Update, Necropsy Results

[flwrldy]

My thoughts too - since OP has outlined what she feeds. I do feel that genetics, breed and activity level all play a part as well.

She may not have been quite as active as the others or she may have metabolized feed a little differently. I have not encountered liver disease, but the layers I have put down due to reproductive disorders, there was a marked difference in fat stores of each breed. For instance my very docile, calm and moderately active Buff Orpington had a bit more fat in the breast and abdomen than my bossy, active and stubborn Barred Rock. Both had the same diet all their lives but were very much different in their activity level (and personality).
Just my thoughts.

Thank you. That’s good to know, because I’ve been trying to figure out all day if I should change the feed or not give scrapes, meal worms.. She was a Buff Orpington as well.

 

[flwrldy]

Have you lost 2 chickens ?

Me? No just this one. She was only
9-1/2 months old.

 

[flwrldy]

Hun, these guys/gals are our educators and very good at what they do. I just think out loud. LOL I would wonder about the food . Make sure it hasnt been wet or old or ???
I never used the fancy stuff but it looks fattening to me. Just as a precaution. I am sorry for your loss. And very thankful for our educators. Without them all my chickens would be dead .

Thank you
I agree. I’m wondering about the feed too. The odd thing is she was only 9-1/2 months old.

thank you for sharing the results, i am sorry you lost her

Your welcome and Thank you

 

[flwrldy]

I agree it could be genetic.

But wanna say you mention buying scratch because it's "cold". Total hog wash that corn keeps chickens warm. Like you already stated, most of the feed is already corn based. It's simply calories regardless of source that gives them the energy to maintain their own body temp. There are other sources of calories with higher nutrient content.

Processing more chickens than we care to and often different breeds... they definitely have fat stores at differing locations than each other. And my birds really don't get treats. And different amounts even among the same age and breed with the same feed and pasture access.

My issue with your results is why a second chicken dead so soon after? That wouldn't have been something contagious and is too suspect for me to accept fatty liver as an only cause. I noticed it said there were more result pending though.

Mind sharing how much it cost you for the necropsy?

So sorry for both of your losses.

Oh no only one chicken died thank God, not two. I’m sorry if I led you to think that. Thank you for the advices/comment As far as the scratch I just recently bought right before Christmas, it for the very first time. A 5 lb bag and only about a 1/4 of it has been used. The Necropsy cost $35.00 and $10.00 for the fecal test, which I’m still waiting on the results from. Thank you, but only one thank God.

 

[flwrldy]

Hun, these guys/gals are our educators and very good at what they do. I just think out loud. LOL I would wonder about the food . Make sure it hasnt been wet or old or ???
I never used the fancy stuff but it looks fattening to me. Just as a precaution. I am sorry for your loss. And very thankful for our educators. Without them all my chickens would be dead .

I forget to say, their feed is kept in the shed that’s very dry and clean. I keep it in the 50lb bag it comes in and they go through a 50lb bag a week for 20 birds total, they didn’t eat as much when the ground was bare, and they could free range. The new baby chicks get the same feed in starter form..

 

[flwrldy]

Awww...Granny. You think out loud as often as you want! Feed is one of the most important things to look at, imho. You never know what (I) may have learned from you all this time too.
After looking at the feed http://www.newcountryorganics.com/shop/certified-organic-soy-free-poultry-feeds/layer-feed/layer-feed-50-pounds.html#ab
It does look like it could be fattening to me as well But I'm not a nutritionist. With that feed, there would be no need for scratch. Maybe this particular girl was partial to the corn and didn't eat the peas, oats and other things in it?

Y’all are wonderful and I appreciate so much all the feedback and concern and love!! I’m starting to wonder too about the feed. I’m going to talk to the girl where I buy it. She’s very knowledgeable. The reason I buy this feed is, one it’s organic and 2, I’m allergic to soy, and this is the only organic soy free one I know of.

 

[flwrldy]

So sorry for your loss

Thank you

 

[EggSighted4Life]

A 5 lb bag

Thanks tons for not feeling attacked.

I was picturing a 50# bag! Big difference for 5#. It's good to ask questions before jumping to any conclusions. Our (my) imagination can surely fill in some WILD blanks. It's a REALLY good think I'm not an over reactor or drama queen for the most part.

That's a very reasonable price, thank you for sharing not only the price but your experience. Though I know that will still be a stretch for some, If they have some idea of how far... it might make it more of a consideration for them. Verses thinking it's a hundred dollars or worse. Many peoples' (MY) brain often thinks the worst possibility, at least prepares for the worst possibility before I even move forward. So basically I'm saying it could help someone like me with anxiety too.

I think the OP on this thread actually lost a second girl within a couple days of the first who's necropsy findings were fatty liver.

Losing 1 does seem like a relief compared to losing two, still glad that was it for you and hope for NO more loss here!

 

[flwrldy]

That feed doesn't look fattening to me. The issue I might identify is being able to pick out certain ingredients, thereby causing issues. I'm no nutritionist either, but spend TONS of time researching and reading labels. That analysis seem on par with other feeds. I have only heard of people loving the NCO, but personally can't afford it.

I have a couple different feeds. One says not less than 3.8% fat. And my Purina Flock Raiser with 20% protein says not less than 3.5% fat. Please note that if you don't pay attention to labels they can change formulas without you noticing. I used to not appreciate that Purina put DE in their feed and even didn't buy it for a while. Then it became the only acceptable formula carried by my LFS for my goals so I started buying again. Guess what, no more DE on the label. Which it is approved for use as an anti clumping agent in feeds at a rate of up to 2% in the US.

I definitely appreciate the learning here too. So many sharing their heart breaking challenges and their joy leaping successes. Both newbies and educators alike. We do all learn form each other, and I'm very thankful for the community effort and comradery that I see taking place often. It isn't all peaches and cream. We still contemplate the concerns and feel the pain even when it isn't us currently experiencing it.

Thank you for all you said. I do love the new country organics, and also I have to buy it because it’s the only one I know of that soy free because I’m allergic to soy and that it’s organic as well, but it is killing us the price trust me. I paid $34 a week so that’s about $140 a month just for chicken feed. It’s less when the weathers warm because they’re free ranging, but since around Thanksgiving on they haven’t done much because we’ve had too much snow and ice on the ground, which was a riot the first day they all ran out of the coop with the ice on the ground.. most of them ran ran right back into the coop because they were all slipping and sliding all over the place except my big rooster Rocky he froze and one hen, I think Miss Durham, they froze in one spot and didn’t move and didn’t know what to do. It was so funny. I literally had to go and pick him up which he’s not too happy about being picked up, but he didn’t fuss one bit and let me put him right back in the coop, as well as the hen LOL that’s when I knew he was just a big baby. I’m like you I read all labels.

 

[flwrldy]

I also just lost a 9 month old Buff Orpington to the same issue in early December. Fatty liver that resulted in a rupture and death within minutes, I was fortunate to be out with them when it happened so I was able to spend the last final minutes with her. I to was blown away by how sudden this was and had a necropsy down which also confirmed the same findings as yours. I also agreed to have a histopathology done to rule out any other possible contributing factors. Here is a bit of the email I got from my vet on those results "I also wanted to let you know this histopathology report came back for Sadie, and there were no surprises. The liver lesions were consistent with fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome. No indication of any infectious condition was seen." I feed high quality feed from Scratch and Peck. I actually reached out to them and they reviewed with me the diet I was feeding and since I have made some very big dietary changes. But the same as you I was not really feeding any high fat items in their diet and zero corn at the time, but ultimately I had been giving too many treats. I have been trying to do some research since. Not allot of information on if this could be breed or genetically related but have read several other instances involving Buff Orpingtons. Here are some of the resources I have found

• http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0300985813503569
  
• http://www.merckvetmanual.com/poult...f-fatty-liver-hemorrhagic-syndrome-in-poultry
  
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24091813

Wow im dumbfounded. Maybe this isn’t as rare as we think. Yikes.. Also I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s awful. One positive is at least the deaths were quick for yours and my bird. Thank you so much for the information. I’ll definitely look at it! Knowing that you contacted your food distributor of your feed I think I’m going to do the same and contact new country organics.