Maran Hen has Seizure then dies HELP

[ChickHick134]

Hello, so back a few months in summer one of my older hens ( an Americana ) passed away due to having some seizure. Her neck went limp and she started to spazz before passing away within 15 minutes. Now all the way to the beginning of Spring the same thing happened but to my black Maran hen. The weather lately has been dramatically going from 10 degrees to 60 and I don't know if that affects them.

So starting from the beginning, I went up to go put away my chickens and goats 'cause it was getting dark and raccoons are a real problem around here. I looked into one of my igloos that I use for resting areas for my goats and a hen was in there. So I took her out and she seemed fine and I carried her to the coop and rested her on the perch. She jumped off and was walking real close to the ground with her wings spread out slightly. I carried her to my house and when I got inside she began throwing up. This greenish brown liquid came pouring out of her beak for about 5 minutes straight and during that time she spazzed out randomly and began flapping her wings before she passed away. This incident was much faster and disgusting than what happened with my Americana. I have no idea why this happened and need help soon.

I noticed some of my hens had enlarged breasts (more significant on the Speckled Sussex) and I read that was normal and should disappear in the morning and come back in the evening cause it's their food processing. But it seems their breasts never get smaller and I'm worried more hens are going to die. My chickens don't eat grit, are free range in a fenced area, and live with goats. If anyone knows how or why this happened and how to fix it please post!

Thank you

 

[Makomd]

If your chicken have access to the ground they have all the grit they will need. If their crop never seems to go down they may have sour crop. I would look into to that.

 

[ChickHick134]

I've been searching about the diseases in crops and think one of my hen's might have something along those lines but unsure of what to do at the moment.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss... Seizures, vomitting and full crops at death are often just part of the dying process.

-Kathy

 

[ChickHick134]

Maybe so but it wasn't their time to die, the Maran was only about 6 months. Dying at that age most likely means something is wrong unless it was from an attack :/

 

[casportpony]

Maybe so but it wasn't their time to die, the Maran was only about 6 months. Dying at that age most likely means something is wrong unless it was from an attack :/

I'm not saying that there wasn't something wrong, just that the symptoms you saw probably had nothing to do with her death. If you live in the US, put her in the fridge and look into having a necropsy done. Some states do them for free.

Call and ask:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

How to ship a bid for necropsy:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/799747/how-to-send-a-bird-for-a-necropsy-pictures

-Kathy

 

[ChickHick134]

I doubt it but I have been told to get a necropsy and I'll try to if I still can. Thanks

 

[casportpony]

I doubt it but I have been told to get a necropsy and I'll try to if I still can. Thanks

You doubt what?

-Kathy

 

[ChickHick134]

That the symptoms I saw had nothing to do with her death.

 

[casportpony]

That the symptoms I saw had nothing to do with her death.

You're right, seizures, flapping wings, vomiting, full crops, etc. were not what killed her, almost *all* chickens will do this when they die. My best guess would be parasites or infection.

-Kathy