Help with postmortem/diagnosis? (Warning photo included) UPDATED necropsy...

[jonalisa]

Hello All,
I lost a chicken today.

My Cream Legbar, Beebee, was in the nest late morning. I reached in and patted her and she seemed fine. When I went out about 4 hours later, I noticed she wasn't around so I checked her nest box and she was in there, dead. I pulled her out and she looks normal in every way- except for signs of diarrhea all over the vent feathers and abdominal area.
Up to now she did not have any outward symptoms that I noticed. I do not see a stuck egg or anything. When i pressed the abdomen, more diarrhea came out.
I use a poop board under the roost with Sweet PDZ on it, so if there was diarrhea up to now, it is hard to tell because all the poop is frozen together. No sign of loose stool in the run or on the coop floor.
None of the other 11 chickens seem sick or different in any way.

Other info:
I'm in NH and temps range from low 40's during the day to teens at night.
I've been changing the waterers often.
My coop and run floor is sand, but I have a sectioned area of the coop that is a huge pile of clean straw, if they want to huddle in there.

I'm attaching a photo to show the underbelly/vent area.




Please let me know if you can diagnose anything from this. I want to know if i should treat for anything or start a probiotic? will need to get to the store before it closes.

Thank you all,

jonalisa

 

[enola]

You need to check all of your hens' vents to see if any more of them are dirty. What is her body condition like? Was there food in her crop?

 

[jonalisa]

Her body seemed fine. Will go check crop and check other hens' vents.

Thanks, BRB

 

[jonalisa]

I checked the hen and the crop seems normal. Small, not squishy or hard.
My husband and i just checked all 11 hens and they all have normal/clean vents.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss. Are you the type that could try doing your own necropsy?

-Kathy

 

[jonalisa]

I think I could in a perfect situation, but I am supposed to be working and I have a new puppy and on top of it all I am expecting company. So, not really.
I brought my last deceased chicken to UNH for a necropsy and they really told me nothing.
What would I be looking for?

 

[casportpony]

I think I could in a perfect situation, but I am supposed to be working and I have a new puppy and on top of it all I am expecting company. So, not really.
I brought my last deceased chicken to UNH for a necropsy and they really told me nothing.
What would I be looking for?

You could look for obvious things, like fluid in the belly, tumors, infection of the repro tract, inflamed intestines, odd looking liver and heart, etc.

-Kathy

 

[jonalisa]

I see.

Is there something i should do right now - probiotic, corrid, anything? I cleaned out that nest box and put in clean straw. All the others seem fine - although this lone seemed fine yesterday too.
Here's her last photo

 

[enola]

Such a pretty hen. I am sorry for your loss.

 

[Eggcessive]

Hi Jonalisa, and so sorry for your loss. How is your hen Jezebel doing? Did you ever find out what caused the swelling in her face? I was always curious to find out what the cause was. You did so much to try and find answers.