Necropsy results

[lingbot]

My RIR died suddenly 2 weeks ago and we just got the necropsy report back from Davis and it says this:

Diagnosis:
System E. coli infection (Colibacillosis).

Histopathology:
Oviduct and peritoneal cavity. Severe caseonecrotizing fibrinous subacute salpingoperitonitis with intra-abdominal egg; E. coli isolated

What I take that to mean is the infection killed her but what I can't seem to find online anywhere is what is the best way to make sure the other two chickens don't get it as well? And to prevent it in the future. Does anyone know? thanks!

 

[speckledhen]

Sounds like a reproductive infection with eggs being deposited in the abdomen. Salpingitis happens sometimes in high production types, like you RIR, when the cloaca becomes "loose" and allows feces to be sucked back into the oviduct, causing an ecoli infection. That is not contagious. About the best you can do is not push them to lay by adding extra winter light to keep them going artificially. I've lost quite a few of my hatchery girls to this.

 

[lingbot]

That really helps! thank you. I'm in california so we're not doing anything to keep them laying through the winter but just the warm weather is doing it. Your explanation makes a lot of sense tho. Thanks!

 

[mdbokc]

Wow, glad I cut my lighting back to more closely to the natural hours. Appreciate information like this.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm not saying that will keep it from happening, but I figure that whatever you can do to let them lay in their natural rhythms, so much the better. I have some I wish would stop laying to finish their molts--the molt is so hard on them, but you can't really make a hen stop laying except something cruel, like starving them.