Dying hen? Brown liquid, empty crop

AMaggio

Chirping
Jun 21, 2019
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I have a hen who's been acting weird lately. She was removed from the flock this summer due to injuries because she's a rooster favorite. All her feathers grew back and after it started getting a little cooler she's been standing all poofed out like she's cold. I decided to have her and her fellow injured chicken rejoin the flock. She's been standing by herself and eating but only a little at time. Today my mom goes out to check on everyone and the hens on the ground not moving, but not dead. She brought her inside and is in a warm room right now. There's brown liquid coming from her mouth but nothing in her crop. I've been keeping an eye on her crop since she rejoined the flock and haven't noticed anything except for the fact that she's not eating as much as the others. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to cull her when i get home, if she makes it, but any ideas as to what it could be?
 
Sadly she passed away. The brown liquid wasn't liquid at all when i got a look at her, it was dirt. It did not smell sour so it wasn't sour crop or anything like that. I'm still not sure what it was and all of the others are acting fine. I think she's died of malnutrition because although she ate i never felt like she ate enough. After moving her i kept checking her crop to make sure she was eating but it was never stuffed full like the others normally are. She also may have been fighting something, maybe a cold? This all started in the 'hospital' isolation area while she was recovering from injuries. In summer we had a freak rain storm and she along with another hen just stood out in the rain for some reason instead of going inside the coop. I had to physically move them out of the train. She was the only one who acted strangely and after. We did a few runs of acv and she was eating but always stood erect and poofed out like she was cold. If anyone knows what it might be I'd appreciate it. I'd like to learn from this rather than just shrug my shoulders
 
I have a hen who's been acting weird lately. She was removed from the flock this summer due to injuries because she's a rooster favorite. All her feathers grew back and after it started getting a little cooler she's been standing all poofed out like she's cold. I decided to have her and her fellow injured chicken rejoin the flock. She's been standing by herself and eating but only a little at time. Today my mom goes out to check on everyone and the hens on the ground not moving, but not dead. She brought her inside and is in a warm room right now. There's brown liquid coming from her mouth but nothing in her crop. I've been keeping an eye on her crop since she rejoined the flock and haven't noticed anything except for the fact that she's not eating as much as the others. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to cull her when i get home, if she makes it, but any ideas as to what it could be?
Sadly she passed away. The brown liquid wasn't liquid at all when i got a look at her, it was dirt. It did not smell sour so it wasn't sour crop or anything like that. I'm still not sure what it was and all of the others are acting fine. I think she's died of malnutrition because although she ate i never felt like she ate enough. After moving her i kept checking her crop to make sure she was eating but it was never stuffed full like the others normally are. She also may have been fighting something, maybe a cold? This all started in the 'hospital' isolation area while she was recovering from injuries. In summer we had a freak rain storm and she along with another hen just stood out in the rain for some reason instead of going inside the coop. I had to physically move them out of the train. She was the only one who acted strangely and after. We did a few runs of acv and she was eating but always stood erect and poofed out like she was cold. If anyone knows what it might be I'd appreciate it. I'd like to learn from this rather than just shrug my shoulders
I'm sorry for your loss :(

It's hard to know what may have been wrong unless you investigate further.
Sending the body to your state lab would give you information or if you feel like you can do your own informal necropsy at home do that. Take photos and we'll try to help you with what you see.
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

The video shows necropsy as does the links to the articles.
https://www.slideshare.net/heshamkotb/illustrated-guide-to-poultry-necropsy-and-diagnosis
https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/sites/gateway/files/A visual guide to a chicken necropsy.pdf
 
I'm sorry for your loss :(

It's hard to know what may have been wrong unless you investigate further.
Sending the body to your state lab would give you information or if you feel like you can do your own informal necropsy at home do that. Take photos and we'll try to help you with what you see.
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

The video shows necropsy as does the links to the articles.
https://www.slideshare.net/heshamkotb/illustrated-guide-to-poultry-necropsy-and-diagnosis
https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/sites/gateway/files/A visual guide to a chicken necropsy.pdf

Thank you for the video and link, this will be very helpful!
 

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