Dead Light Sussex

Alison · **Posted:** Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:23 pm

Hello All - I found "Big Girl", our 6mth old Light Sussex dead in her coop this morning

She has never been a particularly robust chook, although in size she outstripped the other three Sussex by at last half a kilo (just guessing from carrying her around). She was a bit prone to running long distances (well, for a chook) when startled - and really puffed herself out with the fright of laying her first egg. Seriously, she took off and when I caught up with her was she was gasping for breath, then promptly laid a very tiny egg. All her eggs have been small (think smallish bantam size egg). Since that day she had developed a really crackly, wheezing breathing, especially if she had been particularly active. She didn't have the wheeze until she galloped up the paddock and fairly tuckered herself out. No other signs of ill health - no damp nose, comb always a good colour, glossy plumage, interaction with the other chooks, interested in things around her, poop as it should be... She was locked up at night with a couple of the other chooks and had 75 acres to roam in during the day, though the chooks don't really venture far from the house.

I'm putting her early death down to some kind of exercise induced chook asthma... Does anybody have a better suggestion though? She has free-ranged with 8 other hens, and spent time checking out the chickens. None of the other chooks have been wheezy, and all appear very well, but if there is some contagious blurgy I don't know about it would be good to hear...

Thanks,
Ali

Wills · **Joined:** Sat Oct 30, 2010 7:41 am **Posts:** 1

Can chooks die from a heart attack? maybe that's what happend

timewarp · **Joined:** Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:13 pm **Posts:** 385

sorry to hear of your loss , my best barny rooster had much the same as your girl , only his cone n turned dark purple really thought i was about to lose him , after a week in isolation on protine enriched diet n fresh water he's rite as rain , so mite be worth try with if happens again , sorry not of much help , keep your chin up . cheers n beers gary

parvo · **Joined:** Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm **Posts:** 735

Hi Alison,

Sorry to hear of Big Girl's loss.

It's more likely that the stress of the egg and running around brought out a previously hidden respiratory infection, rather than it being asthma.

The fact that she was never robust and laid small eggs all suggest a bird with some sort of underlying problem.

It could have been a disease such as Aspergillosis- a fungal infection of the airways, which can lie dormant, slowly smouldering until stress brings on a full blown illness.

Unfortunately, only a post mortem exam performed by an avian vet would give you a definite answer as to the cause.

Hope this helps

Parvo

Alison · **Posted:** Wed Nov 03, 2010 8:27 am

Thanks everybody for the suggestions and information. It is great to be able to get a range of opinions to consider. No signs at all of any wheezing in the rest of the flock, so hopefully it is a 'one off'.
cheers,
Ali

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