![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kirkcudbrightThis chicken died suddenly last night (pic from a post about 3 years ago):
She had been unusually subdued, lethargic even. Francie was worried that she might be egg-bound, so brought her inside for a warm hip-bath and abdominal massage, and produced a strange object from her vent (more about that below). We set up a cage in the office, and she seemed to be resting peacefully, until she suddenly pitched over on her face, thrashed violently a couple of times, and died. Just like that.
So here's the object extracted from the chicken's butt:
It's a hard mass of tissue, about an inch long, with a large piece of tough, dry, folded membrane protruding from one end. There's no blood, and no connective tissue - this thing came out entire.
I suppose it's vaguely possible that it was a developing egg, but it's unlike any egg I've ever seen. Also, she was laying as recently as the day before she died, so I'm not convinced that it was egg binding.
The consistency of the object is more like a tumor, but do tumors ever just detach and flush themselves out of the system?
Maybe a bezoar? I'm completely at a loss to explain this thing.
Here it is with the membrane unfolded a bit:
She had been unusually subdued, lethargic even. Francie was worried that she might be egg-bound, so brought her inside for a warm hip-bath and abdominal massage, and produced a strange object from her vent (more about that below). We set up a cage in the office, and she seemed to be resting peacefully, until she suddenly pitched over on her face, thrashed violently a couple of times, and died. Just like that.
So here's the object extracted from the chicken's butt:
It's a hard mass of tissue, about an inch long, with a large piece of tough, dry, folded membrane protruding from one end. There's no blood, and no connective tissue - this thing came out entire.
I suppose it's vaguely possible that it was a developing egg, but it's unlike any egg I've ever seen. Also, she was laying as recently as the day before she died, so I'm not convinced that it was egg binding.
The consistency of the object is more like a tumor, but do tumors ever just detach and flush themselves out of the system?
Maybe a bezoar? I'm completely at a loss to explain this thing.
Here it is with the membrane unfolded a bit:
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-05-13 12:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-13 01:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-13 08:02 pm (UTC)fly this one by dr karen?
#
no subject
Date: 2010-05-13 02:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-13 05:58 pm (UTC)How long do chickens of that breed usually live?
no subject
Date: 2010-05-14 03:16 am (UTC)Vivian, however, was about six, if I remember correctly, and it's heading into summer. Her comb was vivid red (that's good), and her eyes were bright, and a few days ago, she acted like a mature -- but not old -- chicken, that is, a little independent-minded (no use whatsoever for our rooster, and no pressing need to be with the flock), and not inclined to rush, but spry enough when she saw a grub or people engaged in activities that might produce grubs. This struck me today while I was gardening, and none of the chickens raced over when I was hoeing, or even when I tossed grubs over the fence. She was the one who used to lead the others over.
no subject
Date: 2010-05-14 04:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-13 06:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-14 02:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-14 05:17 am (UTC)The picture of her and K is really cute, though!
And the other thing? Yow, that's impressively bizarre.
no subject
Date: 2010-05-14 02:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-05-15 11:53 pm (UTC)