Hen died out of no where

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm going to take each section. I am not a vet and not very good with medical or anatomical terms, so this would be my interpretation of the initial report. Hopefully the others will chime in with their views.

The proximal portion of the small intestine is obstructed by a course plug of tangled matted plant fibers.

The proximal portion of the duodenum is obstructed by a fibrous plug of mixed coarse plant fibers that firmly dilates the lumen of the proximal duodenum by 2 cm in diameter over a length of 6 cm. Distal to this obstruction the rest of the digestive tract is relatively empty with no remarkable gross lesions.

Mid portion of the small intestine had a blockage, made up of tangled matted plant fibers. (Straw? Grass? )
The rest of the digestive tract (after the blockage) was empty, no lesions, nothing stood out on that section.

The crop is distended with course roughage admixed with small amount of grit. The proventriculus and ventriculus contain course green to brown roughage admixed with grit.

Sound like the crop was full of roughage (grass, plant matter?)
Proventriculous ("True Stomach") and Ventriculous (Gizzard) contained roughage as well.

In the respiratory tract is no remarkable gross lesions. The heart is grossly unremarkable. The liver is unremarkable. The kidneys are unremarkable.

Nothing here seemed to be of a concern.

The ovary has several yellow ova over 1 cm in diameter. The oviduct is empty. No remarkable gross lesions are noted in the peripheral nerves.

Sounds like reproductive system was fine.

Ugh. Am I getting at that she died from eating grass? I did come back from a hike and I grabbed two hand fulls of minor lettuce for them. That’s all I can think of. They are not free range in a field as they don’t have any exposure to lots of live green. This is so saddening

Colette, from the initial report, it does sound like she had a blockage in her intestines.
""fibrous plug of mixed coarse plant fibers" hopefully they can clarify what that was for you - ask them if they could tell what it was - straw, grass, etc.

I'm very sorry, but it's good that you were able to find out for sure. Even though it's sad, you at least know it wasn't poison or a disease that the others could contract and get sick.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

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[ChickenCanoe]

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[ChickenCanoe]

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[ChickenCanoe]

It tells me she had been eating fibrous tough grass/greens for some time, for it to be in the crop, stomach, gizzard and half way through the small intestine.
I have to wonder why there was so much of that in the system rather than feed.
Normally, over time a bird will pick up grit along with many different feedstuffs and the appropriate sized grit will lodge in the gizzard and completely grind everything eaten till nothing that resembles undigested fibrous plant material finds its way into the small intestine.
This system won't work if there is no grit of appropriate size in the environment or offered free choice to spend a fair amount of time in the gizzard.
Left to their own devices, chickens will eat a fair amount of greenery but they usually avoid older tough grass and select tender forbs that are easy to pick off the plant. Things like clover, alfalfa, dandelion greens, etc..
Thank you very much for the update, it was very interesting.

 

[colette peters]

I'm going to take each section. I am not a vet and not very good with medical or anatomical terms, so this would be my interpretation of the initial report. Hopefully the others will chime in with their views.


Mid portion of the small intestine had a blockage, made up of tangled matted plant fibers. (Straw? Grass? )
The rest of the digestive tract (after the blockage) was empty, no lesions, nothing stood out on that section.


Sound like the crop was full of roughage (grass, plant matter?)
Proventriculous ("True Stomach") and Ventriculous (Gizzard) contained roughage as well.

Nothing here seemed to be of a concern.

Sounds like reproductive system was fine.

Colette, from the initial report, it does sound like she had a blockage in her intestines.
""fibrous plug of mixed coarse plant fibers" hopefully they can clarify what that was for you - ask them if they could tell what it was - straw, grass, etc.

I'm very sorry, but it's good that you were able to find out for sure. Even though it's sad, you at least know it wasn't poison or a disease that the others could contract and get sick.

Thank you for your quick response. I’m so sad but I pretty sure it was the big tufts of minors lettuce I gave them and I guess it’s not easily processed for them and I should have cut it up. There is no straw around them except for their bedding which has enzymes processed in it for digestion.
I’ll call them tomorrow and ask the specific if they could tell me it was maybe the grass I fed them

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A hen would have to be pretty hungry to eat that much of anything so fibrous.

 

[colette peters]

A hen would have to be pretty hungry to eat that much of anything so fibrous.

I agree as they are for sure not starving chickens. I have 16 hens and raised them for 3 years and this was a crazy sudden death. I’ve saved three hens to sour crop and impacted crop. I’ve got a good handle on them.
Maybe she gorged herself cause they don’t have much access to grass. They do have access to bamboo but they just nibble at what’s left to get to.
I’m going to call Davis and ask if they could determain what kind of foliage.

 

[colette peters]

It tells me she had been eating fibrous tough grass/greens for some time, for it to be in the crop, stomach, gizzard and half way through the small intestine.
I have to wonder why there was so much of that in the system rather than feed.
Normally, over time a bird will pick up grit along with many different feedstuffs and the appropriate sized grit will lodge in the gizzard and completely grind everything eaten till nothing that resembles undigested fibrous plant material finds its way into the small intestine.
This system won't work if there is no grit of appropriate size in the environment or offered free choice to spend a fair amount of time in the gizzard.
Left to their own devices, chickens will eat a fair amount of greenery but they usually avoid older tough grass and select tender forbs that are easy to pick off the plant. Things like clover, alfalfa, dandelion greens, etc..
Thank you very much for the update, it was very interesting.

Like I said if you saw their environment there is no greens accessible
I have a bag of grit I put 2cups in the run once a week. And they have two full feeders with mini pellets and cracked corn and oyster shell added and it’s all at their leisure. Im baffled with her necropsy

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Like I said if you saw their environment there is no greens accessible
I have a bag of grit I put 2cups in the run once a week. And they have two full feeders with mini pellets and cracked corn and oyster shell added and it’s all at their leisure. Im baffled with her necropsy

What size grit is it? #3 adult grit?
I hope the corn and oyster shell aren't mixed in with the feed.