Help! Chicken had a seizure and died!

[CreativeChicken08]

Earlier today I went to check on my chickens, and I found one of them laying on her stomach on the poop shelf under where they sleep. She had her eyes closed and didn’t react when I petted her, but when I picked her up she opened her eyes. She had saliva dripping from her mouth. And also some vent gleet and might have been molting a bit. At one point we moved her outside and onto a clean surface and then waited. We picked her up one last time and she flapped her wings ferociously and her neck feathers flared up. She died immediately after stopping flapping.
Does anyone know what could have caused one of my favorite ladies to die? She was totally fine yesterday and even sleeping normally when I checked on them last night. Did my chicken have a seizure??

 

[Debbie292d]

So sorry for your loss.

The saliva coming from her mouth could be telling, but sometimes they die and we never know why unless we get a necropsy done. Provided the rest of your chickens are doing okay, I wouldn't worry too much, but it's hard I know to lose one.

If others have vent gleet too, they need probiotics. We ferment grain which is high, but also sugar-free Greek yogurt is good. Hydro Hen is a probiotic water additive.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. Did she have a messy vent or actually vent gleet? Vent gleet is a fungal infection, and a bit complicated. Many hens get diarrhea and it soils their vent feathers, but it doesn’t cause the balding red vent area, missing feathers, and smelly yeast infection. When I have witnessed a chicken die, they do tend to look like they are having a seizure, so it is not really a seizure. Saliva may come from the beak if there is fluid in the crop or they have recently drunk. But a sour crop might cause that as well. Chickens are sometimes weak and vulnerable to illness during their molt. The best way to find out what might have been wrong is to have your state vet lab do a necropsy if you can keep the body cold, not frozen, and take it to the lab Monday. Some do home necropsies and those can sometimes show reproductive disorders, egg yolk peritonitis, water belly, fatty liver, and cancer. We welcome pictures from home necropsies for any help.

 

[CreativeChicken08]

Sorry for your loss. Did she have a messy vent or actually vent gleet? Vent gleet is a fungal infection, and a bit complicated. Many hens get diarrhea and it soils their vent feathers, but it doesn’t cause the balding red vent area, missing feathers, and smelly yeast infection. When I have witnessed a chicken die, they do tend to look like they are having a seizure, so it is not really a seizure. Saliva may come from the beak if there is fluid in the crop or they have recently drunk. But a sour crop might cause that as well. Chickens are sometimes weak and vulnerable to illness during their molt. The best way to find out what might have been wrong is to have your state vet lab do a necropsy if you can keep the body cold, not frozen, and take it to the lab Monday. Some do home necropsies and those can sometimes show reproductive disorders, egg yolk peritonitis, water belly, fatty liver, and cancer. We welcome pictures from home necropsies for any help.

We didn’t think of a necropsy, we have already buried her. But her vent wasn’t very messy and she was only molting a few feathers. But thank you for the info.

 

[The Birb King]

That's weird since pretty much the same thing happened to my silkie hen a few months ago. She had some strange green mold on her butt and when I finished wiping it off and put her down, she started flapping and squirming then just died. It's so frustrating when they just die for no reason

 

[CreativeChicken08]

That's weird since pretty much the same thing happened to my silkie hen a few months ago. She had some strange green mold on her butt and when I finished wiping it off and put her down, she started flapping and squirming then just died. It's so frustrating when they just die for no reason

Which. When she(Ellie) died, she started letting out her bowels, which had weird light green poo. Is that kind of what your silkie had? Sorry for your loss.

 

[The Birb King]

Which. When she(Ellie) died, she started letting out her bowels, which had weird light green poo. Is that kind of what your silkie had? Sorry for your loss.

I'm not sure there was just green stuff on her butt

 

[Eggcessive]

Green poop from bile is usually a sign that they have not been eating enough. The bowels relax upon death, so it sounds normal if she was having some loose stools.

 

[Yard Farmer]

I'm sorry for your loss..

It sounds like the others got you covered on trying to figure out what you lady could've passed from.