*Graphic* Quail Necropsy - possible Egg Yolk Peritonitis

[orloffer]

I went outside to find Cinnamon, one of my coturnix quail, dead. Poor girl.
I would like to save some of her feathers, and do a necropsy RIGHT NOW. I have never done this before. What tools should I use?
Pictures to come soon, and they will be graphic.

 

[Kiki]

I keep thinking that looks like a lot of blood.
How long had she been dead?

 

[Kiki]

plucked some feathers to save....about to cut bird open...
I am typing w/ one hand.

Put your phone down and go cut her open and get clear pics. It doesn't take long.

 

[Kiki]

3 years

Are you aware that is quite old, very old, for a Coturnix?

 

[orloffer]

Yes.

Just wondered if cutting her open could help confirm what caused her death in particular. I also simply find it interesting, and good practice for butchering quail, which is something I am planning to do soon.

 

[Kiki]

Yes.

Ok good. I would guess your bird was not sick with a disease. I would guess it died due to old age type things.

 

[Kiki]

Cut open -- Pictures:View attachment 2740673View attachment 2740674View attachment 2740678
What should I do next?

You could scoop out all the innards and rinse the blood off and get clear pictures next.

 

[Nabiki]

Before I threw everything away and cleaned up, I found one of the yellow "shells" that was further along its way to becoming an egg, and indeed it looked just like the rotting, soft-shelled eggs I used to often find. Brownish that was darker at one end and mixed with black speckles. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures of that or of the eggs she used to lay.

Those sound like they may have been lash eggs, which aren't actually eggs, but rather expelled masses of infection. That would be consistent with salpingitis.

 

[orloffer]

K, going to look up salpingitis and learn something new!

Me too!

 

[orloffer]

That's fine... Go ahead and mix it for now.

Next time don't buy 30% unless you have babies.

I'm going to have baby quail soon (I hope) -- I have eggs from Nabiki in the incubator!