Can stress kill chickens

[casportpony]

Lot of really great reading, thank you.

You're welcome!

 

[Parront]

You're welcome!

That is a lot better than the 90's. Bird Flu = $1.70, but Bronchitis = $77.00? I guess I can tell what CA cares about, HUH!

 

[casportpony]

If you submit an entire bird for necropsy the charge for the necropsy and all tests is on;y $20.

 

[Parront]

If you submit an entire bird for necropsy the charge for the necropsy and all tests is on;y $20.
View attachment 1152783

Believe me, I am the one who spent $800.00 on a vet for Dylan the African Grey, some guys I know don't want to spend even $20.00 on a dead chicken. I would, considering it an investment in my future flock. I would want to know what killed them, for sure. But, when I was younger, and had chickens, that would have not happened. Twenty bucks, no more chickens. But, I am divorced from that guy . . .

 

[bobbi-j]

Very true.

Exactly.

I'm not sure why so many people won't even consider a necropsy, especially in places where they are free or cheap. View attachment 1152734

In my situation - small flock of mutts, farm-bred and raised for eggs and meat for my family's consumption. If I had dogs barking around my coop and run and found dead chickens, I would attribute it to stress or flying into the fence or even possibly a predator that the dogs were barking at and move on. (I'm not sure how many of the OP's chickens DIDN'T die, but she had 4 that did.)

However, if I got up in the morning to find 4 seemingly healthy chickens laying dead for no apparent reason, I may consider a necropsy. Especially if I was breeding and selling chickens. I honestly don't know if I'd do it just for my small flock if I only lost a few and the rest appeared healthy. Maybe if there were 4 deaths out of the blue, and then a few more after that. I don't know. Honestly, it has never occurred to me to do it. I just figure chickens die sometimes. If it's not an epidemic, I'm not that worried about it. I'm not "against" them, and I'm certainly not going to debate whether one should have them done every time a chicken dies or not. Just saying I don't know what would cause me to get to that point.

 

[Parront]

It is a brave new world, with such tests available for our pet chickens for only $20.00. I like it. But, I do still wonder, and fear, if the results would cause trouble for my flock. I think, if I were the poster here, I would want to know, because there is not much flock left to protect. Since I have a parrot, I might still not want the powers that be to know if I had such a disease as END.

 

[Eggsakly]

In my situation - small flock of mutts, farm-bred and raised for eggs and meat for my family's consumption. If I had dogs barking around my coop and run and found dead chickens, I would attribute it to stress or flying into the fence or even possibly a predator that the dogs were barking at and move on. (I'm not sure how many of the OP's chickens DIDN'T die, but she had 4 that did.)

However, if I got up in the morning to find 4 seemingly healthy chickens laying dead for no apparent reason, I may consider a necropsy. Especially if I was breeding and selling chickens. I honestly don't know if I'd do it just for my small flock if I only lost a few and the rest appeared healthy. Maybe if there were 4 deaths out of the blue, and then a few more after that. I don't know. Honestly, it has never occurred to me to do it. I just figure chickens die sometimes. If it's not an epidemic, I'm not that worried about it. I'm not "against" them, and I'm certainly not going to debate whether one should have them done every time a chicken dies or not. Just saying I don't know what would cause me to get to that point.

I have had difficulty finding veterinary care for chickens where I am, in Alaska. I actually called all the vets in my area once inquiring about this very thing, and they wanted $25 just to dispose of a chicken's carcass, and they wouldn't even consider a necropsy. I would expect regions with substantial commercial farms and agricultural education in the form of universities, etc., to offer far more in services.

However, if there were multiple deaths, I would want to know whether it was safe to bring new chicks/chickens into the chickens' area, even at my small-scale chicken ranching. I don't know if I could find such assistance here. If such a thing happened here at our ranch, in the absence of clinical assistance, I would be required to thoroughly clean, repair, detox, otherwise investigate and eradicate any suspected sources of danger, and isolate chickens until I felt it was a safe environment.

 

[Eggsakly]

Having written the above, I appreciate bobbi-j's point about addressing the whole of any situation. I think that goes without saying. Context is everything.

On the other hand, the question, can chickens die of fright? is one I asked just a few weeks ago, and it appears to be a common question. All on its own, it is worth looking at to see what people say, especially if there is a large body of information available, like the UK article I previously linked to. While such responses will be primarily or wholly anectdotal, until we find one that isn't, and far from being comparable to clinical analysis, it is a common question. When looked at, there appear to be a large number of affirmative responses to that question from ordinary but experienced chicken keepers around the world.

My bff has had chickens almost as long as we've known each other, which is 40 years. Her husband, who is 66, has kept chickens since he was a child. They are his thing, and he loves his chickens! They have both assured me without hesitation that chickens absolutely will fall over dead on the spot from fear or stress, and they've both seen it happen, he more than she. He keeps silkies, another sweet, docile breed, like my Brahmas.

 

[andreanar]

I just read thru this whole post and What I'm understanding is that the dog first attacked and killed older chickens with 1 of them escaping, correct?
Then in the middle of the night, the dog barking at the young (4mth old) chicks coop, and OP went in and found 4 of the young ones dead, correct? So, when OP responded to breed of birds, is she telling breeds of younger chicks or the older, attacked chickens? I would like to know the breed of the young (heart attack) chicks?
My thoughts.....Chickens don't move around in the dark, so what would have lured the dog over to that coop to begin barking and freaking out? I think something got in their coop and that is what the dog was barking at.
I just cannot wrap my mind around 4 birds dying of fright at the same time.

 

[andreanar]

Having written the above, I appreciate bobbi-j's point about addressing the whole of any situation. I think that goes without saying. Context is everything.

On the other hand, the question, can chickens die of fright? is one I asked just a few weeks ago, and it appears to be a common question. All on its own, it is worth looking at to see what people say, especially if there is a large body of information available, like the UK article I previously linked to. While such responses will be primarily or wholly anectdotal, until we find one that isn't, and far from being comparable to clinical analysis, it is a common question. When looked at, there appear to be a large number of affirmative responses to that question from ordinary but experienced chicken keepers around the world.

My bff has had chickens almost as long as we've known each other, which is 40 years. Her husband, who is 66, has kept chickens since he was a child. They are his thing, and he loves his chickens! They have both assured me without hesitation that chickens absolutely will fall over dead on the spot from fear or stress, and they've both seen it happen, he more than she. He keeps silkies, another sweet, docile breed, like my Brahmas.

I can believe a bird being so frightened that it drops dead, or goes into shock. But 4? No.