Why did my pullet die? Could it be the rooster?

[BlueShadow]

I am trying to figure out why a pullet died yesterday. I can't find anything obvious. She was in good health and laying eggs the day before. She had her usual sassy attitude and pecked me when I tried to take the egg while she was sitting on the nest. I also saw her on the roost that night. The next afternoon, I found her dead. No obvious signs of injury or disease. The odd thing is that she was in a very awkward location. She was snugged up against the cinder block that the waterer sits on, with her neck curled off to the side. She had straw bedding in her beak. My thought was maybe she got stuck and couldn't get up and died. The only reason I can think that may have happened was the rooster, because the area is open.

My flock had 13 birds with her - 1 Salmon Faverolle juvenile rooster (hatched in May 2018), 2 bantam cochin hens, 5 large breed pullets, 5 large breed hens. The coop is large - about 12x14 feet, with roosts, a hay bale, waterers, and a few other things in there to break up the area and give them places to get away from each other. There is a large fenced in yard they have access to at all times, besides being let out to free range a few hours every afternoon. I know the rooster is just being a rooster, but it always seems to me that he is a bit aggressive with the hens. Mounting them I understand, but he also pecks them a lot, herds them around, claps his wings, etc.

Could it be the rooster? Is there something else I should consider here?

 

[cmom]

Sometimes it's a mystery. Over the years I have found some dead with no obvious reasons why.

 

[lilmillefleur]

If it was the rooster, I'd imagine you would see some sort of injury...
Did you dispose of the body or do you still have it? You could send it in to your State Lab for a necropsy. Usually not very expensive.

 

[BlueShadow]

Sometimes it's a mystery. Over the years I have found some dead with no obvious reasons why.

You are right, of course. I think in this case, I am especially disappointed because it was a young pullet and she was a good layer. I wanted to check for ideas because if it is preventable, I don't want this to happen again!

 

[BlueShadow]

If it was the rooster, I'd imagine you would see some sort of injury...
Did you dispose of the body or do you still have it? You could send it in to your State Lab for a necropsy. Usually not very expensive.

I did wonder if the rooster would leave some kind of mark. I do have the body, although I won't bother submitting it for necropsy with the holidays. I have no reason to suspect disease. I may cut it open myself and see if anything else becomes obvious. Or even just pluck the feathers so I can look more easily for injury... now that's an idea.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

I lost my 17 wk bantam Polish the other day extremely suddenly. No signs of illness at all, eating, drinking, pooping and 5-10 min before I found her dead she greeted me at the run door with the others. Here's my guess which probably doesn't pertain to your situation though. Part of my run is under the coop. That's where she was when I brought something new into the run. They all startled at the new thing in their area and flew everywhere. They're all bantams, so good flyers. She, being a Polish, has zero vision above her. I think she startled, took off to fly and hit the coop above her. I found her very shortly after they startled. Under the coop, still warm, and with a very very floppy neck. I'm new to chickens and haven't had one die yet, so it's possible their necks are very floppy when they're dead, but my thought was she broke her neck.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have over the years found what seemed to be perfectly healthy, active birds just dead. So perplexing, but I saw on here years ago, that most birds are hatchery birds, where as they hatch and hatch a lot of birds, sell them as chicks and are done with those birds.

So the people breeding the birds, do not know anything about the lifespan of the birds. I assume, that those sudden death birds are an internal problem, probably genetic, and probably you don't want in your flock, to be passed on.

However, it always seems to be a good bird, dang it. Always the one I kind of like.

Mrs K
ps - I don't think it is your rooster

 

[aart]

She was snugged up against the cinder block that the waterer sits on, with her neck curled off to the side. She had straw bedding in her beak. My thought was maybe she got stuck and couldn't get up and died. The only reason I can think that may have happened was the rooster, because the area is open.

Was she trapped, maybe trying to hide from the male...or a predator?
Beak full of straw, did she try to gorge on it and choked?
Can be hard to say, sorry for your loss.