Healthy looking chicken dies, why?

[TomG]

My favorite chicken, a one+ year old barred rock, died today. I let the birds out of the coop this afternoon as I always do. She looked great, acted like normal. When I went out to secure them for the night she wasn't around. I searched the grounds and found her dead and totally intact. I looked her over well and found no bugs, no wounds, no anything. She was wormed a month ago and has been acting like her perky self. Do laying hens die of heart attacks like meaties at an early age sometimes? Should I give the others some type of medicine? She was not eggbound as she layed today and every day this week.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

sorry for your loss. Sometimes they just die don't know why

 

[cukooformarans]

This has happened to us before (once or twice in 4 years) and we have assumed that it was due to a snake bite. Even though we didn't see marks, we figured the feathers may have hidden them. It hasn't happened in quite a while and doesn't seem to affect any other chickens. If there are possibilities other than a snake, I'd love to know them!

 

[TomG]

Quote:
Thank you for your reply. I live in a part of urban Oregon where there are no snakes. Coons, 'possems, hawks and skunks. But no snakes. wasp?

 

[cukooformarans]

I don't know about a wasp. We live in Central Alabama in the country, so snakes are pretty common. DH has killed 2 or three in the coop already this year but they were chicken snakes. Bleh .... really don't like the snakes!! Coon or possum should be obvious. Will a skunk kill a chicken?
Coon or possum should be obvious.--Edited to clarify: I meant that if a coon or possum had killed the chicken, there would probably be unmistakable signs of an attack. Sorry about that!!

 

[Elite Silkies]

What have your temps been?

 

[TomG]

Quote:
Temps have been 70s and low 80s as highs. maybe 60 as a low. Very comfortable.

 

[birdlover]

Yes, it isn't unusual for a chicken to die of a heart attack at that age. I lost one the same age as yours, healthy to the end. Took her for a necropsy and they found her liver had burst. This is usually due to being overweight which I didn't realize she was. So, those are two possible reasons. I'm sorry you lost her. I know how devastating it feels.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

Quote:
Yes, skunks will kill chickens, but they're nocturnal so probably not during the day. I lost a cockerel when we had the extreme heats a couple of weeks ago. He was laying with the rest of the flock, under their favorite cover and he was just dead. I think it was the heat but some things we'll just never know.

 

[Elite Silkies]

Well with temps like that, that's not the problem. There are so many things that it could have been. A necropsy would probably tell you, but not sure if you want to do that.