The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[brandislee]

When you last saw her, was it in the nest box? She could have been egg bound. But unless they are up and walking around it's hard to notice. Especially if they are nesting. It can often be mistaken for broodiness (long periods in nesting box). I always move a hen from a nest if she's been there a while and I suspect broodiness. If she is broody she will walk around all puffed up clucking and screaming at any boy (or girl) who comes near. She will also eat and drink and let out a giant broody poop. An egg bound hen will not poop like a broody hen. An egg bound hen may or may not be puffed up, and she will struggle to poop. If the egg is obstructed, she will not be able to do so, and often can prolapse. If the egg can be passed unbroken she should recover. Unfortunately if the egg breaks, she can and usually will develop an infection. I have had a hen die from this, even though I thought I got everything out. She was looking better and than she just died.

You can do an exam on your hen by just feeling for an egg in her abdomen - but best chances at knowing what is wrong is to open her up. Take pictures and send to Delisha, Mumsy or post here. We can all try to help you guess.

I know how you feel. I had a hard time imagining opening up a bird that was a pet. Unless I know for sure, I will do a necropsy on the next one.

I try really hard not to think of them as pets for this very reason... I'd open her up now, but I was upset and unsure if I would even be able to bury her (we still have a few inches of snow on the ground). So once I figured out I could dig a hole I just did it. I can butcher a chicken just fine (well, honestly the killing part bothers me, but once the head is off I'm good) but I wouldn't know how to begin to open a chicken up for a necropsy. Do you cut up the underside?

I last saw her in the nest box yesterday morning before I went to church... but it was morning, so being on the nest box wasn't a big flag. Then I went to church, checked on everyone when I got back (I can't even remember if I looked in the coop or not- I have an A-frame connected to the coop that is sort of an intermediary indoor/outdoor space where I keep their food and water- it's nice shade in the summer and keeps the snow off in the winter, and the chickens spend most of their time out there during the day when it's snowy, so a lot of the time I'll just peek in out there), then ran to the fabric store. She was dead when I got back later that afternoon.

I always felt she didn't mature properly. I don't have trap nests, but I try to watch as much as I can who lays what, and I never felt she laid regularly. She did go broody last summer. Her comb never got as big as the other hens. She's an orpington, and the only orp hen I have though, so I don't have anyone to compare her to, but my other single comb hens had much larger/redder combs. Hers stayed short and pink, like a chick's. I posted a pic of her on here once and voiced my concerns and everyone said she looked fine though.

Anyway, if anyone else drops dead at any point this spring I'll definitely "man up" and do a necropsy, or at least palpate for a stuck egg. I have a broiler chick who isn't going to make it... is it too much to hope that it will be the third and that will be the end of it??? I don't normally loose chicks- not even broilers.

 

[Sally8]

I'm having a rough week...

I have no idea what I'd do if I had a chicken die when the ground was frozen.

I'm sorry that so many things happen at one time. I'm not superstitious at all but I agree that things usually happen in three's. Not to gross you out or be insensitive but we always take our dead and throw them out in the woods, far from our house. Everyone in the food chain has to eat and once their dead, to me they are gone. (As long as they aren't diseased, also) We do have a pet cemetery but man, it's getting full of cat's and dogs. (My DH and I got them when we were first married and now they are old and dying) (Just my way of doing things, please don't take offense)

Did you do a necropsy and find out why she died?

The first time you open a chick(en) is always hard but I find it fascinating on how complex life it. I love dissecting anything. I don't remember exactly where but I believe several BYC members posted step by step photos and an explanation of a necropsy being done. I need to print those out to compare. Does anyone remember where they were?

I'm glad someone posted about raspberries - I have a question!

country girl - raspberries bear fruit on second year canes (canes just mean the branch/stick that the leaves and fruit come from), that means the third year the cane is dead - and can be pruned to

You can do an exam on your hen by just feeling for an egg in her abdomen - but best chances at knowing what is wrong is to open her up. Take pictures and send to Delisha, Mumsy or post here. We can all try to help you guess.

A hen that has been egg bound can be an awful. Showing that I can be an irresponsible pet owner, one of my hens had been egg bound way too long and the underside of her was all black, I'm assuming from peritonitis. I will never forget or forgive myself.

OMG it is 50 degrees outside!!!!!

Today, it's nearly that here. IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!! My strawberry plants look like they are starting to green up, the leaves of the Iris are just popping through the ground.

Bulldogma - I hope things are looking better today for your daughter. Praying that she is either home or will be very soon.

 

[aoxa]

I try really hard not to think of them as pets for this very reason... I'd open her up now, but I was upset and unsure if I would even be able to bury her (we still have a few inches of snow on the ground). So once I figured out I could dig a hole I just did it. I can butcher a chicken just fine (well, honestly the killing part bothers me, but once the head is off I'm good) but I wouldn't know how to begin to open a chicken up for a necropsy. Do you cut up the underside?

I last saw her in the nest box yesterday morning before I went to church... but it was morning, so being on the nest box wasn't a big flag. Then I went to church, checked on everyone when I got back (I can't even remember if I looked in the coop or not- I have an A-frame connected to the coop that is sort of an intermediary indoor/outdoor space where I keep their food and water- it's nice shade in the summer and keeps the snow off in the winter, and the chickens spend most of their time out there during the day when it's snowy, so a lot of the time I'll just peek in out there), then ran to the fabric store. She was dead when I got back later that afternoon.

I always felt she didn't mature properly. I don't have trap nests, but I try to watch as much as I can who lays what, and I never felt she laid regularly. She did go broody last summer. Her comb never got as big as the other hens. She's an orpington, and the only orp hen I have though, so I don't have anyone to compare her to, but my other single comb hens had much larger/redder combs. Hers stayed short and pink, like a chick's. I posted a pic of her on here once and voiced my concerns and everyone said she looked fine though.

Anyway, if anyone else drops dead at any point this spring I'll definitely "man up" and do a necropsy, or at least palpate for a stuck egg. I have a broiler chick who isn't going to make it... is it too much to hope that it will be the third and that will be the end of it??? I don't normally loose chicks- not even broilers.

I'd have less of a problem opening a hen that died on her own rather than opening one I just culled.

I was not raised around death at all, and back in October I swore I could never kill a chicken. Delisha really helped me overcome this, as well as BDM, Mumsy, and Stony. All were right when they said the days leading up tot he deed were the hardest. I didn't gut any of my birds. I killed and plucked. I'm not doing it all. I feel like I did the hardest parts, so Susan is going to do the rest. I have a weak stomach. Smells really get me, but I promise to do a necropsy on any birds in the future that fall ill.

My egg bound hen that passed was an orp as well. I think their weight can be a huge issue, and overweight hens are more prone to develop internal laying, or egg binding.

 

[delisha]

depends on why the broilers are ill
how old are they? what does the poop smell like..what are you feeding/ are they heated? what type of building are they in? Are they by themselves? Do they have access to outdoors?

Take a picture of your set up..

 

[aoxa]

I saw this today and thought of LW.

 

[Sally8]

I read that you sometimes eat the birds you find dead. Does that ever worry you?

 

[delisha]

A necropsy on a chick would help too..if intestines are inflamed..they have cocci..if the breast has a green tinge they have a disease that seems to be worse with broilers these past few years..all kinds of things you can learn.by just opening them all the way up. Just make an incision from stem to stern. If you butcher your chickens you have a leg up from most people..you know what the healthy insides of a chicken are supposed to look like.

 

[delisha]

I read that you sometimes eat the birds you find dead. Does that ever worry you?

If you are talking to me..I have never entered my coop in 35 years and found a dead bird...I hope I never ever do.

 

[aoxa]

A necropsy on a chick would help too..if intestines are inflamed..they have cocci..if the breast has a green tinge they have a disease that seems to be worse with broilers these past few years..all kinds of things you can learn.by just opening them all the way up. Just make an incision from stem to stern. If you butcher your chickens you have a leg up from most people..you know what the healthy insides of a chicken are supposed to look like.

Would you necropsy a chick that died between day 1 and day 2?

I have opened up many that die early on in the setting stage, and even ones that didn't hatch. I had two that didn't hatch this time around. One had a weird air cell that was on the side of the egg rather than the top (it didn't start out that way!) and the other was shrink wrapped. Probably from me opening the incubator.

 

[aoxa]

If you are talking to me..I have never entered my coop in 35 years and found a dead bird...I hope I never ever do.

Well that is saying something!

Not even in the beginning? Not even with chicks?