Possibly An Internal Layer *GRAPHIC PICS*

[Mimi13]

I have dispatched birds, but never for meat and not ones that I was especially attached to. I'm plum convinced that if I name a bird it dies. It's the most ridiculous thing. I quit naming them a long time ago...

I'm glad you made that into an article, as it is definitely one I will refer to if/when I do a necropsy. It is a bit fascinating to see what is going on inside (not to be morbid) when you've not had that experience. I've seen my husband gut elk and deer, but I never paid too much attention and he's quite fast at it! I'm a softy, though, and that's my biggest issue

I understand being a softy. It comes from having a loving heart. But the one thing I’ve had to realize is when we dispatch a chicken, for whichever reason (food or sickness) we are not hurting it because nothing is being done in vain. We are either going to use it to feed our family or we are helping it because it is sick. I believe that is the major difference. We still have a loving heart. I may be way off target, but that is how I approach it.

 

[Mimi13]

Just to add a bit to my story. As I have said in prior posts, Butter and Biscuit were pretty much inseparable. It was only in the last days when Butter didn’t leave the run that the two were apart, when Biscuit continued to make her way on down toward my house to hang out for the day. On nice days they would camp out ON my deck and on hot days they camped out under the deck.

Every day Biscuit and Butter and Penny would make their way up to the coop/run area about 1 1/2 hours before roost. They would eat, drink and preen before time to go in. Those three were always the first to head in for the night. This is also the time I would sit and take turns holding both Butter and Biscuit, scratching their booties and basically just loving on them.

Late Monday afternoon, (4 days after Butter was euthanized) I noticed Biscuit leave the run area and walk about half way back toward my house, along the first set of bushes, where the majority of the birds camp out. She was looking toward the house making a soft cooing sound. It just broke my heart. I know chickens aren’t people, but I do believe she missed Butter and was calling for her, wondering where she was. (This was another reason I put off ending Butter’s misery earlier.) I didn’t want to upset their little bond.

That was the only time I witnessed that behavior, but I also have not been out there watching for it. I just noticed it that time because I happened to be out milling about at the right time. I don’t want my Biscuit to be mourning her BFF, but I guess she is. It just kills me.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Just to add a bit to my story. As I have said in prior posts, Butter and Biscuit were pretty much inseparable. It was only in the last days when Butter didn’t leave the run that the two were apart, when Biscuit continued to make her way on down toward my house to hang out for the day. On nice days they would camp out ON my deck and on hot days they camped out under the deck.

Every day Biscuit and Butter and Penny would make their way up to the coop/run area about 1 1/2 hours before roost. They would eat, drink and preen before time to go in. Those three were always the first to head in for the night. This is also the time I would sit and take turns holding both Butter and Biscuit, scratching their booties and basically just loving on them.

Late Monday afternoon, (4 days after Butter was euthanized) I noticed Biscuit leave the run area and walk about half way back toward my house, along the first set of bushes, where the majority of the birds camp out. She was looking toward the house making a soft cooing sound. It just broke my heart. I know chickens aren’t people, but I do believe she missed Butter and was calling for her, wondering where she was. (This was another reason I put off ending Butter’s misery earlier.) I didn’t want to upset their little bond.

That was the only time I witnessed that behavior, but I also have not been out there watching for it. I just noticed it that time because I happened to be out milling about at the right time. I don’t want my Biscuit to be mourning her BFF, but I guess she is. It just kills me.

I do believe that they bond/form friendships and they do look for the other one for a while.

 

[casportpony]

I don’t want my Biscuit to be mourning her BFF, but I guess she is. It just kills me.

 

[Mimi13]

I suppose the last bit of information I have to share regarding my Butter is what I did not find in her gizzard.

Mother’s Day 2016 my 5 week old, rebel, Buff Orpington, Butter not only pecked out, but swallowed my diamond stud earring. Oh the shock and the horror. She was on my shoulder, which I thought was just precious (in hindsight, yeah right!) It all happened so fast, but I saw her run with it in her beak and then gulp it down. It was only a 1/3 carat, but still, how dare she! Now if it had been a 1 carat, I might not have experienced a hen with ascites yet. But it wasn’t and so she lived.

It was my decision to wait until her “natural” end or what I was hoping would be her natural end.

What I was hoping was that this diamond would withstand all the grinding of the grit within the gizzard. Wishful thinking.
I secretly realized long ago I was not going to find my diamond earring in her gizzard. Why? Because, over the years of scooping and scraping chicken poop, I’d seen rocks in the poop that were larger than my 1/3 carat diamond.

Yesterday I used tweezers to pick out literally every single piece of grit from her gizzard. Some were very pretty, but a diamond they weren’t!

I will forever miss my diamond, but not as much as I will miss my Butter.

 

[Kiki]

I suppose the last bit of information I have to share regarding my Butter is what I did not find in her gizzard.

Mother’s Day 2016 my 5 week old, rebel, Buff Orpington, Butter not only pecked out, but swallowed my diamond stud earring. Oh the shock and the horror. She was on my shoulder, which I thought was just precious (in hindsight, yeah right!) It all happened so fast, but I saw her run with it in her beak and then gulp it down. It was only a 1/3 carat, but still, how dare she! Now if it had been a 1 carat, I might not have experienced a hen with ascites yet. But it wasn’t and so she lived.

It was my decision to wait until her “natural” end or what I was hoping would be her natural end.

What I was hoping was that this diamond would withstand all the grinding of the grit within the gizzard. Wishful thinking.
I secretly realized long ago I was not going to find my diamond earring in her gizzard. Why? Because, over the years of scooping and scraping chicken poop, I’d seen rocks in the poop that were larger than my 1/3 carat diamond.

Yesterday I used tweezers to pick out literally every single piece of grit from her gizzard. Some were very pretty, but a diamond they weren’t!
View attachment 1962141

I will forever miss my diamond, but not as much as I will miss my Butter.

Is that a normal amount of rocks to find in a gizzard?

 

[Kiki]

I suppose the last bit of information I have to share regarding my Butter is what I did not find in her gizzard.

Mother’s Day 2016 my 5 week old, rebel, Buff Orpington, Butter not only pecked out, but swallowed my diamond stud earring. Oh the shock and the horror. She was on my shoulder, which I thought was just precious (in hindsight, yeah right!) It all happened so fast, but I saw her run with it in her beak and then gulp it down. It was only a 1/3 carat, but still, how dare she! Now if it had been a 1 carat, I might not have experienced a hen with ascites yet. But it wasn’t and so she lived.

It was my decision to wait until her “natural” end or what I was hoping would be her natural end.

What I was hoping was that this diamond would withstand all the grinding of the grit within the gizzard. Wishful thinking.
I secretly realized long ago I was not going to find my diamond earring in her gizzard. Why? Because, over the years of scooping and scraping chicken poop, I’d seen rocks in the poop that were larger than my 1/3 carat diamond.

Yesterday I used tweezers to pick out literally every single piece of grit from her gizzard. Some were very pretty, but a diamond they weren’t!
View attachment 1962141

I will forever miss my diamond, but not as much as I will miss my Butter.

Maybe you can have a necklace made with some of these rocks!

Or use some to glue on a Christmas ornament.

 

[Mimi13]

Is that a normal amount of rocks to find in a gizzard?

Aw shoot, I reckon. They were all mixed in with feed, grass and the little bit of scratch grain I let her peck at before I picked her up.

You should see what all I pulled from my Colombian Wyandotte. It is amazing at the things they eat.

 

[Mimi13]

Maybe you can have a necklace made with some of these rocks!

Or use some to glue on a Christmas ornament.

And I did actually think along those same lines as well, but I didn’t want to mention that for fear people would think I was completely off my rocker. But since you’re off your rocker too, I’m in good company. They are teeny tiny and appear to be the sand I use in the coop. I will say though some are polished pretty as you please, sooooo I might just have to come up with something. I’ll let you know if I do.

 

[micstrachan]

I am sorry you lost sweet Butter. The way you described Biscuit missing her brought a little tear in my eye and lump in my throat.

Stellar job on the necropsy and photos. Thank you so much for sharing!

As far as laying and molting at the same time, I’ve seen it twice in my flock, both with very soft, subtle molts. One died from fatty liver. The other is the one hen I wonder about being too fat. Does anyone know the relationship (if any) between continuous laying and fatty liver? I read only laying hens get this syndrome, but don’t recall the source.