*GRAPHIC* First Necropsy Help

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

This is my first necropsy so I don’t really know what I’m doing or what I’m looking at lol but I did the best I could to provide lots of pictures.
1 year old Wyandotte hen, laying eggs daily and no sign of illness.
Got up this morning and went out to feed the chickens and this hen was laying dead on the coop floor, they all looked fine last night when I locked the coop up and were all on their perch.
She was in rigor mortis when I found her.
I’ve had one hen in the past die of a fatty liver, she does have a lot of fat on her, does it look like she’s overweight?
I don’t give any scratch grains or treats because of what happened in the past but sometimes I give them fermented grains only like once a week.
They are currently on layer mash from my local feed mill.
They were eating Nature Wise pellets when the other hen same breed died of a fatty liver so I thought switching to a local feed mill and using mash would help.
If someone could tell me what I’m looking at and what looks to be the problem that would be very helpful, I’m really wanting to keep doing these myself so I don’t have to take any 2 hours to my nearest lab.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

@Wyorp Rock maybe you can help me with this

 

[FunClucks]

Wow. Looks like she died from internal bleeding. Not sure myself of the cause. The liver seems to have blood all up in it and be somewhat enlarged maybe, and there is definitely a lot of fat, but I don't personally know how much is too much for the age and type of hen you have. I've processed 9 wk old cornish cross hens who had maybe 1/4 that amount of fat, but as I said, not sure how relevant that observation is here. Following along myself to learn.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

Wow. Looks like she died from internal bleeding. Not sure myself of the cause. The liver seems to have blood all up in it and be somewhat enlarged maybe, and there is definitely a lot of fat, but I don't personally know how much is too much for the age and type of hen you have. I've processed 9 wk old cornish cross hens who had maybe 1/4 that amount of fat, but as I said, not sure how relevant that observation is here. Following along myself to learn.

Your right about the bleeding, I now see and realize that it’s large blood clot in some of the pictures. Maybe fatty liver and it ruptured but I’m not sure why my hens are overweight and overeating if that’s the case.

 

[FunClucks]

Your right about the bleeding, I now see and realize that it’s large blood clot in some of the pictures. Maybe fatty liver and it ruptured but I’m not sure why my hens are overweight and overeating if that’s the case.

What exactly are you feeding them and when? All the details. We can help you figure this out.

ETA please post pictures of the feed tags.

ETA2 or the recipe the mill uses to create the feed, as much info as you can get.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I’m really wanting to keep doing these myself so I don’t have to take any 2 hours to my nearest lab.

All labs will accept the body (stored correctly) via delivery with Fed ex or whoever rapid ships from your location.

There are other things you may not see as the labs will be looking at disections under a microscope to verify or rule out their findings. While I value being able to do this stuff for yourself and highly commend the courage it takes to do so .. might be worth it to get at least ONE done by the professionals.. Noting.. a bird clots blood much differently when deceased than when purposely bled out.. It could easily hide things from ME.

Maybe fatty liver and it ruptured but I’m not sure why my hens are overweight and overeating if that’s the case.

They are currently on layer mash from my local feed mill.
They were eating Nature Wise pellets when the other hen same breed died of a fatty liver so I thought switching to a local feed mill and using mash would help.

Go the opposite way and raise protein.. these are dual purpose birds.. and lower protein means higher carbs.. high energy low nutrient.. layer feed is minimum nutrients with exception to calcium.

Genetics can NOT be dismissed or discounted.

Many birds will be fed wrong all their life.. and never face a single condition.. UNLESS genetically predisposed somehow.. which is usually not evidant until it's too late. Example.. roosters eating layer feed that do or don't get gout or kidney failure and death from excess calcium their whole life.

Consider swithing to a flock raiser (or something milled between 18-20 or even 22% protein) with oyster shell on the side or included in the formulation.

I'm no expert. These are just the things I'm offering for consideration and discussion.

Sorry for you loss.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

All labs will accept the body (stored correctly) via delivery with Fed ex or whoever rapid ships from your location.

There are other things you may not see as the labs will be looking at disections under a microscope to verify or rule out their findings. While I value being able to do this stuff for yourself and highly commend the courage it takes to do so .. might be worth it to get at least ONE done by the professionals.. Noting.. a bird clots blood much differently when deceased than when purposely bled out.. It could easily hide things from ME.



Go the opposite way and raise protein.. these are dual purpose birds.. and lower protein means higher carbs.. high energy low nutrient.. layer feed is minimum nutrients with exception to calcium.

Genetics can NOT be dismissed or discounted.

Many birds will be fed wrong all their life.. and never face a single condition.. UNLESS genetically predisposed somehow.. which is usually not evidant until it's too late. Example.. roosters eating layer feed that do or don't get gout or kidney failure and death from excess calcium their whole life.

Consider swithing to a flock raiser (or something milled between 18-20 or even 22% protein) with oyster shell on the side or included in the formulation.

I'm no expert. These are just the things I'm offering for consideration and discussion.

Sorry for you loss.

I just asked the breeder and she said she has started having her birds die from fatty liver also so she said it was genetic most likely.
I had the first one that died sent to a lab and she was formally diagnosed with fatty liver disease and died from it rupturing, so I figured since she didn’t have any symptoms it might be the same diagnosis so I would try and give it a shot.

 

[WillowMoonWyandottes]

What exactly are you feeding them and when? All the details. We can help you figure this out.

ETA please post pictures of the feed tags.

ETA2 or the recipe the mill uses to create the feed, as much info as you can get.

I forgot to mention the feed they were on 20% all flock when the first hen died and now I use the pictures below, I do mix layer with the start and grow to increase protein

 

[Wyorp Rock]

To me it looks like FLD.
If the breeder is now starting to notice FLD in her flock, then the likelihood of genetics being part of the issue is greater.

I'm sorry about your hen. Good job taking the steps to investigate further.

Feed looks good to me.