The Old Folks Home

[ronott1]

Great photos. Thank you for sharing.


Ron, how hot is it over there? It was 92 here today and I'm a wuss. All sweaty, wearing BFs roomy boxers instead of actual clothing, got the AC on in the bedroom...

Trying to pressure can some chicken stock right now, which is making the kitchen almost unbearable, but I couldn't wait any longer to can it and I want to save freezer room for the cornish.


My rash of bad luck continues. Fridge went down at work today (that's the story of my life), plus other electronic issues, just got a recent upgrade to the computer system and I spent all day feeling like I was on the phone lines for the IT department. Last night another chicken died also of internal laying, and I've got another one near death that probably won't make it through the night. I'm starting to wonder if it's something I'm doing to cause this. Oh and last night I got home late and was missing a turkey... who we eventually found in the garden on a secret nest. Ever wrestle an angry 25 lb turkey? It's fabulous. I highly recommend it. Dsqard, your birds are the sneakiest, broodiest things. I thought it was the wrong time of year for turkeys to go broody?
Anyway, back to my internal laying fiasco:
Possibilities: too much protein in the food? too fat biddies?
Possibilities that it isn't my fault: Most are Murray McMurray and almost all the same age, although the death last night wasn't a McMurray bird. So far 3 of the 4 leghorns I've had have died of internal laying (starting about 18 months ago and recurring with regularity), and the 4th and final one is well on her way (mentioned above).

This is devastating.

It is cooling down after a heat wave of 101 or so. Today it will be down to only 90 for a high.

I think maybe you have the cause of death wrong. Hatchery chickens are prone to fatty liver disease which strikes them on hot days. They often will have an egg in them or egg problems related to the liver damage. Check the liver on the dead one.

 

[chickadoodles]

Great photos. Thank you for sharing.


Ron, how hot is it over there? It was 92 here today and I'm a wuss. All sweaty, wearing BFs roomy boxers instead of actual clothing, got the AC on in the bedroom...

Trying to pressure can some chicken stock right now, which is making the kitchen almost unbearable, but I couldn't wait any longer to can it and I want to save freezer room for the cornish.


My rash of bad luck continues. Fridge went down at work today (that's the story of my life), plus other electronic issues, just got a recent upgrade to the computer system and I spent all day feeling like I was on the phone lines for the IT department. Last night another chicken died also of internal laying, and I've got another one near death that probably won't make it through the night. I'm starting to wonder if it's something I'm doing to cause this. Oh and last night I got home late and was missing a turkey... who we eventually found in the garden on a secret nest. Ever wrestle an angry 25 lb turkey? It's fabulous. I highly recommend it. Dsqard, your birds are the sneakiest, broodiest things. I thought it was the wrong time of year for turkeys to go broody?
Anyway, back to my internal laying fiasco:
Possibilities: too much protein in the food? too fat biddies?
Possibilities that it isn't my fault: Most are Murray McMurray and almost all the same age, although the death last night wasn't a McMurray bird. So far 3 of the 4 leghorns I've had have died of internal laying (starting about 18 months ago and recurring with regularity), and the 4th and final one is well on her way (mentioned above).

This is devastating.

SCG I am so sorry about all your birds! I cannot imagine!
I just found one of my turkeys is completely blind. He cannot see food when I hold it in front of his face or up to his beak! We get so attached and it is heart breaking!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

It is cooling down after a heat wave of 101 or so. Today it will be down to only 90 for a high.

I think maybe you have the cause of death wrong. Hatchery chickens are prone to fatty liver disease which strikes them on hot days. They often will have an egg in them or egg problems related to the liver damage. Check the liver on the dead one.

I appreciate the advice, but I don't know if I can do my leghorn. I would have done the one last night (much less attached to her), but it was so late by the time we got home and I found and wrestled the turkey. I am almost certain it's internal laying - L'eggs is so swollen and her abdomen is really hot. She can't stand up by herself right now - she's laying kindof on her side in the garden (where i placed her so she'd be protected from goats and other birds with a fence). I should probably cull her but she doesn't appear to be in pain. She seems to be pretty near death, eyes open only occasionally when I come out to check on her.

The one last night smelled awful. After I found her I looked at her butt and it relaxed and I got the most horrific smell - it was like broody poop on steroids married to a rotten egg.

 

[gryeyes]

The one last night smelled awful. After I found her I looked at her butt and it relaxed and I got the most horrific smell - it was like broody poop on steroids married to a rotten egg.

Pharmacy folks sure are.....able to identify odors well.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Pharmacy folks sure are.....able to identify odors well.

I would draw you a picture of sulfur conjugating with a methane, but I'm really not good at that kind of thing. I could probably still do a benzene ring, a morphine and a squalene but that's about it.

 

[ronott1]

I appreciate the advice, but I don't know if I can do my leghorn. I would have done the one last night (much less attached to her), but it was so late by the time we got home and I found and wrestled the turkey. I am almost certain it's internal laying - L'eggs is so swollen and her abdomen is really hot. She can't stand up by herself right now - she's laying kindof on her side in the garden (where i placed her so she'd be protected from goats and other birds with a fence). I should probably cull her but she doesn't appear to be in pain. She seems to be pretty near death, eyes open only occasionally when I come out to check on her.

The one last night smelled awful. After I found her I looked at her butt and it relaxed and I got the most horrific smell - it was like broody poop on steroids married to a rotten egg.

This is from a Necropsy report from an Australorp that died in July:

6/11/2013 – Preliminary report - The cause of death of this chicken was clear after gross examination. Abundant intracoelomic
hemorrhage, particularly over the left hepatic lobe, severe enough to account for the bird ’s sudden death by exsanguination, was
found during necropsy. Large amounts of fat were present in the coelomic cavity. Hepatic rupture associated with internal
bleeding is a syndrome (the so-called “FLHS”) that has been recognized in obese adult laying chickens often (but not always)
associated with fatty livers. Cases are more often seen during the summer. The actual cause for this condition is unknown. In
the coelomic cavity moderate to large amounts of yolk material were detected, this can be due to post mortem rupture of ova or
the result of an actual condition in which yolk material shed in the abdominal cavityis complicated with bacteria causing
secondary egg yolk peritonitis. Histology, PCR and bacteriology tests are pending.

The liver dysfunction causes egg problems that lead to egg yolk peritonitis.

 

[gryeyes]

I was going to end that sentence with "funny people" and a wink but realized I am certifiable and a bunch of other folks hereabouts are equally distant from the norm.

Which happens to be a good thing!

 

[Cynthia12]

Has anyone ever received shipped eggs with little embryos already started..and of course quit by the time they got here? This is my first time. 4 of them! :/

 

[ozexpat]

Has anyone ever received shipped eggs with little embryos already started..and of course quit by the time they got here? This is my first time. 4 of them! :/

I have.

Happenned when there was a heat wave in July. I had 8 eggs veining when I set them. None survived.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

This is from a Necropsy report from an Australorp that died in July:

6/11/2013 – Preliminary report - The cause of death of this chicken was clear after gross examination. Abundant intracoelomic
hemorrhage, particularly over the left hepatic lobe, severe enough to account for the bird ’s sudden death by exsanguination, was
found during necropsy. Large amounts of fat were present in the coelomic cavity. Hepatic rupture associated with internal
bleeding is a syndrome (the so-called “FLHS”) that has been recognized in obese adult laying chickens often (but not always)
associated with fatty livers. Cases are more often seen during the summer. The actual cause for this condition is unknown. In
the coelomic cavity moderate to large amounts of yolk material were detected, this can be due to post mortem rupture of ova or
the result of an actual condition in which yolk material shed in the abdominal cavityis complicated with bacteria causing
secondary egg yolk peritonitis. Histology, PCR and bacteriology tests are pending.

The liver dysfunction causes egg problems that lead to egg yolk peritonitis.

That would make sense then they they're related, and why it's happening in a rash, now. Thank you for sharing.

I was going to end that sentence with "funny people" and a wink but realized I am certifiable and a bunch of other folks hereabouts are equally distant from the norm.

Which happens to be a good thing!

Now, go put your straitjacket on.

We're all 2 standard deviations from the mean.