10 week old black sex link died, why?

[jesdu]

Hi, I am new to this site, though I have been reading it alot since we got 3 chix in March 2010. One buckeye, one barred rock and one black sex link. The black sex link died the other night. She never grew to the same size as the other two, but she always seemed fine -- very loud, loved finding worms, kind of a leader despite her size. I never thought she was picked on by the other two b/c of her size but maybe I just didn't notice it since these are our first months with chickens. The afternoon before she died I did think for the first time, even if she is small and maybe a bantam (?) she doesn't seem to be getting much stronger. I also noticed poop on her bottom. So I thought I would keep an eye on her the next day or two and figure out if I should do something, but then she died that night. Once I looked at her body when she was dead, I noticed some brownish raised, swollen bumps/sores on one of her legs (I'll try to add the photo) and on her underbelly where there were no feathers. Any thoughts about why she might have died? Maybe she was not a bantam, maybe she was just never a strong chick to start out.

Thank you.

 

[Matt A NC]

She could have had mites. If she slept on bedding(shavings, etc) then check where she slept. Those things don't normally live on the birds, but in the bedding and cracks of the coops/boxes.

The other may have lesser infestations. I would dust them with seven dust, the 5% kind.

Matt