4 week old olive Egger just died this morning...

RobandSue2

Chirping
Jan 22, 2016
86
6
61
New Hampshire
Had a 4 week old olive Egger die this morning...no idea why just went out there and she was laid out. In the coop with 11 others who appea healthy....
Introduce 6 younger Ameraucana's to them a few days ago but they are separated by hardware cloth-separate eating and drinking....
This is my first loss this far in...
Panicking I have to separate them all...??
 
So sorry! There's no reason to separate them, because they aren't separate now. Were they all from the same source? Are they on medicated chick starter? Coccidia can be a problem if they are eating unmedicated feed, and birds from different flocks can introduce new diseases. Sometimes there's just something wrong with an individual, and it dies, without showing anything obvious wrong. You can wrap and chill the body in the frig for several days, in case more birds die and you want a post done. Mary
 
Sometimes chickens just die for no apparent reason. There could be something wrong with them internally like a birth defect that takes time to have an effect, like a bad heart. It could be a freak accident, maybe it broke its neck jumping or trying to fly and it hit something. I understand your concern but if it is a one-time occurrence, try to treat it as “things happen”.

However if you see a recurrence you might have a problem. I don’t know where you are located, putting your location in your profile can help with many questions, but if you are in the US I suggest you contact your county extension agent and get information on how you would get a chicken necropsy done and what it would cost. Each state is different in procedures and costs, but find out how you would need to handle a dead chick and get it where they can cut it open and try to determine what killed it. That normally involves refrigeration, not freezing. That way you are prepared if it happens again. It can be a great relief to know what actually happened.

I agree with Mary. It would do you no good to separate them now. If it doesn’t recur it probably had nothing to do with the new chicks anyway.
 
I very much appreciate the responses...these gals and guys were my first purchase from small farm dealer so have a lot of time waiting, anticipation in getting them and caring for them. Never thought I'd get this attached but hey it is what it is and I did...
Very much appreciate it...will continue to monitor...Thanks!!
 

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