*GRAPHIC* *GRAPHIC* *GRAPHIC* Dead

[TherryChicken]

We found my hen like this just a bit ago. I think strangulation (never had this problem till now), my dad thinks possibly broken neck or snake bite. She was right buy the fenced enclosure and facing it too. Please give me your input! Head severely swollen, eyes sunk un, blue around eyes, pale caruncles, blood from nose.

I want to figure it out so I can prevent it from happening again! Thank you!!

 

[sdm111]

I had a hen do that before and I believe she put her head through the wire and when she pulled back hit the wire or wood freaked out and basically pulled her head off her spine. If rigor has set in is her neck stiff or not mine was 2x4 welded wire but I had deck boards along the bottom of the pen 3 high with a gap between and I think she hot her head between them

 

[TherryChicken]

I had a hen do that before and I believe she put her head through the wire and when she pulled back hit the wire and basically pulled her head off her spine. If rigor has set in is her neck stiff or not

Yes it seemed like it was stiff. Was curled up in an arch position

 

[TherryChicken]

The neck also looked funny, not like it should.

 

[sdm111]

Oh ok mine was rather for lack of a better term kind of floppy with rigor in the rest of the body

 

[TherryChicken]

My mom said she was floppy from the neck, but the neck itself was kinda arched, n stiffed, but head flopped around. Beyond the stiffness of being dead she had a bobble head

 

[sdm111]

Then that sounds like mine was

 

[TherryChicken]

Then that sounds like mine was

My poor girl! She was a mean broody, but poor girl

 

[sdm111]

Yeah it sucks but these things do happen from time to time. Even with predators and stuff too. I learned my lesson I had a bad problem with foxes and dogs. Mine are in a bunch of pens paired up with an electric fence around all them and security cameras so I can see all of them from inside.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss. Any chance you can send her off for a necropsy? I ask because there are some diseases that can cause the symptoms you saw.

Texas A & M has several labs that do necropsies, so it might be worth looking into.

-Kathy