[Warning Graphic Pic] Is This A Prolapse?

[gltrap54]

Found one of my 2 year old hens dead in the coop this AM..........

She was fine last night ........ What causes this & is there any preventions for the future?

 

[PapaBear4]

Looks like prolapse to me, but that's probably not the direct cause of death. There are a number of things that can cause prolapse. It's often a symptom of another issue, which is probably what directly killed it. I suspect it had something to do with egg production.
I can't tell breed from that end, but high production breeds sometimes start to have issues around 2 years. Mine have anyway.
Sorry for your loss. :-(

 

[gltrap54]

Thanks for taking the time to post here! This was very sudden (ie, over night).... It's hind sight but I can't help but think I could have done something to help her if it had happened during the day..... I only had 10 hens, so it'll impact my production & she was a good layer..... Couldn't have been one of my 2, 4 year olds......

 

[PapaBear4]

Disclaimer: I'm no vet.
Now that that's clear I can say that I think prolapse happens because she gets something stuck (or at least it feels that way to her) and she keeps trying to push it out to the point that she can't pull herself back together again. If you've ever watched one of your hens lay an egg, or even poop, you've probably seen how they can kind of invert their cloaca to make sure that it all gets out. Now imagine... well, I probably don't have to go into detail. It's the poultry version of hemorrhoids.

Maybe somebody more knowledgeable will chime in too.

(On a related side note, I think their ability to do that cloaca inversion thing gives them the ability to literally AIM their poop! And my jacket testifies that they're pretty good at it too.)

 

[BantamLover21]

First, I'm sorry for your loss.

Yes, that is a prolapse. Did you find her near or in a nest box? I would suspect egg binding or some other reproductive disorder as the cause of death, but there are many possibilities for sudden chicken deaths. Perhaps she had a heart attack, and post-death muscle spasms caused the prolapse, or other chickens pecked at her vent and yanked out tissue? Unless you have a necropsy done on her (and even if you did, the results could be inconclusive), it will be hard to tell exactly what killed her.

For now, I would say that this was a random event and your other chickens aren't in danger. I would just observe your flock closely for the next few days, making sure they're eating, drinking, and otherwise behaving normally.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

So sorry to read that you lost a member of your flock. As others have already confirmed, that is a prolapse but in itself, not the cause of her death.
If you are not too squeamish, you could do a DIY necropsy to see what lies behind it. If you are able to do so, please take photos and post them. There is a thread on DIY necropsies which some of us find interesting and informative and enables us to improve our knowledge of chicken biology and abnormalities. We can also sometimes use our combined experience to figure out why a chicken died. I think it is always useful to know why so that, if there is something in your management system that may be contributing, you can change it. For instance feeding too much scratch can lead to large fatty deposits that build up in the abdomen putting pressure on the reproductive system and eventually causing a hen to be unable to pass an egg. Not saying that is the case here but it might be. Another possibility is that there is a soft shelled or shell less egg inside her that she couldn't expel. Providing more calcium in the diet might prevent others suffering a similar fate....again, this is just an example and no reflection on your feeding regime.

If you don't feel able to do it yourself, some University/Agg Dept labs will do necropsies for free or a fixed fee which might be worth checking out depending on where you live.

Good luck with the rest of your flock.

Regards

Barbara

PS. Here is the link to the necropsy thread....beware it contains graphic photos
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ning-contains-xxx-graphic-necropsy-photos/320

 

[Isaac 0]

Sorry for your loss.

The others gave you great advice.

 

[gltrap54]

First, I'm sorry for your loss.

Yes, that is a prolapse. Did you find her near or in a nest box? I would suspect egg binding or some other reproductive disorder as the cause of death, but there are many possibilities for sudden chicken deaths. Perhaps she had a heart attack, and post-death muscle spasms caused the prolapse, or other chickens pecked at her vent and yanked out tissue? Unless you have a necropsy done on her (and even if you did, the results could be inconclusive), it will be hard to tell exactly what killed her.

For now, I would say that this was a random event and your other chickens aren't in danger. I would just observe your flock closely for the next few days, making sure they're eating, drinking, and otherwise behaving normally.

Thanks for your input! I did find her next to one of the nesting boxes.... She hadn't displayed any of the classic egg bound symptoms prior to her death, which is why I was so shocked to find her dead..... Probably will never know........ Everyone else seems fine....

Hi

So sorry to read that you lost a member of your flock. As others have already confirmed, that is a prolapse but in itself, not the cause of her death.
If you are not too squeamish, you could do a DIY necropsy to see what lies behind it. If you are able to do so, please take photos and post them. There is a thread on DIY necropsies which some of us find interesting and informative and enables us to improve our knowledge of chicken biology and abnormalities. We can also sometimes use our combined experience to figure out why a chicken died. I think it is always useful to know why so that, if there is something in your management system that may be contributing, you can change it. For instance feeding too much scratch can lead to large fatty deposits that build up in the abdomen putting pressure on the reproductive system and eventually causing a hen to be unable to pass an egg. Not saying that is the case here but it might be. Another possibility is that there is a soft shelled or shell less egg inside her that she couldn't expel. Providing more calcium in the diet might prevent others suffering a similar fate....again, this is just an example and no reflection on your feeding regime.

If you don't feel able to do it yourself, some University/Agg Dept labs will do necropsies for free or a fixed fee which might be worth checking out depending on where you live.

Good luck with the rest of your flock.

Regards

Barbara

PS. Here is the link to the necropsy thread....beware it contains graphic photos
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ning-contains-xxx-graphic-necropsy-photos/320

Thanks Barb for your help & concern! Feeding too much scratch does strike a cord in that my girls do get a little BOSS (mostly to lure them back into their pen) after I'm done cleaning up in the AM...... I've lost hens to what appeared to be egg binding in the past, but they were 4-5 years old whereas this hen was not quite 2 yet. I know that only 10% of their diet should consist of "treats", so I try not to overdo it...... Perhaps I should cut back on their BOSS?

 

[thehomesteadnw]

Looks like prolapse to me, but that's probably not the direct cause of death. There are a number of things that can cause prolapse. It's often a symptom of another issue, which is probably what directly killed it. I suspect it had something to do with egg production.
I can't tell breed from that end, but high production breeds sometimes start to have issues around 2 years. Mine have anyway.
Sorry for your loss. :-(

I had my chicken die of a prolapse this morning by my apple tree. Second one this year my girls are quite large and I think they might be Cornish cross mixes. They're definitely Rhode Island reds but they're extremely large for such. I had plenty of calcium. They get a phenomenal diet! I feel like I'm a pretty good chicken mom but still this was not avoided.