - Pictures - Graphic

[casportpony]

Here's the scoop...

The hen was fine yesterday and has been sitting on some eggs for about a week and has had access to fresh water and food. I found her this morning, next to her nest, deceased and cold. Checked for lumps, bumps, cuts, etc... Nothing. Has some food in her crop, but no other palpable masses. No obvious signs of mites/lice.

Any thoughts?

 

[snowflake]

Here's the scoop...
The hen was fine yesterday and has been sitting on some eggs for about a week and has had access to fresh water and food. I found her this morning, next to her nest, deceased and cold. Checked for lumps, bumps, cuts, etc... Nothing. Has some food in her crop, but no other palpable masses. No obvious signs of mites/lice.
Any thoughts?

sorry for your loss, some times they are sick but you don't notice. maybe she was not broody but sick and not willing to move off the comfy nest? a real shame,

I have lost some birds in the past, for no apparent reason? always seems to be hens, never a rooster
watch your other birds for signs of parasites may need to take a stool sample to a vet if you can

 

[NovaAman]

I wonder if she got backed up maybe? Can you take her or do an autopsy?

 

[casportpony]

sorry for your loss, some times they are sick but you don't notice. maybe she was not broody but sick and not willing to move off the comfy nest? a real shame,

I have lost some birds in the past, for no apparent reason? always seems to be hens, never a rooster
watch your other birds for signs of parasites may need to take a stool sample to a vet if you can

I thought about sending her for a necropsy, but I can't afford to overnight her, which leaves the option of 2nd air for a Wednesday delivery. I'll have to contact the lab to see if they can deal with a body that's been dead for so long.

I wonder if she got backed up maybe? Can you take her or do an autopsy?

I may do a necropsy myself, but that won't be very helpful if I don't find anything obvious.

 

[casportpony]

Have done a very basic necropsy and the cause of death was liver related. Yellow fluid in abdomen as well as spots all over liver. I will update with pictures later.

 

[casportpony]

Yellow fluid


This is the liver and some of the yellow fluid.​

Something odd in the ceca​

 

[NovaAman]

I would have never done a necropsy until Olive Hill had said to "There's only one way to find out" over a hen that had died after falling off a roost. I have done 2 on my own now. There are some great pics on-line in various locations of what a hen should look like inside for a healthy hen... Anyway, you've done one now and at least now you know.

 

[casportpony]

I would have never done a necropsy until Olive Hill had said to "There's only one way to find out" over a hen that had died after falling off a roost. I have done 2 on my own now. There are some great pics on-line in various locations of what a hen should look like inside for a healthy hen... Anyway, you've done one now and at least now you know.

I've done a few now... Several were had one form or another of the common egg laying issues, one had a belly full of blood, but that was a far as I looked. Have you ever seen one that looked like that? All other organs looked okay.

Curiously, what did you find when you did yours?

 

[NovaAman]

Belle Mai was a tricky one. Couldn't find a reason for her to have just fallen off the roost. SO, when looking her over, she had a broken leg and broken wing and extensive bruising. No parasites inside, organs looked good. However, there had been a raccoon attack in previous days, none of the hens were lost, buy there were injuries. She didn't seem to be one of them injured, and I found no punctures or scratches on her. I am thinking that some of extensive bruising may have been from the coon. It was a juvie coon, not very good hunter, and day time attack.

Then the next hen I did was just last month I think. Hatchery SLW, just came into lay, but her repro system was not right at all in comparrison to the pictures I was able to find using my trusty touchpad. I had actually taken her to the vet because she was failing and even the vet was stumped since her stool and blood work and throat swabs were normal. SO, cut her open and had a look.