Rapid decline and death

[Smashlee83]

Noticed my girl Rudolph yesterday afternoon around 1pm was looking quite droopy. droopy comb and a little lethargic. I figured I'd catch her at roost and check her out. Around 4:30 she was roosted early and panting. She let me pick her up which was a clear sign she was not ok. Took her inside and she had a lot of yellow runny poop on her bottom so I soaked her, got her some electrolytes and she seemed to perk up a bit. Put her in a warm dark place with food and water and by 6am this morning she had passed

Any ideas what could have taken her so fast? Anything I should be looking for with my other babes?

 

[Smashlee83]

This is her after she perked up a bit last night around 7:30 and look at her poop.

 

[D7ranch]

I came here to see the replies, didn't realize this was so recently posted - I'm sorry for your loss. We're experiencing the same, just lost another last night, comb looks health, vent is fine, no sour crop detected. I did find tiny gnats surrounding one of their water sources in there and was wondering if that might be the cause. I've read that gnats can cause death by annoyance basically (some toxins involved too) Have you checked your food and water sources?

 

[MysteryChicken]

Based on the poop, she either had liver problems, or a reproductive disorder.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your sudden loss. She was panting a lot in the video. Was that before or after the soak? Her crop looked empty. Had she lost a lot of weight? The best way to find out what happened is with a necropsy by the state vet. Or you could do a home necropsy and take pictures of the organs to post here. She could have had cancer or a reproductive issue, but hard to know without a necropsy. The body must be kept cold, not frozen. Here is one location that does necropsies:
https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/tests/necropsy-poultry/

This link has other TX LOCATIONS:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[Smashlee83]

Sorry for your sudden loss. She was panting a lot in the video. Was that before or after the soak? Her crop looked empty. Had she lost a lot of weight? The best way to find out what happened is with a necropsy by the state vet. Or you could do a home necropsy and take pictures of the organs to post here. She could have had cancer or a reproductive issue, but hard to know without a necropsy. The body must be kept cold, not frozen. Here is one location that does necropsies:
https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/tests/necropsy-poultry/

This link has other TX LOCATIONS:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

The panting started before I brought her in. Her crop was empty, but she must have just recently stopped eating. She was eating fine Friday. She was my most aggressive eater when I hand fed so I know for certain she was still ravenous a few days before.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sometimes just a bath can push a weak bird over the edge. She may have been dying earlier though. I would wonder if she had cancer or a blockage that caused her to be emaciated. I usually do my own necropsies when I lose one, but if a state vet necropsy can be done, it would give you some answers.

 

[doc39rob]

I had a pullet, yesterday, have breathing issues with obvious labored breathing, beak open. After 15 minutes she promptly died. I have 27 other pullets and hens. None of them show any signs or symptoms of distress. Could this one pullet have been prisoned? This will be our 3rd pullet who died this way. Living in Montana, there are no vets that specialize in chickens, so I cannot take her to get looked at for an autopsy. She was healthy and our prize winning pullet in our State Fair in 2021.

Thoughts?