Peafowl death?

[beesbeesbeeswoo]

Hi, one of our peahens was dead in the run this evening… did not immediately notice because she was in the corner behind roost. Flies had gone after one eye socket.

Did a limited autopsy because the barn cats would not leave me alone. Some possibilities: There is a sharp piece of brown glass(?!) in her crop, and liver looks slightly green, although that might have been from decomp… reminded me of green belly in dead predators. Her neck was very limp while stiffness had set in elsewhere. Does that mean a broken neck? I know peafowl can get scared and do that sort of thing, just not sure how to tell if the limp neck was decomp or injury. No obvious signs of infection, worms, diarrhea, abnormal vent, etc. They are not laying yet except for one (unfertilized) egg a month or so ago, expecting everyone to start laying next year.

We did have a peahen that was favoring one leg and not roosting. Before I could do anything besides catch her and look her over, she improved enough to roost but would still limp slightly… was planning to look her over again Saturday. I can see if that was the one who died in the morning??

They eat mixed pellet feed with cat food and sunflower seeds daily. Getting greens + shrimp bits + banana at least once a week.

I am on mobile so attaching autopsy photos here, I don’t know how to censor them if I am supposed to. Please provide insight as to what happened if you have any ideas!!!!

 

[KsKingBee]

When they eat a sharp object it normally pierces the throat or crop and leaks food stuffs into the body cavity causing a bacterial infection that kills them within a few days. Finding her under a roost with a limp neck tells me she flushed and broke her neck either on the ceiling or roost. You can feel the spine from head to body and feel for a kink where it is broken. If you open the neck you can find a blood clot at the broken area.