Hen died suddenly after a few hours of looking unwell - weird organ issues - *graphic pics*

[Chickeneering]

Yet another unhappy chicken discovery today I have a ~1 year old frizzle bantam cochin hen that seemed perfectly well up until I saw her this morning and noticed that her comb had congealed blood on it, and she was walking around like a bird with sourcrop or in pain--head tucked in, lots of sitting, breast sinking onto the ground. I isolated her with food and water, unable to find any exterior injuries or any signs of illness. The only thing I had noticed that was at all weird was that a few days prior she was standing outside by herself, looking fine, but just standing there.

A few hours later today I noticed she was becoming more immobile and made her drink some water. She was starting to stiffen, couldn't stand, and her eyes were glazing, but as I looked closely at her face, I saw many tiny, tiny white mites (never seen this kind before, except on dead birds) crawling all over her. I immediately went to get the poultry dust, and as soon as I returned, she went into her death throes.

Necropsy showed a liver with little yellow-white dots all throughout, and cutting open the liver showed a larger cheesy mass inside. The bile duct seemed huge to me for the size of the bird and liver (more appropriate for a 15lb rooster than a 2 lb bantam). There were some blood-spots in the wall of the large intestine, and the inside lining of the gizzard was blackened in places. Everything else looked relatively normal, but she had no eggs near ready for laying (the largest yolk was maybe 12mm across). I checked my other birds for mites and found none, and none are displaying these symptoms.

I haven't wormed in a while, so could it be parasites? I looked up the liver speckling on the internet and came back with possible spotty chicken liver bacterial infection, but I'd like to confirm with you all, based on the other symptoms/photos. Thanks!

 

[azygous]

Leucosis is relatively short lived in the environment, a few weeks as opposed to up to a year or more with Marek's. Therefore, if the entire flock dies, three weeks or so and the virus is gone from the soil and lingering dust. Then I could start a new flock.

 

[Eggcessive]

I am not an expert on necropsies, but if you are in a state or near one with a poultry department at a university, you could send in some of those pictures for an opinion. One disease, lymphoid leukosis, a type of cancer in chickens, can cause a very large liver and other tumors.
https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image?phrase=lymphoid+leukosis

 

[Chickeneering]

I am not an expert on necropsies, but if you are in a state or near one with a poultry department at a university, you could send in some of those pictures for an opinion. One disease, lymphoid leukosis, a type of cancer in chickens, can cause a very large liver and other tumors.
https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image?phrase=lymphoid+leukosis

That's a good idea, thanks. I sent a bird to the university once and they did a necropsy for me, so they might accept pictures as well.

 

[Eggcessive]

@azygous has dealt with lymphoid leukosis virus in her flock, and may look at the necropsy pictures to offer an opinion. Let us know if you get any input from the university.

 

[azygous]

Those sure look like leucosis tumors I've seen on my home necropsies. Age is about right for death from the disease after being infected probably vertically. Was this little chicken hatched within your flock?

 

[azygous]

Your entire flock carries the virus. But if it's leucosis and not Marek's, your flock can lead mostly normal and long lives once you accept the limitations. It would be a good idea if you were to send this dead chicken off to a lab to be tested for avian viruses to determine which it is.

After years of trying to hatch eggs from within my flock and going through the heart ache of high embryo mortality, I quit trying. The few chicks that did hatch mostly lasted less than one year before dying. I have only had two chickens hatched within my flock make it past the one year mark into middle age.

Another limitation I discovered recently is that the disease can be passed to store bought chicks brooded by a broody hen carrying the virus. Those chicks, three out of four chicks a nanny hen raised, died around seven months from leucosis. They had received a heavy dose of the hen's viral shed over the weeks they slept under her at night. I didn't know it at the time but she was also symptomatic, dying not long after she had finished raising the chicks.

But despite the virus, many in my flock live long healthy lives and live to a ripe old age.

 

[Myrshine]

Normally when the liver is speckled like that, it’s usually from Marek’s Disease or Avian Leukosis Virus (ALV). I suggest getting your birds tested for both of these diseases right away.

 

[Kiki]

Interesting video:

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

If I was to guess, I'd say fatty liver disease.
Waiting to hear from the more experienced.