Dead hen

[KrisPorterFarm]

I had part of my dynamic duo Thelma and Louise pass away yesterday. Louise was fine yesterday morning and mid-day. We let them out to free range later in the day and I noticed that she was just laying there, not moving much. She was mouth breathing and her comb and wattles were pale pink. She would not eat or drink anything. One of the few times she was standing she looked hunched and fluffed up. I brought her in and put her in a container to see what might have been wrong with her. She was dead within the hour. I am at a loss as to what was going on. I am worried that my other ladies and gents might catch something. Any ideas what it could be? I will say that I did not notice any abnormal stools or any other glaring symptoms that stuck out to me. Crop was not full to bursting, was pliable, and stomach was not bloated. It was like she went lame, was panting with pale comb and dropped dead all within an hour. She would have been 2 years old in September. She was a Dominique. Thanks for any help figuring out what went wrong.

 

[LaFleche]

It is hard to tell from afar.

Did you check her and the coop carefully for mites/lice? They can suck the life out of a bird.

Any visible injuries from a possible predator attack?

Egg-binding comes to mind as well, so if you still have her and feel up to it, you could perform a home necropsy.

 

[KrisPorterFarm]

It is hard to tell from afar.

Did you check her and the coop carefully for mites/lice? They can suck the life out of a bird.

Any visible injuries from a possible predator attack?

Egg-binding comes to mind as well, so if you still have her and feel up to it, you could perform a home necropsy.

I did try to check for mites/lice. Didn't see anything moving on her or in the coop. I did do a complete clean today. Removed all bedding and scrubbed down nesting boxes, floor, and roosting bars with vinegar mixed with hot water. Made sure to dry everything before throwing down some PDZ and First Saturday lime. Refreshed bedding and scoured all waterers and feeders.
I didn't see any injuries and I don't let them free range without supervision. I checked her from beak to vent to toes.
That was my worry too. I already buried her because I could not talk myself into cutting her open. I just wondered if she would go downhill that fast from being egg bound. From the time I first noticed her laying down to death was about an hour, maybe hour and a half. She was up, scratching and pecking with the other girls and was fine earlier in the day. It just seemed to progress very quickly and I had no time to even try to figure out what to do or what may have happened.
I thought maybe there was a severe parasite load or some type of infection that I was unaware of. I am the type to check poop on a regular basis to make sure there are no worms. She didn't have smelly breath or any classical signs of sour crop or respiratory issues. I am baffled.

 

[Eggcessive]

What state are you in? You can do a home necropsy today to look at her major organs, and post pictures here for opinions. It would be good to look for an egg in the oviduct, to cut open the crop and gizzard, and to get pictures of the liver, the intestines, and major organs. Or your state vet could do a professional necropsy with tissue samples and testing on Monday if you keep the body cold in garbage bags in the refrigerator (do not freeze.) Sorry for your loss. Here is a list of state vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[KrisPorterFarm]

What state are you in? You can do a home necropsy today to look at her major organs, and post pictures here for opinions. It would be good to look for an egg in the oviduct, to cut open the crop and gizzard, and to get pictures of the liver, the intestines, and major organs. Or your state vet could do a professional necropsy with tissue samples and testing on Monday if you keep the body cold in garbage bags in the refrigerator (do not freeze.) Sorry for your loss. Here is a list of state vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

South Carolina. I have already buried her. I now know that Clemson Extension is the resource to contact in the future. Thanks for the kind words. She was a special girl and a true lap chicken.