MissGreenJeans
Songster
Hi, fellow chicken keepers. I’m hoping for some advice about next steps after my first loss.
Grit, my 2-year old olive egger, died suddenly 3 days ago while I was out of town. When my pet sitter went out just after dark to lock up the coop, she found Grit lying on her side in the run, dead but still warm. The sitter had been out there only 20 minutes before to check on the girls. At that time, all chickens, including Grit, looked completely normal and even energetic. The sitter also monitored them periodically throughout the day, and she saw nothing unusual. I hadn’t seen anything unusual myself over the days and weeks prior. The only sign of potential distress that day was that Grit appeared to be wanting to get out of the run when the sitter came out. She said that she thought Grit was just excited by the prospect of getting some treats, which she may have been—though attempting to exit the run wasn’t normal for her. I did notice another chicken mounting Grit a few times recently. Those dominance displays, though new between them, were over within seconds. I could be wrong, but I don’t think they were happening frequently. The only other out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened during the day was that the girls got some arugula and frozen banana, strawberries and blueberries. It was a warm day—mid to high 80s—so the sitter added ice to waterers and watched for panting and other signs of heat stress. She said she saw none.
My sitter took Grit to the state veterinary diagnostic lab the next morning. There were no signs of internal or external trauma, there were no internal or external parasites, Grit’s muscles and fat layer looked good, and she appeared to have been a healthy bird. The only thing the vet noted was a large, soft-shelled egg inside Grit, and she said she might have been “a little impacted” because of it. The vet sent samples to another lab for analysis. Though there were no signs of respiratory infection, she mentioned the possibility of infectious bronchitis or avian flu. If those tests come back negative, the vet said she won’t know why Grit died.
I have to wait another week or two for the pathology report, and I’ll be on tenterhooks until then. I’ve been monitoring my remaining hens closely. All are eating and drinking, I’ve seen no unusual poop, all are moving around normally and doing normal things like dust bathing, and they’re still laying.
Has anyone had a similar experience? Should I call a vet to come out and put eyes on the whole flock, even though they appear to be fine? Any thoughts about what may have happened to Grit?
My hens are pets, and I’m heartbroken about Grit’s loss. I’m also so worried about the rest of my flock. Having to euthanize all my hens if Grit tests positive for flu, which I believe is mandatory, would be devastating. Though I’ll obviously be relieved if this wasn’t a virus, I hate that I won’t know what went wrong—and if I could have prevented Grit’s death.
Per forum directions, here’s some additional info:
Grit, my 2-year old olive egger, died suddenly 3 days ago while I was out of town. When my pet sitter went out just after dark to lock up the coop, she found Grit lying on her side in the run, dead but still warm. The sitter had been out there only 20 minutes before to check on the girls. At that time, all chickens, including Grit, looked completely normal and even energetic. The sitter also monitored them periodically throughout the day, and she saw nothing unusual. I hadn’t seen anything unusual myself over the days and weeks prior. The only sign of potential distress that day was that Grit appeared to be wanting to get out of the run when the sitter came out. She said that she thought Grit was just excited by the prospect of getting some treats, which she may have been—though attempting to exit the run wasn’t normal for her. I did notice another chicken mounting Grit a few times recently. Those dominance displays, though new between them, were over within seconds. I could be wrong, but I don’t think they were happening frequently. The only other out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened during the day was that the girls got some arugula and frozen banana, strawberries and blueberries. It was a warm day—mid to high 80s—so the sitter added ice to waterers and watched for panting and other signs of heat stress. She said she saw none.
My sitter took Grit to the state veterinary diagnostic lab the next morning. There were no signs of internal or external trauma, there were no internal or external parasites, Grit’s muscles and fat layer looked good, and she appeared to have been a healthy bird. The only thing the vet noted was a large, soft-shelled egg inside Grit, and she said she might have been “a little impacted” because of it. The vet sent samples to another lab for analysis. Though there were no signs of respiratory infection, she mentioned the possibility of infectious bronchitis or avian flu. If those tests come back negative, the vet said she won’t know why Grit died.
I have to wait another week or two for the pathology report, and I’ll be on tenterhooks until then. I’ve been monitoring my remaining hens closely. All are eating and drinking, I’ve seen no unusual poop, all are moving around normally and doing normal things like dust bathing, and they’re still laying.
Has anyone had a similar experience? Should I call a vet to come out and put eyes on the whole flock, even though they appear to be fine? Any thoughts about what may have happened to Grit?
My hens are pets, and I’m heartbroken about Grit’s loss. I’m also so worried about the rest of my flock. Having to euthanize all my hens if Grit tests positive for flu, which I believe is mandatory, would be devastating. Though I’ll obviously be relieved if this wasn’t a virus, I hate that I won’t know what went wrong—and if I could have prevented Grit’s death.
Per forum directions, here’s some additional info:
- Grit was a 2-year old Olive Egger, the smallest in the flock but not thin or overweight.
- Grit laid a soft-shelled egg about two weeks ago. No other birds have done this. Grit’s eggs often had calcium deposits on them, but they were otherwise normal. I haven’t noticed a decrease in egg production overall.
- Over the past few months, I’ve heard one bird sneezing occasionally, but their run is a bit dusty. No birds have had nasal discharge and I’ve never heard any coughing. I’ve seen no lethargy.
- Some of the chickens appear to have a small feather or two coming out here and there. (Seems a bit early, but maybe we’re getting close to molting season?) One chicken has been overgrooming a few others. The Easter Eggers are missing beard feathers and some cheek muff feathers.
- The chickens eat Scratch and Peck organic layer pellets. They get some treats, like fruits and veg, scratch, and soldier fly larvae, but I give those sparingly. The chickens always have access to grit and oyster shells.
- The coop is about 5x5 ft. and attached to a run, which is about 16x8 ft. I use aspen shavings in the coop and wood chips in the run (though the latter have degraded and it’s time to replace). The top of the run is covered by clear plastic to keep out rain and snow. About a third is covered by a shade cloth during hot months. The run is entirely covered by hardware cloth (so no other animals, including wild birds, have access).
- I live in NC, in a place where it rains very often. I’ve seen no signs of mold, but the rain does blow in via the sides of the run. The floor of the run is sometimes a bit damp, but there’s never any standing water.
- The chickens don’t free range. They live in their coop and run at all times. I don’t visit other homes with chickens, and I have a pair of boots designated for the run only.
