What happened to my lt Natalia? RIP my girl

[Birdsong 82]

This morning I was going to feed the chickens and noticed my light Brahma sitting in the corner by herself and it looks like she was falling in and out of sleep. Of course when one doesn’t get up to eat I know somethings wrong. I picked her up and she was extremely limp I could barely get her to hold her own head up sometimes. I slowly tried to get her water and nutra drench. I placed her on the floor to get my phone to come on backyard chickens to see if anybody had any ideas and she started twitching and thrusting like crazy all over the floor. Then she stopped in twitch more time. And I knew that was it. It’s just so strange because It was out of nowhere. It was almost like a chicken seizure or something. Just seeing if anybody has experienced anything like this. It was really hard to watch.

 

[azygous]

What you saw was death throes. When a chicken's heart stops, it causes involuntary spasm of the wings, appearing as if she was having a seizure.

More concerning is what caused the hen to die. If you wish to find out, refrigerate her body (do not freeze) and locate a state lab to do a necropsy by calling your university extension office.

 

[Birdsong 82]

How would I find out what or where my university extension office would be? I did want to send her in so I know whether I need to worry about my other chickens or not
I’ve just never seen a chicken twitch that violently she was all over the place and it lasted for like at least 10 seconds straight of her twitching stopping twitching and stopping but it felt like an hour. I need to find a twitch what that was. I still haven’t broke the news to my daughter. It was her chicken that she picked out as a baby in March and Absolutely in love with her. She was at school when it happened and luckily we had somewhere to go right after school so she didn’t go down and check on her

 

[Birdsong 82]

And I really don’t know if this has anything to do with it. Maybe a does maybe a dosent. We noticed on a daily basis there were two Rhode Island Reds that we’re always hanging out by our driveway. I can’t figure out who or where they came from but they just kind of showed up every day. And they would leave at night at least I assumed. One day I noticed there was only one and I just got a strange feeling I need to go to my run into a headcount. I had an extra! I guess when my husband put them up since it was just another Rhode Island red he didn’t notice. There is 25 of them total so I’ll give them that and we have a lot of reds I was hoping she would go back wherever she came from when they went to go free range. When I did another headcount yesterday morning we ended up with both of them. I work in the evenings so my husband puts them up and he says he does a headcount but I’m starting to doubt that Because they were in there again this morning when I did a headcount.
I was getting ready to deworm them just as a precautionary measure since I don’t know where those chickens came from. I don’t feel like that was what killed her call because the last time I saw her which was Wednesday afternoon she was perfectly fine

 

[azygous]

Contact this individual for information on getting a necropsy.
Dr. Joe Garvin
Office of Laboratory Services
804.221.2543
[email protected]

 

[azygous]

That's funny about the two RIRs muscling their way into the flock. It's a good idea to worm them. I doubt they had anything to do with the death of your hen, though.

 

[Birdsong 82]

I doubt it too but definitely don’t want any other problems occurring. I have been fortunate enough over the years not to have to had to deworm them. Is there any suggestions on what I should use? And with drawl. Which will be terrible.

 

[azygous]

I like Safeguard. It works on all types of worms. Feed stores carry it. I think even Walmart has it in the pet section.

@casportpony has a thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/safeguard-mash-zero-day-egg-withdrawal.1254653/ that describes different methods of using Safeguard and how to do it so there is no need for egg withdrawal.

 

[Birdsong 82]

If it’s the same safeguard that is use for goats than I have that in my first aid kit at all times. It’s gonna be tough getting all 24 individually by myself. Especially the rooster. He’s respectful to me and all. Actually a dream of a rooster.. very dedicated... but he’s a no touch kinda man! If I went to pick him he’d haul tail and not a good idea to chase a rooster with spurs 1-2 inches long. Haha. I’ll figure it out I’m sure

 

[Birdsong 82]

Ooops. I finally got that thread to load( terrible service ) and was reading about the mixing. ... awesome! I just got home from my 13 hr night shift so that’s a lot of math for me right now. Haha. Thank you so much for your help with all this!