Hen is leaning and breathing funny *Video*

[azygous]

This is the bill come due for all the love and enjoyment we get from our chickens. Cutting into a pet is not something chicken keepers live for. Getting through the first one starts the desensitizing, and the objective to learn from a most distasteful undertaking becomes stronger each time.

Tell your son that he did a terrific job for a novice. I still do little better than he did. You can see now that it would have been much easier doing the necropsy soon after death. I do my necropsies outside on my picnic table, and it's freezing half the year, so a still-warm specimen helps get through the ordeal without too much pain and discomfort.

I can't be sure because I have trouble translating a two dimensional photo into what the subject must look like in 3D, but the dissected yellow mass looks a lot like collected "cooked" eggs from internal laying. It always kills the hen in the end.

I hate to ask this of you, but could you repost the photos and select "full size image"? Thumbnail size won't zoom in for detail.

 

[azygous]

Since Eggers is passing cecals, it means her obstruction has likely cleared. Her improved demeanor also points to it resolving. But continure the daily calcium tablet for a few more days to be sure.

 

[bhawk-23]

This is the bill come due for all the love and enjoyment we get from our chickens. Cutting into a pet is not something chicken keepers live for. Getting through the first one starts the desensitizing, and the objective to learn from a most distasteful undertaking becomes stronger each time.

Tell your son that he did a terrific job for a novice. I still do little better than he did. You can see now that it would have been much easier doing the necropsy soon after death. I do my necropsies outside on my picnic table, and it's freezing half the year, so a still-warm specimen helps get through the ordeal without too much pain and discomfort.

I can't be sure because I have trouble translating a two dimensional photo into what the subject must look like in 3D, but the dissected yellow mass looks a lot like collected "cooked" eggs from internal laying. It always kills the hen in the end.

I hate to ask this of you, but could you repost the photos and select "full size image"? Thumbnail size won't zoom in for detail.

I thought I did full size and thumbnail, not by choice. Totally screwed that up for sure I'll try again.

Yeah, he's a really good sport. But he also knows just how much my animals mean to me and it would seem I mean a lot to him

Since Eggers is passing cecals, it means her obstruction has likely cleared. Her improved demeanor also points to it resolving. But continure the daily calcium tablet for a few more days to be sure.

Oh good! She has actually passed 4 cecal poops that also have some white and brown mixed in this morning as she is walking around the laundry room. Lots of bleach once this is done for sure the first poo passed yesterday had a thick grey chalky in appearance chunk. Maybe like calcium that was wet and expanded? Then some brown and white normal looking poo with it. Could that grey thick chunk have been the issue?

It is good to know that a cecal poop can possibly be a sign that a blockage is passing. I know it will only be part of the puzzle, but a good one to know.

 

[Eggcessive]

Back to the necropsy, which kudos to you for even attempting, I think the hen may have had salpingitis from the egg masses, and would suspect fatty liver disease from the large amount of fat and what looks like blood. But hard to know any of that for sure.

 

[bhawk-23]

Going to try to post the pictures in this order.

Fluid on blanket that leaked after she passed.

Cut into lower abdomen

Section from lower abdomen to see what was in the thick yellow substance.

Stinky substance the was just above and to (our) left side.

Full crop

So I am NOT good with technology and wouldn't you know as I'm working my brain to get this done the printer would not work for my youngest son's work. I think I may have used a few choice words when I called hubs, who was too busy to help. All is well now, papers printed and I think these are full sized. Lol

 

[bhawk-23]

Back to the necropsy, which kudos to you for even attempting, I think the hen may have had salpingitis from the egg masses, and would suspect fatty liver disease from the large amount of fat and what looks like blood. But hard to know any of that for sure.

Interesting, my son kept saying he thought it was fat.

My main question is did I miss something? Could I have helped her with a different course of treatment? Was she suffering and I didn't catch it? I could see something was off but with molting and the sudden drop in temps I was just bringing her in for some warmth, quiet, food and water for 2 days while observing her outside. When she sat and puffed up is when I knew something was really wrong but I was too late.

This was eggers first day of sitting and I was outside as she progressed to that position so I brought her right in to treat.

 

[azygous]

That's so much better! Thank you for going to all the trouble to do it. You're a good sport.

Let's bother a few more people and see if any of them have any ideas as to what we're seeing. I still think that dissected yellow mass has the exact hue of egg yolk. But it's pretty much obvious she had a reproductive infection with all the puss material and excessive amounts of fat.

@coach723 @casportpony @dawg53 @ChickenCanoe

 

[azygous]

No. You couldn't have come anywhere close to guessing what was wrong and therefore helping her with the exact right treatment. Something, bacteria, genetics, a virus, triggered certain physiological responses - creating excessive fat deposits, reproductive pus, and even the possibility of internal laying. These things take place in secret deep in a chicken's body. It's usually too late to do anything about it once symptoms start showing.

 

[bhawk-23]

No. You couldn't have come anywhere close to guessing what was wrong and therefore helping her with the exact right treatment. Something, bacteria, genetics, a virus, triggered certain physiological responses - creating excessive fat deposits, reproductive pus, and even the possibility of internal laying. These things take place in secret deep in a chicken's body. It's usually too late to do anything about it once symptoms start showing.

Do I need to worry about my other laying hens if it was viral or bacterial? Any preventative treatment I can safely use?

 

[azygous]

About all you can do when it comes to hens' reproductive issues is to be alert to changes in behavior. Then take a close review of the hen's recent laying history. If you see lethargic behavior following some egg abnormalities, and she was recently laying eggs, give a calcium tablet immediately and continue to monitor. Also, keep an oral broad spectrum antibiotic on hand to be ready with it if the hen continues to act sick.