Pullet with yellow poop

[PennyM]

Oh, I'm so sorry.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. I wonder if the mass the vet felt was a large lash egg? The yellow poop can be from E.coli or egg material. Was he familiar with chickens? A necropsy can be a good idea when losing a chicken. Some of us do our own, such as looking over the abdominal organs for ascites, egg masses, looking for crop or gizzard blookage, noting the color of the intestines and pressence of worms, and color of various organs, such as the liver. Most state vets will perform necropsies for a cost. I am glad that you sought vet care.

 

[apryl29]

Oh no, I’m so sorry! My heart breaks for you. One of our girls died of ovarian cancer in November. The only consolation I found was that there was nothing I could have done for her. You’re a good chicken mama.

Yes, this is exactly what I told my daughter.. I could have taken her home, but it wouldn't have changed the outcome and this way, I feel, was more humane than letting her suffer.

Sorry to hear that also. Earlier this month one of the Leghorns started acting strange and had similar poop. I felt an egg inside her abdomen that didn't pass in 4 days. Not sure if it was egg binding or not. Late comment, but thank you for sharing the diagnosis.

The vet did mention that egg binding could have been an issue. She mentioned that egg binding can occur higher up, by the ovaries, and cause egg peritonitis. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. I had been getting some strange eggs recently that were much smaller than normal and did not have a full hard shell, while there was some shell, it was weak and every single one was cracked when I found it. She thinks those eggs came from Jaiden and the size of the tumor was causing problems with her egg production.

Ah Crap...so sorry.
At least you had access to an avian vet....will they necrospy her?
Hopefully her fecals are clear.

They called me with the test results for the fecal float and said everything was good, but since I'd already started them on corid, to continue the 5 day course and also recommended to dispose of any eggs during that time and for the 7 days after (or as recommended by the corid package). So at least I know for sure there wasn't some other disease that was making her sick too.

Oh dear, I'm so sorry.

If there is a silver lining, her story and your documentation may help many others, for years to come.

Yes, I told my daughter that while it's horrible we lost her & nothing would have changed, it's better to know for sure what happened than to assume and guess.

Sorry for your loss. I wonder if the mass the vet felt was a large lash egg? The yellow poop can be from E.coli or egg material. Was he familiar with chickens? A necropsy can be a good idea when losing a chicken. Some of us do our own, such as looking over the abdominal organs for ascites, egg masses, looking for crop or gizzard blookage, noting the color of the intestines and pressence of worms, and color of various organs, such as the liver. Most state vets will perform necropsies for a cost. I am glad that you sought vet care.

I'm not sure if they'll be doing a necropsy. I did leave Jaiden with them to dispose of her, but they did not mention any further testing. I don't know if they would do one just for their own information. If I'm ever in this type of situation again I'll be sure to ask about it. She seemed pretty well versed in farm animals. The assistant said the vet had experience with livestock and previously worked for a livestock vet service. She mentioned all of the possible causes for the yellow poop that were brought up here (infection, egg peritonitis, coccidosis, egg binding, food changes, introduction of new animals, etc). She felt Jaiden's abdomen and said she felt a mass that may be an egg, but after an internal check she said it was a tumor and that ovarian cancer is common b/c their hormones are constantly going once they start laying. She did mention that her crop fell like there was a lot of grit, but didn't elaborate. In the end, while I wasn't expecting this diagnosis, I feel like the dr wouldn't have said it was a tumor if she wasn't sure. Even when I asked what our options were she said it was basically euthanize now, or take her home and wait to come back (or find her dead). I'm glad I went too, even with how it ended. I would have hated for her to suffer any more than she already has. And I'm happy to find that there is a local vet who does provide care for chickens, esp knowing how hard it is to find someone.

I really appreciate everyone's help getting through this. Of course this wasn't the ideal resolution, but I wouldn't have had a clue what to do otherwise. Thank you all.

 

[chuckachucka]

@apryl29

 

[aart]

I don't know if they would do one just for their own information.

You might want to call and ask them to do a necrospy to confirm waht was going in there. Tough to do, but.....would be good

 

[Relleoms]

Just out of curiosity, how old was your girl? You said pullet; does that mean less than a year?

 

[apryl29]

She was hatched March 13, 2017.. So a little more than 10 months.

 

[Eggcessive]

Cancer is another common reproductive disorder. Whatever the exact cause, she probably had an untreatble problem, so it is good that she will not suffer.

 

[pitbullmomma]

I'm not sure if they'll be doing a necropsy. I did leave Jaiden with them to dispose of her, but they did not mention any further testing. I don't know if they would do one just for their own information. If I'm ever in this type of situation again I'll be sure to ask about it. She seemed pretty well versed in farm animals. The assistant said the vet had experience with livestock and previously worked for a livestock vet service.

Apryl, I'm so sorry to hear about Jaiden....it is so sad to lose a beloved chicken.

You did the right thing; you're a really good chicken mama. So sorry.

Vets don't do a necropsy unless you specifically ask them (speaking as a former vet). It would not be ethical or legal to do anything with the body of an animal (just like with a human) unless the owner gave their express permission. Even if a vet were curious and wanted to do a necropsy for their own education, they would still have to ask the owner first and *then* get permission. So no, no necropsy. And I'm glad you found someone with chicken experience. That is not something they teach (routinely) in vet school.

 

[apryl29]

Apryl, I'm so sorry to hear about Jaiden....it is so sad to lose a beloved chicken.

You did the right thing; you're a really good chicken mama. So sorry.

Vets don't do a necropsy unless you specifically ask them (speaking as a former vet). It would not be ethical or legal to do anything with the body of an animal (just like with a human) unless the owner gave their express permission. Even if a vet were curious and wanted to do a necropsy for their own education, they would still have to ask the owner first and *then* get permission. So no, no necropsy. And I'm glad you found someone with chicken experience. That is not something they teach (routinely) in vet school.

Thanks. Glad to see you're back(ish).
That's good to know, it makes sense. Hopefully next time I'll have a better understanding of what to expect and will remember to ask about a necropsy. I really feel like in this situation it wouldn't have helped since the diagnosis was localized to this particular bird, but it's may be helpful in the future in a different situation.
Yes, I feel very fortunate to have found someone nearby that sees chickens. Hopefully I never need her again, but it's comforting to know we have options.