Sick Sexlink

[abblcart]

She didn't make it. She just started coughing and hacking then fell over seizing. I tried to clear her throat out but it did nothing. There's no obstruction in her throat and the mucus is clear. Does anyone know what might have happened?

 

[redsoxs]

Really sorry to hear about that. Hang in there.

 

[rebrascora]

Sorry to hear you lost Emerald.

The only way to know for sure what the problem was, is to send her off for a necropsy or perhaps open her up yourself. I understand that it's not something everyone can face but it's really interesting and surprising what you can figure out, if you can get over the emotional upheaval of it.

Wishing better luck with the rest of your flock

Regards

Barbara

 

[CuzChickens]

Hello there, and welcome to Backyard Chickens! I am so sorry to hear about your poor hen. Keep a close eye on the rest of the flock. And I agree, a necropsy is not a bad idea...Keep your chin up!

 

[abblcart]

I just found out that a few of my neighbors sexlinks died too and they don't know why but their other chickens are fine. I did look to see if anything was wrong in her but it just looked like bad allergies. There was some discharge but it was clear. There was a lot of it but it wasn't blocking the air flow. But maybe that's what got to her.

 

[CuzChickens]

Did you both get your sexlinks from the same place?

 

[abblcart]

I got her from my cousin. But his died as well. As for my neighbors I don't know. But I do know she came from tractor supply.

 

[rebrascora]

How do you mean "bad allergies" Did you check her abdomen including her reproductive and digestive tract. Had she started laying? Were there any eggs in her reproductive tract? Check for possible egg binding or internal laying. Where there any worms in her system? What was the contents of her crop like? ie. Normal food or bad smelling or perhaps clogged with fibrous material like grass. Her crop looks quite large in the photo and yet you say she wasn't eating much. I'm wondering if she had a sour or impacted crop.

 

[abblcart]

She did have an egg but she wasn't laying yet. There was no worms. The crop that I did see smelled really bad and a dark green with what appeared to be seeds (more likely from scratch) but I didn't see any undigested grass. But when I say bad allergies There was a layer of mucus around her esophagus but I wouldn't think that would choke her. I don't know about her reproductive system it looked normal to me and nothing looked blocked there. There was an egg but it was small. I just started raising chickens this year so my knowledge is not that great. I'm trying to compare what I learned from shadowing a vet but she worked with large farm animals. Chickens are not cows. I can't go back and look because we just buried her.

 

[rebrascora]

Yes chickens and cows are very different, but well done for having a look. Sometimes taking photos of anything that looks odd and posting them here can help us to help you figure it out if a professional necropsy is not an option.
The crop normally doesn't smell bad, so there was definitely an issue going on there. Was the mucus in her oesophagus or trachea? Wondering if she had sour crop and tried to vomit or refluxed and aspirated, which then caused a respiratory problem.
Do you supply them with grit. If they are fed or have access to grains and seeds and/or grass and vegetable matter, they need grit to help break it down.

I've had a couple gorge on grass and end up with an impacted gizzard and literally starved to death because food couldn't pass through their system to be digested. I find it really interesting to investigate these things and it takes my mind off the sadness of the loss and gains me knowledge that will hopefully help me prevent similar losses.

Wishing you well with the rest of your flock.

Barbara