- Oct 18, 2010
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About 3 weeks ago, Silver, one of my 3 year old production reds (hyline brown) looked ill. She was lethargic and not eating and had a full crop. I "vomited" her once. But it filled again. I segregated her for a day or two and then brought her into the "chicken hospital" in my guest bathroom. I read lots and lots of posts on this forum. She stayed inside over two weeks with several nights where I was sure she wouldn't make it through the night. I fed her bits of watermelon and yogurt - sometimes watery yogurt with a syringe. Massaged the crop. She was very thin. During the second week a second hen (Ginger) of the same age showed similar symptoms and I brought her in. In addition to the full crop she had a swollen abdomen. More reading. Ascites?
Then Silver started to perk up a bit. Ginger continued downhill. Last week Silver started acting like a chicken and was very interested in eating crumbles and drinking water by herself. Last Friday night I could tell Ginger was not going to make it and took Silver back to her coop (private quarters from the other 3 hens I have) for the night.
And yes, Saturday morning found Ginger dead in her box in the hospital turned hospice. I was determined to find out what caused her demise. About 8 months ago she had been very sick and I almost lost her but nursed her back from what I think was an egg bound situation. She has been a little "off" since then.
So, I performed a primitive amateur necropsy on her. Even though these are beloved pets, I am able to be quite clinical when I have to. I expected to find tumors, cysts, parasites. I began by draining the crop. Lots of brown mushy stuff (looked like feed that had been there a long time) but no obvious obstructions. Then I drained her abdomen. Lots and lots of clear yellow/orange liquid.
Then I worked to take out the organs. Liver looked fine. No big fat deposits anywhere. Heart and lungs looked OK - but I very well could have missed many things. I looked at the trachea wondering if there were gapeworms. No. Looked fine. Gizzard had plenty of little stones AND a staple inside! Like from a staple gun. Could this have caused problems?
But the most suspicious is what I thought was the intestine or cecum. It was knotted and twisted and very full. It was pale colored - white-ish. I cut into it but found no worms. It was full of dark brown pasty material that I took for feces.
After looking around her insides little more I had had enough and decided it was time to give her a proper burial.
Only later did I find a website with a "manual for doing a chicken necropsy". Drat. I sure could have use that. Anyway, as I researched things it seems that the twisted organ full of the brown pasty stuff looks much more like the oviduct. I did find her ovaries and they looked normal.
So, does anyone have any clues? Was the oviduct full of nasty stuff? Was it part of the intestine that was blocked? Did the staple have anything to do with her demise?
And finally, Silver - the first one to be sick - is now back with the flock and quickly re-established herself has top hen - although she misses Ginger. As do I.
Thanks for any comments!
Then Silver started to perk up a bit. Ginger continued downhill. Last week Silver started acting like a chicken and was very interested in eating crumbles and drinking water by herself. Last Friday night I could tell Ginger was not going to make it and took Silver back to her coop (private quarters from the other 3 hens I have) for the night.
And yes, Saturday morning found Ginger dead in her box in the hospital turned hospice. I was determined to find out what caused her demise. About 8 months ago she had been very sick and I almost lost her but nursed her back from what I think was an egg bound situation. She has been a little "off" since then.
So, I performed a primitive amateur necropsy on her. Even though these are beloved pets, I am able to be quite clinical when I have to. I expected to find tumors, cysts, parasites. I began by draining the crop. Lots of brown mushy stuff (looked like feed that had been there a long time) but no obvious obstructions. Then I drained her abdomen. Lots and lots of clear yellow/orange liquid.
Then I worked to take out the organs. Liver looked fine. No big fat deposits anywhere. Heart and lungs looked OK - but I very well could have missed many things. I looked at the trachea wondering if there were gapeworms. No. Looked fine. Gizzard had plenty of little stones AND a staple inside! Like from a staple gun. Could this have caused problems?
But the most suspicious is what I thought was the intestine or cecum. It was knotted and twisted and very full. It was pale colored - white-ish. I cut into it but found no worms. It was full of dark brown pasty material that I took for feces.
After looking around her insides little more I had had enough and decided it was time to give her a proper burial.
Only later did I find a website with a "manual for doing a chicken necropsy". Drat. I sure could have use that. Anyway, as I researched things it seems that the twisted organ full of the brown pasty stuff looks much more like the oviduct. I did find her ovaries and they looked normal.
So, does anyone have any clues? Was the oviduct full of nasty stuff? Was it part of the intestine that was blocked? Did the staple have anything to do with her demise?
And finally, Silver - the first one to be sick - is now back with the flock and quickly re-established herself has top hen - although she misses Ginger. As do I.
Thanks for any comments!
