First Loss… Why Did She Pass So Suddenly? EYP?

[YaySlee]

Yesterday, I lost my first chicken, Lucy, who was also my first pet. As a small animal veterinarian with limited knowledge of chicken medicine, I’m struggling to understand her sudden death and would appreciate insights from the chicken community.

She had been acting normal all day—eating, foraging, and resting by my side while I studied. That night, I moved her to her usual sleeping spot on the windowsill. About an hour later, I heard her panting. She was disoriented, had a pale comb, couldn’t stand, and her abdomen felt mildly squishy cranially and firm distally. She passed yolk-colored stools and had a lump on the left side of her neck that I hadn’t noticed before.

I massaged her crop and neck throughout the night, kept her warm, and gave her yogurt and an antibiotic, which she managed to swallow. Despite my efforts, she started convulsing and gasping before passing away in my arms.

Based on my research, I suspect egg yolk peritonitis (EYP) as the cause. She was 1.4 years old and stopped laying eggs 6–8 months ago. I wanted to confirm with a necropsy but it all happened so quickly that by the time I sat down to think… my father had buried her and I didn’t want to dig her back up and open my own pet. At that point I wanted to let her rest.

Can EYP take a seemingly healthy chicken so quickly, with little warning? I’m struggling to accept how fast this happened and would love any advice or similar experiences.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Egg yolk in the stool usually indicates EYP. Do you have a photo of her poop and the “lump” on her neck?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm so sorry for your sudden loss.

 

[YaySlee]

Egg yolk in the stool usually indicates EYP. Do you have a photo of her poop and the “lump” on her neck?

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures. I’ll see if I find the towel she pooped on during those hours and take a picture. Everything happened between 3 AM and 5 AM. The stool was definitely a bright yolk-yellow color. She was perfectly fine before that, and there’s no chance she ate something that could have caused an obstruction in her esophagus or crop impaction. Her breathing was rapid and panting, not gasping, until her very last moments.

Update: attached the picture of her last stools

 

[YaySlee]

I'm so sorry for your sudden loss.

Thank you. It’s been hard especially not being able to treat her.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you. It’s been hard especially not being able to treat her.

I can imagine. I lost one to a sudden and fatal prolapse. There was no fixing it, it was so severe. We had to put her down and she had been fine that morning. Chickens will break your heart faster than anything but still... can't help loving them, needing them.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. If the normally white urates were bright yellow, that usually is a sign of liver failure, and is seen with egg yolk peritonitis, fatty liver disease, cancer, and heart failure. Many times I have been able to see some signs when looking at the organs during a simple necropsy, to figure out what might have killed my hens. Most state vets can do a thorough necropsy with histology and testing, to help you find out the cause of death if the body is kept cold. I have also had hens who looked fine one minute, and died suddenly of unknown reasons. That is why I started doing home necropsies.

 

[YaySlee]

I can imagine. I lost one to a sudden and fatal prolapse. There was no fixing it, it was so severe. We had to put her down and she had been fine that morning. Chickens will break your heart faster than anything but still... can't help loving them, needing them.

I don’t think I’ll have anymore chickens for awhile. I can’t replace her so quickly but I do see myself having more in the future. They are a special type of love. Thank you for your comments

 

[YaySlee]

Sorry for your loss. If the normally white urates were bright yellow, that usually is a sign of liver failure, and is seen with egg yolk peritonitis, fatty liver disease, cancer, and heart failure. Many times I have been able to see some signs when looking at the organs during a simple necropsy, to figure out what might have killed my hens. Most state vets can do a thorough necropsy with histology and testing, to help you find out the cause of death if the body is kept cold. I have also had hens who looked fine one minute, and died suddenly of unknown reasons. That is why I started doing home necropsies.

Unfortunately, I buried her yesterday morning, so I don’t think I’ll be able to perform a necropsy myself. While I do know how to do them from my time in clinics, I didn’t have the heart to examine my first and only one. Instead, I’ve been researching online to piece together her probable cause of death. I agree with you—I’m leaning more toward EYP, especially since she stopped laying months ago and exhibited nesting behaviors daily without producing any eggs. Maybe in the future, if I have more chickens, I’ll consider doing a home necropsy to be 100% certain and find some peace of mind. Thank you for taking the time to comment

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I don’t think I’ll have anymore chickens for awhile. I can’t replace her so quickly but I do see myself having more in the future. They are a special type of love. Thank you for your comments