Post Mortem on a Polish

We lost a polish pullet. We did this autopsy in an attempt to find any clues to the cause of her illness. After her body was removed and wrapped up and we were just looking at organs it was simply a matter of trying to solve a puzzle. Even if we can't work out what happened to here, perhaps this pictures will help someone else understand how chicken insides work.

Her illness extended over four weeks. Her symptoms were

lethargy/sleepiness, head droopiness
Shaking head jerkily on occasion
We found some round worms
Some right side and right leg paralysis increasing toward the end
Some respiratory mucous at end

1. Evidence of vomitting at end.


2. Method of entry through chest wall


3. Chest opened


4. Heart in centre - liver we think


5. Pink lung being detached from chest wall


6. Redder lung being detached


7. Heart and lungs removed. We think one lung looks darker in colour


8. Heart sliced in half - we think it looks normal?


9. Lung with slice - it oozed bubbly froth - possible infection. Actually both lungs were very wet, this one was the worst.



10. Crop


11. Bile duct?? staining surrounding it


12. Pancreas?


13. Kidneys?


14. Intestine


15. Gizzard opened

16. Underside of liver??



Our conclusion was that she died of pnuemonia, but that something else sickened her to begin with. We still don't know what that was. The head shake and the paralysis may indicate some central nervous system involvement. Hope this was educational to someone.

View upwards to the top part of the trachea:


View down mouth - can't see any abnormalities:


Slices of liver:



Opened crop:


Ceca


Opened (smell was putrid):


Tubes going to vent:

Opened:


Kidney shots:
I'm not sure what chook kidneys are supposed to look like but these were very lumpy.
Uncut kidneys:

Slice of kidney:


There was no clear indication that she had Marek's Disease.