What Killed My Hen..It Wasn't Marek's-WARNING graphic photo

[Abriana]

so sorry for you loss. You did all you could for her, she knew she was loved.

 

[microchick]

Thanks @Latestarter and @Abriana.

I never guessed in a million years that was what killed her. When I checked her yesterday I seriously thought she was egg bound. When she didn't pass what I thought was an egg though, I suspected it was something I hadn't hit on yet.

looking back she had a slightly upright penguin stance yesterday which probably is what made me think she was egg bound and check her. It probably felt like she was trying to pass an egg and it could have been too big to be 'laid'.

Once I saw that and could see more in the ruptured uterus, I didn't go any further with my explorations.

Mainly because it was in the 30s with a strong north wind hitting me in the face where I was working.

 

[Latestarter]

Anything else you might have found would have been a moot point in any case. What you found in all likelihood was the source and reason for the loss, or would have been if something else hadn't beaten it to it.. End result is the same. Hope it wasn't too painful for her.

 

[microchick]

I do too, @Latestarter, but from a female POV I imagine it was like being in labor with a baby that is too big. Unfortunately she had to be pretty miserable.

If only they could talk and tell us what is wrong and where it hurts. Having dealt with Marek's as long as I have I never let my birds suffer when they reach the terminal stage of the disease.

The weird thing is that she never developed water belly. There was about a cc of fluid around her intestines but to feel her belly, she felt normal from breastbone to vent.