Can chickens get heart attacks?

[The Mother Hen]

Also, they haven't been on their backs, they are on their sides just dead. I know a few of my older hens have died from a blowout of the vent, but that shouldn't happen to my chicks, they aren't even laying yet!

 

[Nutcase]

Sometimes heart failure is a genetic thing. Other times it is caused by an underlying problem. Sometimes these things just happen.

 

[ChicksandWeeds]

i was just in the coop and saw one of the buffs (18 mo) on the ground...weird..as if nesting ...a little flap of her wing...i picked her up...and realized she was dying, comb starting to turn dark ...i was ...what the ......some have been stressed out because of the junior roosters, but still ...i took her to the water faucet and held the chest under cold water, rubbing it...seemed better then worse again...head falling over - some more wing flaps - i put more cold water on chest (under faucet with some tapping/rubbing - picked her up again and saw she had opened her eyes.....some more cold water - then held her to my chest and kept very gently rocking her, telling her i loved her for a while..she was now breathing. i held her for quite a while, then placed her into a dog crate inside the coop ...he stood there a little uncertain but not liking her wet feathers...offered water and fermented grain ...which she wanted and ate. checked on her later and she was sitting breathing quietly in the dog crate. i will keep her and a couple of others in a partitioned coup - if she makes it through the night. she would have been one of those sudden death on the coop floor ones .... the cold water was what helped. no idea what is gonna happen, just saying ...if you are right there and they are having convulsion or wing flapping and you see them turn purple....dunk or hold under cold water ...it might work.