What happened to my Aracana?

[SallyEdwards]

hi everyone, I'm hoping someone will have some ideas about what happened to my Molly. I went to collect eggs and do my evening lock up and found one of my aracanas on the floor of the coop under the roosts. She was laying flat with her head at a strange angle and she did not try and stand or get out of my way. She isn't one of my friendliest girls and usually doesn't like being handled. I picked her up and looked for injuries but all looked good. She was drooling clear liquid a bit. I took her to the house and spoon fed her a little water and put her in a box. She fell on her side and seemed to have almost a fit and then died! I don't know what happened she was fine and healthy and had been laying well. Any ideas?

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

I am not an expert or chicken vet... but from what I have read, it sounds like a brain or nervous system disorder or a broken neck... Could she have fallen off the perch?

Sorry I can not be of more help.

 

[coach723]

There are just too many possibilities to guess at what happened. The best option is to have a necropsy done, then you will know for sure and know if it's something that could affect the rest of your flock or not. If you still have the body, refrigerate it (don't freeze it) to save for necropsy. There are very good threads on here about how to package and ship off for necropsy. I'm going to attach a couple of links to necropsy resources, you can also call your local dept. of agriculture office and ask for resources. You can also do your own necropsy if that is something you are up to doing, you can look for obvious abnormalities in organs but you will not get lab results. Unless there are enough preceding symptoms to give a clue as to what might have been going on, then guessing is all anyone could do. It could be too many things, organ failure, virus, infection, etc.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

 

[SallyEdwards]

There are just too many possibilities to guess at what happened. The best option is to have a necropsy done, then you will know for sure and know if it's something that could affect the rest of your flock or not. If you still have the body, refrigerate it (don't freeze it) to save for necropsy. There are very good threads on here about how to package and ship off for necropsy. I'm going to attach a couple of links to necropsy resources, you can also call your local dept. of agriculture office and ask for resources. You can also do your own necropsy if that is something you are up to doing, you can look for obvious abnormalities in organs but you will not get lab results. Unless there are enough preceding symptoms to give a clue as to what might have been going on, then guessing is all anyone could do. It could be too many things, organ failure, virus, infection, etc.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf
http://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfm

Thank you, unfortunately she is already buried. I will definitely arrange a necropsy if it happens again

 

[SallyEdwards]

I am not an expert or chicken vet... but from what I have read, it sounds like a brain or nervous system disorder or a broken neck... Could she have fallen off the perch?

Sorry I can not be of more help.

Hi, thank you. She definitely could have fallen off the perch. My girls are fussy at getting the space they want. My gut reaction was a broken neck resulting from a fall. I'm hoping that is it and not a horrible disease.