Options for egg bound bantam pullet

[azygous]

Just a thought, you could do your own crude necropsy on Raymona. It's understandable if you don't want to, her being such a cherished pet, but you could learn something you wouldn't otherwise find out.

I had two thirteen-week old chicks die from a poisonous caterpillar, and a couple weeks later, a one-year old hen died suddenly. I made myself cut open the third chicken. The operation took all of three minutes. I used a serrated knife and opened her abdominal cavity. It was full of full-size egg yolks, and her liver was three times the size of normal.

Then the ordeal was over. I found what had killed her, and it does help. Not knowing can work your brain over. Closure is a good thing.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Also, I did get another egg from their nesting box, so FiFi probably is laying. She has been a bit bossy lately. Raymona never changed whenever she started to lay. The day she started, she did a lot of pacing, but she was always so friendly to everyone. I miss that sweet girl

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Just a thought, you could do your own crude necropsy on Raymona. It's understandable if you don't want to, her being such a cherished pet, but you could learn something you wouldn't otherwise find out.

I had two thirteen-week old chicks die from a poisonous caterpillar, and a couple weeks later, a one-year old hen died suddenly. I made myself cut open the third chicken. The operation took all of three minutes. I used a serrated knife and opened her abdominal cavity. It was full of full-size egg yolks, and her liver was three times the size of normal.

Then the ordeal was over. I found what had killed her, and it does help. Not knowing can work your brain over. Closure is a good thing.

That sounds difficult but her life would have even more purpose if I could do it. How soon does it need to be done? Once the initial incision is done, I could cover her, leaving only the cavity exposed. I'm not sure what to look for. There is probably an article or something on here to help guide me, right? I think I'd like to try, for the rest of the birds here, at least.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

She is still refrigerated.

 

[azygous]

You can wait until tomorrow. No rush. I know how difficult it is to muster the courage to do this for the first time. Actually, it's never easy, but I have convinced myself it's necessary for the well being of the rest of my flock.

Although you and I are not scientists, we are able to notice things that are out of the ordinary, like a stomach cavity full of egg yolks floating in the internal soup and an extra large liver. We learn what behavior of a sick chicken can mean when we recall how the chicken we did the necropsy on behaved just prior to her death. In this way, our other chickens benefit. It can make it easier to diagnose a sick chicken if she matches the symptoms.

What to look for besides anything that happens to grab your eye would be the intestines. I would pull them out and slice into a section and see if there are worms and those blood clots that were coming out of Raymona in her last day of life. If there are clots in the intestines, you might assume coccidiosis and know it's a good thing you're treating the flock.

Here is a link to photos I took of one of my more gross necropsies. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-a-chicken-gross-and-disgusting-pics.1296324/ It shows what cancer looks like in a chicken. Another necropsy I did showed cooked egg yolks inside my hen. She died suddenly for "no reason". This necropsy showed me there was no mystery. She died from internal laying. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/internal-laying-what-it-looks-like.1349959/

When you get ready to do your necropsy, we'll summon some of our most experienced members to look at your photos so you will have help with this.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

You can wait until tomorrow. No rush. I know how difficult it is to muster the courage to do this for the first time. Actually, it's never easy, but I have convinced myself it's necessary for the well being of the rest of my flock.

Although you and I are not scientists, we are able to notice things that are out of the ordinary, like a stomach cavity full of egg yolks floating in the internal soup and an extra large liver. We learn what behavior of a sick chicken can mean when we recall how the chicken we did the necropsy on behaved just prior to her death. In this way, our other chickens benefit. It can make it easier to diagnose a sick chicken if she matches the symptoms.

What to look for besides anything that happens to grab your eye would be the intestines. I would pull them out and slice into a section and see if there are worms and those blood clots that were coming out of Raymona in her last day of life. If there are clots in the intestines, you might assume coccidiosis and know it's a good thing you're treating the flock.

Here is a link to photos I took of one of my more gross necropsies. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-a-chicken-gross-and-disgusting-pics.1296324/ It shows what cancer looks like in a chicken. Another necropsy I did showed cooked egg yolks inside my hen. She died suddenly for "no reason". This necropsy showed me there was no mystery. She died from internal laying. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/internal-laying-what-it-looks-like.1349959/

When you get ready to do your necropsy, we'll summon some of our most experienced members to look at your photos so you will have help with this.

Thank you so much. Tonight, I feel like I will be able to do it tomorrow, so we'll see. I've got to remember that it's NOT Raymona anymore. Since she's chilled, is there generally a lot of blood that will spill out and make a mess everywhere? Is it best to do the entire examination & dissecting and then take pictures and post once I'm finished, or take pictures & post as I go through each area? Since this is the first time doing anything like this (I skipped the frog dissecting at school) I figured it'd be better to ask now. Either way, I'll hold off on disposing her body for a little while, in case I miss something that someone here notices and advises me to further inspect? I'm still out with the chickens and ducks getting weights, doing Corid drenches, and getting all of the waterers cleaned and Corid added, then bleaching the area Raymona died as I noticed a bit of fluid that I missed. A LOT of fluid came out of her as she died and then even more when the flapping started and thankfully quickly stopped, then more after she passed. I'm guessing she was tensed up and different muscles help the crop work and other things work, so they all relaxed and let go? I posted so many things so you might have missed this but is it common for them to lay their heads all the way back on their backs, as they pass? I mentioned this before but it was how I imagine a bird with wry neck would position themselves. I'm not sure if the blood loss caused this (possible wry neck) or is this typical chicken passing? I will study over the necropsy threads you shared as soon as I finish up tonight. I also have a duck with bumblefoot that needs to be medicated and wrapped tonight.
This may sound wierd, but it was like she waited for me before she died. I'm sure it was a coincidence, but it felt like she was letting me say goodbye and love on her once more. I probably sound crazy, but she was just so special.

 

[NatJ]

Since she's chilled, is there generally a lot of blood that will spill out and make a mess everywhere?

A LOT of fluid came out of her as she died and then even more when the flapping started and thankfully quickly stopped, then more after she passed.

Given how much fluid this particular chicken already leaked, it might be all out, or there might be a lot more in there. I would prepare for a possible big mess, but it might not happen.

If you've got a big glass baking dish, you might work in that--contains fluids nicely, and is easy to clean afterward. (Plenty of other options could also work, of course. And you might need a larger space to lay things out and look at them.)

 

[azygous]

There is no blood when you do the necropsy. I set up on my picnic table outside just because I have some serious vision issues and need all the light I can get.

I spread out newspapers and have a basin of water in case I need to rinse something, my hands or tools. I wear surgical gloves and have several pair in case I want to pull them off at any point. I have another container to place any organs in that I have looked at and wish to get out of the way.

It's not easy to open a chicken. I've found that a serrated knife is the best tool I have on hand. You might have kitchen meat scissors that would work for you. But try to find the sharpest knife you have before you start. If in doubt, have several tools to choose from if one doesn't cut it, pun not intended.

Take lots of photos. You can then select a few that you wish to share with us and discuss. You really won't know what to expect until you do this. You seem like a curious person, so once you get past the first shock of what you're about to do, you should find it an interesting experience.

And you are wise to understand that Raymona no longer inhabits that body. She has rejoined the star energy in the universe that cannot be created or destroyed. That energy is forever.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

@azygous @Wyorp Rock is there anywhere locally to get the med to treat the girls if they have what we suspect Raymona died from?

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I'm not sure which one pooped this poop, but I am going a bit crazy with worry