Sudden Death

[Kiki]

I am in Eastern NC. The state labs seem to be far away. Is it posible to mail them body?

Yes.
Refrigerate it, do not freeze it and call them on Monday. I just tagged you in another thread that has a link to your state lab.

 

[Mamapio]

They do get treats, grubblies and seed mix.

I am in Eastern NC. The state labs seem to be far away. Is it posible to mail them body?

 

[Weeg]

They do get treats, grubblies and seed mix.

Who much do you feed them a day? Amok sure that isn't moldy too, it could have been the treats.

 

[Mamapio]

Who much do you feed them a day? Amok sure that isn't moldy too, it could have been the treats.

We fed the four about a half pound a day I think. We don’t weigh it out, but this is our best guess. Treats were by the handful a 2-3 times a day.

 

[Weeg]

We fed the four about a half pound a day I think. We don’t weigh it out, but this is our best guess. Treats were by the handful a 2-3 times a day.

Each hen should only get about a tablespoon every day. You may be over feeding a little, but I don't think that is the cause of her death. I over feed sometimes too! Lol!

 

[Mamapio]

Update: We sent her in to the state lab for a necropsy. The pathologist said her liver had ruptured, but she did not have fatty liver. Apparently, this is not common but happens sometimes.

 

[fsauwphoto]

I just lost a chicken today with what felt like small rocks in her crop. I found her this morning in the coop not eating with the other chickens when I fed them outside the coop. She had a full crop with hard "rocks" and other larger less hard masses. Since it was morning and she wasn't eating , I figured it was an impacted crop. I treated her with water and then oil massaging the crop. This got rid of the larger less hard masses but not the smaller ones and I could not get her to empty the crop when I put her head down and none of the hard smaller "rocks" could be milked out. I left her with water and yogurt with oat meal but found her dead several hours later. I did a necropsy and found the "rocks" to be whole acorns with her gizzard and intestines full of black ground down acorns. Liver and intestines looked good otherwise grossly. My chickens have been eating acorns for 2 years since moving here with oak trees all over the property, which they free range. Not sure what to do if this starts affecting my other chickens. I have noted that this winter(yes FLorida has a winter), the egg production has fallen off more than prior years but that may be

from my aging flock and increasing number of roosters(they are friendly or at least nonaggressive and beautiful)but I have read that acorns can decrease egg production also.

 

[Mamapio]

Who much do you feed them a day? Amok sure that isn't moldy too, it could have been the treats.

We weighed the food today and they get about 1/4 pound a day each.