Pullet Lethargic, Comb Going Dark, Please Help!

[lena_]

I am so sorry for your loss, and that she passe so quickly.Can you try to do a necropsy on her at home? At this point during the weekend and holidays, I am not sure that you would be able to get a necropsy by your local poultry vet, but that is the best way to find a cause of death. Many of us do our own, and that can give you some limited information. If you can, open the abdomen, and see if any fluid comes out as you open. Then look at the organs, taking pictures if you wish, to post here, and some may be able to give you some opinions. Look at the liver color especially, the size of the heart, open the gizzard and examine the intestines. Here is a link if you want to try the necropsy:
http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/poultrypages/Poultry necropsy manual 02008.pdf

I don't think I can bring myself to do a home necropsy, I'd just feel awful cutting her open, even if she is dead . The vet clinic is full until late January, would freezing her body until I can get a necropsy done work, or does she have to be recently dead? As much as I'd live to know what was wrong I just can't bring myself to do it, and have immense respect for people who can.

 

[Eggcessive]

The bodies need to be refrigerated and not frozen, but they still will deteriorate if not necropsied in a few days. It is hard to do the first necropsies, I will agree, but since my chickens are old, I will lose one now and then, and I like to try and figure out what went wrong. Many people post their necropsy pictures here and ask for opinions, so it is a way to learn. The first one is very hard to do though.

 

[RoosterML]

@Feather Hearts
Sorry for your loss. What do you use for bedding and nest boxes?

 

[Cragg Klefor]

I don't think I can bring myself to do a home necropsy, I'd just feel awful cutting her open, even if she is dead . The vet clinic is full until late January, would freezing her body until I can get a necropsy done work, or does she have to be recently dead? As much as I'd live to know what was wrong I just can't bring myself to do it, and have immense respect for people who can.

I'm so sorry for your loss
I believe her comb possibly turned dark due to pressure on her heart. Her sour crop could well have been a secondary condition caused by whatever was going wrong with her internally. The only way of knowing what that was is by necropsy. Speaking from experience it really is not nearly as difficult as you think to investigate through necropsy and in fact I feel it helps massively with closure! But needless to say, that's simply my opinion.

 

[MrsAuberry00]

I have no insight to give, just my sympathies. I know how hard it is to lose one of our feathered babies. I lost two to predators almost 6 weeks ago, and now I have another one who is lethargic and won't eat or drink...that's what brought me to your post. So sorry about sweet Vanilla.

 

[lena_]

I have no insight to give, just my sympathies. I know how hard it is to lose one of our feathered babies. I lost two to predators almost 6 weeks ago, and now I have another one who is lethargic and won't eat or drink...that's what brought me to your post. So sorry about sweet Vanilla.

I hope you can help your poor little hen have a speedy recovery, we buried her under and planted an apple tree on top. I couldn't do a necropsy, as my six year old sister insisted that we bury her I miss seeing her happy little face when I feed the flock in the morning.

 

[lena_]

@Feather Hearts
Sorry for your loss. What do you use for bedding and nest boxes?

We use clean, dry hay and pine shavings. We've been clearing out the coop to use the hay( (We've been doing Deep litter method all year) recently.

 

[RoosterML]

We use clean, dry hay and pine shavings. We've been clearing out the coop to use the hay( (We've been doing Deep litter method all year) recently.

Seeing what's bound in the crop would help. I would like to use hay or straw myself for the nesting boxes but am concerned about impacted crop. Just something to think about. I use the large pine flakes from TSC for nest boxes and floor.

 

[Eggcessive]

@MrsAuberry00, sorry for your loss as well.