Rooster died and hen showing symptoms, what could it be? šŸ˜„

Aria84

Hatching
Mar 27, 2022
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5
9
Hi,
My rooster died 2 days ago (he was almost 4) after having been sick for a month, I wasn't able to find the cause. Now my hen is starting to show similar symptoms so I'm hoping someone here can give me an idea of what's wrong, because I looked everywhere and can't find a similar case. Long story:

Late February, one evening after eating (he was a pet rooster living inside) he suddenly started screaming and running and jumping around in a hysterical manner, as if something had attacked him. I had to hold him tightly and put him in a cage, he ended up sitting down but still looked very afraid. Next day he seemed normal then did the same thing in the evening. Suddenly he looked down, towards his feet or belly, and started screaming and running away like crazy.

I was wondering whether he had hallucinations, but now looking back I think something hurt him inside, and he didn't understand so he tried running away.

Following these 2 events I noticed he looked rather tired, and early March I realized he was a bit hunched up, and looked uncomfortable especially after eating. Also, he wouldn't eat his feed and wouldn't drink. He only wanted fresh stuff like cucumber or pomegranate. His crop emptied fine during the night. I also realized his voice was hoarse and he sneezed a lot so I thought it was "just" a respiratory issue. He has sneezed chronically since he was a few weeks old, I'd give him thyme in his water and he'd be fine. So I tried thyme, oregano, a bit of garlic... the voice came back after a week, but he was still tired, hunched up. His appetite for the feed came back a tiny bit and he started drinking again. However, a week after (last Friday), he was very tired, would barely eat the fresh stuff he loved, and I noticed a very slight tinge of green in his urea.
In the evening I gave a bit of panettone because he wanted nothing else but he craved this for some reason, but soon after eating it he started having difficulties breating then after a few minutes couldn't stand so he sat near me. He breathed slightly open mouthed for like half an hour but his comb remained a normal red. Then suddenly he convulsed for about 10-15 seconds and died.

I'm at a loss. Today after eating a tiny bit of tomato my hen starting running in circles like crazy then looking frantically towards her crop or belly as if something was hurting her there.
This is very confusing. For both of them to show this symptom at the same time it has to be something contagious?? What could do that?? šŸ˜„ Her droppings look normal. Some of them may be a bit pale but nothing unusual.
I hope someone can help šŸ™
 
Maybe she was startled by an animal or another chicken? Did she have what appeared to be wry neck? That can be a neurological symptom of head injury, vitamin E or thiamine deficiency, or an infectious disease. Has she calmed down? If you lose a chicken, it is always a good idea to contact your state vet for a necropsy to look for why they died.
 
Maybe she was startled by an animal or another chicken? Did she have what appeared to be wry neck? That can be a neurological symptom of head injury, vitamin E or thiamine deficiency, or an infectious disease. Has she calmed down? If you lose a chicken, it is always a good idea to contact your state vet for a necropsy to look for why they died.
No she was inside, there was nothing that could scare her in the room. It has to do with some sort of pain she feels just after eating, like my rooster.

Yes she calmed down, it lasted just a few minutes. Tonight I noticed she has a very squishy crop with a small hard ball in it. It seems to bother her a bit as she sometimes moves her head to try to make it pass. Is it sour crop? I don't get why there's this hard ball (it feels like it's made of seeds/cereals) and underneath the squishy part.
 
She may have a crop impaction. Could she have eaten something that is causing pain inside her? Do you have granite poultry grit available to help their gizzards grind feed? Here is an article that might help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/
She regularly gets some grit. It's not impaction, it emptied during the night. However just below the crop there is a squishy area, below the crop but in the middle of the chest. I thought maybe some fluid doesn't empty well (sour crop?) but now I'm wondering if it's even the crop because when she eats I feel the ball of seeds in her crop slightly to the right of her chest, and underneath in the middle the squishy part? Could it be ascites ("water belly")?? šŸ˜§
 
Water belly is felt between the legs in the lower belly.
Ok. No idea why there's the squishy area then. My rooster didn't have that though so whatever it is it's not related to what killed him.
I'm starting to wonder if gapeworms might be responsible. It could explain why he wouldn't eat seeds anymore and only wanted soft food. Could maybe explain why he seemed in pain after eating? Half an hour before dying he started coughing and breating open mouthed... However beforehand he didn't do the typical gaping thing that's why I had ruled it out...
 

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