Hen died out of no where

[colette peters]

Yr

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

Yes they are mixed in I buy the bag like that?!! See pic below of what they eat

 

[colette peters]

Yr

Yes they are mixed in I buy the bag like that?!! See pic below of what they eat

Any yes it’s adult size grit I get from the Petaluma feed store

 

[Chickassan]

If the grit is too big they can't use it too big would be pea gravel sized. I have bought grit labeled for adult birds that was unusable due to size. They tried but it wasn't happening.

Any yes it’s adult size grit I get from the Petaluma feed store

 

[colette peters]

If the grit is too big they can't use it too big would be pea gravel sized. I have bought grit labeled for adult birds that was unusable due to size. They tried but it wasn't happening.

If the grit is too big they can't use it too big would be pea gravel sized. I have bought grit labeled for adult birds that was unusable due to size. They tried but it wasn't happening.

no it’s not granite grit, it’s like more of a sandy consistency.

 

[Kathy Golla]

Did they tell you whether this was a preliminary report, or the final report?
In my experience, Davis does both and shares both with the owner. The preliminary report only gives you the details of the gross physical post Mortem. Like what the pathology student saw with the body with his eyes.
The final report they tell you what they think the hen died of, it includes analysis of blood work and toxicology.
They should delineate it as a preliminary report. The final report should actually have a section that states what they think the cause of death is.
If you need explanation you can call them and ask them to explain.

 

[colette peters]

Did they tell you whether this was a preliminary report, or the final report?
In my experience, David does both and shares both with the owner. The preliminary report only gives you the details of the gross physical post Mortem. Like what the pathology student saw with the body with his eyes.
The final report they tell you what they think the hen died of, it includes analysis of blood work and toxicology.

you are correct this is not the final this is the preliminary
Ive attached the actual report. It’s a screen shot maybe you can zoom in if you’d like

 

[Kathy Golla]

OK wait for the final before you react. It usually comes 5-7 business days after the preliminary.
The preliminary is literally what a pathology student sees in the body with the eyes.
The post mortem very often has nothing to do with cause of death.

 

[Kathy Golla]

@Texas Kiki can u help read this preliminary report, see if you see any red flags?

 

[Kathy Golla]

Well the report sure does only tell me she had a lot of undigested bulked up roughage in her system. I haven’t heard of roughage killing a bird, although I’ve heard of intestinal blockage.
It did say there was grit present.
A lot of birds don’t eat long grass, but some do. Looks like maybe this bird liked to eat long grass or something very fibrous.
You may want to try to figure out in your yard or pen what that material is and mow it down or remove it.
Sometimes no amount of grit can handle that.
For your grit you should be using something like this if you aren’t already. It’s like small pieces of granite stones like the size of half of a pea.
https://www.mannapro.com/products/poultry/adult-poultry-care/poultry-chicken-grit-probiotics
ETA: Gosh I’m not sure about the miners lettuce..everyone in ncal has that stuff around...unless it was a very big mature weed and she ate the whole stalk.
Don’t be surprised if Davis cant tell you what material it was, that may have been long disposed of, but they could possibly have made a note.

 

[colette peters]

Well the report sure does only tell me she had a lot of undigested bulked up roughage in her system. I haven’t heard of roughage killing a bird, although I’ve heard of intestinal blockage.
It did say there was grit present.
A lot of birds don’t eat long grass, but some do. Looks like maybe this bird liked to eat long grass or something very fibrous.
You may want to try to figure out in your yard or pen what that material is and mow it down or remove it.
Sometimes no amount of grit can handle that.
For your grit you should be using something like this if you aren’t already. It’s like small pieces of granite stones like the size of half of a pea.
https://www.mannapro.com/products/poultry/adult-poultry-care/poultry-chicken-grit-probiotics
ETA: Gosh I’m not sure about the miners lettuce..everyone in ncal has that stuff around...unless it was a very big mature weed and she ate the whole stalk.
Don’t be surprised if Davis cant tell you what material it was, that may have been long disposed of, but they could possibly have made a note.

Thank you for your response. My chickens don’t free range, they have a 30ft run and have access to the side of the house which is a 4x15 of bamboo that is well maintained.
I gave them two hands full of very matur minors lettuce from a hike I finished. I saw it and love giving them it as it’s never been a problem. That’s literally what must have killed her. I twisted the lettuce by hand to not make it so long, but I guess it twisted in her gut and blocked her up I’m devastated I did this to her. I posted pics of their habitat.