Ripley, the 4 legged chicken!?

[OneMountainAcres]

Thank you all. She was a special girl and will be missed.

I did do an autopsy today. The only thing I can guess is maybe egg bound? But I don't know what that really looks like. Everything else looked pretty normal inside. Liver, heart, lungs all looked healthy. I did take pictures throughout the process. I don't know when I'll get a chance to upload. I'll put them behind a spoiler alert so that anyone who doesn't want to see them doesn't have to. It looked like she only had 1 digestive track but it connected to both vents, the small one first then ended at the large one. Her extra legs had a flat pelvis that was basically fused to Ripley's pelvis, causing almost like a bowl shape at her back end and causing her spine to curve to the side. But other than that, there really wasn't anything fascinating or different about her on the inside. It did look like that bowl/ curve at her back end could slow down her eggs in their way out. There was one egg, fully formed and ready to be laid at her main vent with a second egg, full size but not hard yet, right behind it in line. It was actually touching the first egg. I'll get to the pictures when i get a chance. It may take a few days.

 

[aart]

There was one egg, fully formed and ready to be laid at her main vent with a second egg, full size but not hard yet, right behind it in line.

Could you tell if the eggs in the shell gland(uterus) were upstream or downstream of the extra pelvic bones and spine curvature?
Not sure I'd call that 'egg bound' or not......and not sure if that was the reason for her demise.
But Kudos for going in to check things out. <high five smiley without the smiles>

 

[SueT]

Wow. Thank you for sharing everything.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Ok everyone, I finally had time to go through the autopsy photos. It's always hard to judge things via pictures but I'll upload them anyway. WARNING! Graphic photos!

Spoiler: Ripley Autopsy Photos

I plucked her belly before anything to get a good view of everything first. Her belly was a little puffy but not watery like water belly, just full. You can see both vents clearly.

Her skin was very thin here when I opened her up. I'm assuming stretched from both full sized eggs that were in line.

All cleaned out, her cavity resembled a bowl at the back end where the extra legs are and her spine curving away.

The extra legs, and I'm assuming their pelvis? This was fused to her own bones but it was obvious where they were connected.

Here are a few pictures with the extra legs removed. You can see the spine curvature better.

Her inner parts/tracts. You can see both vents are connected to a single system though it does seem as if she produced 2 eggs at a time.

I hope this has been informational for everyone.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

I just tuned in to Ripley’s story....wow! It was quite amazing that she was able to be as healthy as she was! I’m curious about the eggs too...she looked great in the tutu. I’m sorry you lost her...I’m glad YOU were the one that got her from the feed store that day.

 

[aart]

I hope this has been informational for everyone.

Wow, great Job!! Thanks!
Will look closer later, might have a few Q's.

 

[hysop]

I’m so happy Ripley had a good life! I didn’t realize other people would have put her down due to her uniqueness until my own husband said he most likely would have! (But no worries I would have fought it and not put her down).

Thank you for sharing your experience with us and how her insides worked.

 

[Molpet]

is this ripley or another
I'm not a subscriber so I can't check it https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/issues/backyard-poultry-april-may-2020/

 

[Peppercorngal]

I was so so sorry to hear that Ripley passed away. She had a short life, but a full and happy one, thanks to you. I know she will be missed. My condolences to you.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

is this ripley or another
I'm not a subscriber so I can't check it https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/issues/backyard-poultry-april-may-2020/
View attachment 2034681

Not as far as I know lol. I'm not a subscriber either so I can't look.

I was so so sorry to hear that Ripley passed away. She had a short life, but a full and happy one, thanks to you. I know she will be missed. My condolences to you.

Thank you. She was a sweet and happy girl. She definitely lived her short life to the fullest