What Killed Lorelei.. Layman's Necropsy(WARNING!!-GRAPHIC PICS BELOW)

[dlhunicorn]

Carla, I have never read that MG/CRD caused the reproductive tract damage that IB is notorious for which is why I mentioned it.

 

[speckledhen]

Do let us know, Carla. I just hate to see them dwindle away like that. I thought Lorelei might recover since she had similar symptoms last summer, including extreme weight loss. That's why I kept making her special foods, etc. But, it wasn't to be. I know there's nothing I can really do to stop them from laying, but I can certainly not push them to lay. Anyone thinking about adding lots of light to keep the hens laying artificially through the winters when they'd naturally slow down should look at the photographs. There are studies that prove that reproductive cancers in laying hens are caused by being pushed with lots of artificial light. I'm sure Diana could quote a couple of them.

 

[jjthink]

Brave brave girl, to keep on keepin' on, despite all those troubles.
Over time Betty passed a few blobs/masses like the one in your photo. At first antibiotics/antiinflammatories really perked her up (they were guessing peritonitis) and then in time they did not help, her comb went pale and she became very inactive. At that point tried a different antibiotic per U. of PA. No luck. Then the hysterectomy. When she was opened up for the hysterectomy the vet said he found lots of festering rotting eggs - I was heartbroken, thinking how utterly ill she must have been feeling. She died 2 hours after the surgery. In retrospect, I should have done the hysterectomy early on - wa sthrown off by an x-ray/ultrasound that showed no egg buildup but it was wrong.....
They are such brave little souls. JJ

 

[allen wranch]

Cyn,
This hen was always thin. I got two chicks/pullets each of three different breeds in Feb. 2007 and one of each breed was always light. They eat fine and run around all the time, but are just light. I have a five year old Polish frizzle who has never had any weight on her.

The Welsumner hen started acting strange about five days ago - standing by herself, not eating treats, etc. When I picked her up, she had no meat at all on her breast, but her abdomen was rock hard. I knew I couldn't do anything at that point.

I should have the lab results later this week, and will let everyone know what the underlying infection was.

 

[ozark hen]

So, is there anything we can do to prevent this? So sorry, Cyn.
edited to add: other than not keeping a light on in the coop to prolong daylight hours?

 

[dlhunicorn]

high producing birds will often have reproductive disorders... as you read in that one article, IB (especially at a certain age) can damage the tract also ... so allowing your birds a "break" and optimum environment and nutrition is really all you can do. Multiple conditions can exist concurrently but no, to my knowledge only surgery can "treat" the condition.

 

[Solsken Farm]

Awwww. You are very brave to face this.

Poor girl.

 

[SpottedCrow]

At least you have an idea what might've gone on, Cyn and Carla...

Hugs

 

[CarriBrown]

:aww
What a brave girl Lorelei was. I hope you feel a little better knowing that you did what you could for her. HUGS

 

[Lunachick]

I'm sorry you lost your Lorelei, Specks.