Why did she die?

[Cattt123]

Hi all,

My little 5 day old quail died last night which I’m very upset about, but wondered if anyone can help me figure out why?
There’s a photo of a dark area of her abdomen here as I wondered if that was why?

link to my post about her general health. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/poorly-quail-chick.1421474/

she was doing really well, zooming around, eating, drinking so I was really surprised.

 

[lbgreenfield]

I'm sorry to hear about your quail chick. I don't have quail, but have raised chicken chicks. I am not sure where you live, but if you are in the USA, your state university will usually have a lab you can send dead livestock to for necropsy. You or a trusted adult (as it seems like from your previous post you under 18) can send the body to the state university lab to see what was the cause of death.

 

[Nabiki]

That dark spot looks like an open sore or wound and might well be the reason it died. Sometimes chicks just don't thrive as well.

 

[Cattt123]

That dark spot looks like an open sore or wound and might well be the reason it died. Sometimes chicks just don't thrive as well.

Thanks, it’s weird because it was a darker area when she was alive (I noticed it the evening she died) but it wasn’t an open wound. It just looked like she was a bit see through and had a dark area inside, but after she died it looks really dark and obvious. I wondered if it could be internal bleed?

 

[Cattt123]

I'm sorry to hear about your quail chick. I don't have quail, but have raised chicken chicks. I am not sure where you live, but if you are in the USA, your state university will usually have a lab you can send dead livestock to for necropsy. You or a trusted adult (as it seems like from your previous post you under 18) can send the body to the state university lab to see what was the cause of death.

Thank you for your help! I am in the uk and am actually 28
I’m not sure I can cope with the idea of an autopsy on her, so I guess I’ll have to live with not knowing

 

[Cattt123]

Also she did have a swollen crop - fits the description of sour crop perfectly, but it seems extremely unlikely in a 5 day old chick?
And it doesn’t explain the dark patch...

 

[swampfox440]

In my opinion there is some chance the navel where the yoke was attached got infected . They won't be able to process food with the infection so the crop will be full . What kind of infection ? It would have to be investigated .

 

[Cattt123]

In my opinion there is some chance the navel where the yoke was attached got infected . They won't be able to process food with the infection so the crop will be full . What kind of infection ? It would have to be investigated .

I did wonder this! I have zero experience in chicks but I had read about the yolk thing. I can’t say if it was there before but I only noticed it the day she died.
I would have thought I’d see it before, but then I wasn’t looking for it...

At least I know what to look for for the future!

thanks so much for taking the time to reply

 

[Quailobsessed]

I'm so sorry for your loss

This happened to my california quail chick too, but I think that was from poor genetics.

There are many reasons why chicks die. Sometimes they just fail to thrive.

 

[Cattt123]

I'm so sorry for your loss

This happened to my california quail chick too, but I think that was from poor genetics.

There are many reasons why chicks die. Sometimes they just fail to thrive.

Thank you so much it is hard! More than I expected. She was poorly to begin with but just seemed so healthy and then boom!

Its a painful learning curve but I guess I’ll know more for next time!