Sudden Chicken Death

[ChickedFarmer]

Sadly, one of my chickens died last night. 7 months to the day, nonetheless.

Everything was fine until I went to lock the flock up for the night. During the morning and throughout the day Hanna was her normal self, walking and pecking like usual. But that changed right before bedtime. As I went to lock all my hens up I saw Hanna laying down in the run of the coop, below the ramp that leads into the coop proper. This was quite worrisome. As I picked her up to put her in the coop I noticed her feet were curled into balls/fists. This was doubly worrisome. (This could've been a continuation of a past ordeal archived here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/1-month-old-chicken-w-dislocated-or-broken-legs-s.1182049/)

As I placed her into the coop it was obvious that she was hobbling around with the aid of her wings, mirroring her past ailment very closely. That's when we decided to go through the same process as last time. Set up the isolation box indoors, get her food and water both laced with B-12 Super Complex (This seeming to cure her the last time). When I went out to check on/move her she was already looking better. Her feet weren't as curled and she was attempting to stand. This trend continued whilst she was in isolation. A little before we went to bed we checked on her again, this time she looked better still, standing on her own when we pushed her a little. A little later she also turned and moved to the otherside of the box, further leading to the belief that she was getting better. That was the last time I saw her alive. Which was around 11:30. At around 6 or so in the morning my dad found her dead with her water knocked over.

He thinks it may have been a seizure of some sort, but Im not sure. The suddenness of it shocked me, just like it did last time. One moment she's right as rain, the next she's one foot in the grave.

So, BYC, any idea what would cause my favorite chicken to pass so suddenly? Was this a continuation of her past ailment, or something new?

May Hannabelle find peace and eternal flight in the great coop in the sky.

 

[bluebird]

I’m so sorry about your loss... I’ll leave this dilemma to the experts, because I’m not sure

 

[Table4Six]

That sounds like mareks disease. Several of my chickens acquired and died from this disease several yrs ago. With mareks disease chicken's legs can be partially or totally paralyzed. Another symptom of this disease is weight loss. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to treat or prevent this disease. I had to put down some of my favorite chickens because of this brutal and fatal disease. I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[ChickedFarmer]

That sounds like mareks disease. Several of my chickens acquired and died from this disease several yrs ago. With mareks disease chicken's legs can be partially or totally paralyzed. Another symptom of this disease is weight loss. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to treat or prevent this disease. I had to put down some of my favorite chickens because of this brutal and fatal disease. I am so sorry for your loss.

Thanks for the condolences. We thought Marek's disease nay have been the culprit last time. But when we asked around we were told that it's very rare in our area (Oregon). Along with that, no other chicken is showing symptoms. Hanna's symptoms were more akin to a vitamin deficiency we treated her for several months ago.

 

[Table4Six]

If you haven't seen any symptoms with your other chickens it probably wasn't mareks disease which is a blessing. It still hurts losing one of your chickens though. Again I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

[ChickedFarmer]

If you haven't seen any symptoms with your other chickens it probably wasn't mareks disease which is a blessing. It still hurts losing one of your chickens though. Again I'm very sorry for your loss.

Yeah, thanks for the kind words.

 

[Table4Six]

No problem.

 

[Eggcessive]

Very sorry for your loss. Mareks could be possible, so I would recommend getting a necropsy and Mareks testing done. Refrigerate the body, and contact your state vet or nearest poultry lab to ship the body on ice packs.

Your pullet may have had a hereditary tendency for vitamin deficiency or some type of neurological problem. In your previous thread, it looked a lot like vitamin B 2 (riboflavin deficiency,) especially since she seemed to recover, but it would be good to know if there could be Mareks in the flock. Talk to your state vet about the prevalence of Mareks, since the virus is pretty much everywhere in the world.

 

[ChickedFarmer]

Very sorry for your loss. Mareks could be possible, so I would recommend getting a necropsy and Mareks testing done. Refrigerate the body, and contact your state vet or nearest poultry lab to ship the body on ice packs.

Your pullet may have had a hereditary tendency for vitamin deficiency or some type of neurological problem. In your previous thread, it looked a lot like vitamin B 2 (riboflavin deficiency,) especially since she seemed to recover, but it would be good to know if there could be Mareks in the flock. Talk to your state vet about the prevalence of Mareks, since the virus is pretty much everywhere in the world.

Yeah, that may be a course of action. How much would a necropsy cost? Also, the nearest places that provide necopsies seems pretty far away. I don't think this was a hereditary thing. Her mother had 8 other chickens that all turned out healthy. I dunno though. Thanks for the advice.