Chicken dead in coop, looked like she was just sitting to lay. What happened?!

[mintdeer]

This evening I found my favorite chicken, my olive egger dead in the coop. Not in a nest box but in a corner of the coop where they lay eggs sometimes (not usually her though, she always laid in the nest boxes). My partner said he noticed her sitting there earlier and he thought she was just laying an egg. Didn't seem distressed or lethargic or anything just sitting like she was going to lay. Few hours later she's in the same spot, dead.

Nothing new or different has been going on, no big changes or anything to cause stress. We're in california and the weather has been mild. Yesterday she was acting totally normal. Egg laying has been normal. She even laid an egg yesterday. What could have happened? No blood, no sign of injury, I thought maybe egg binding and I tried to feel her body/look at her vent and it seemed normal. And she laid yesterday, I read egg binding kills them in like 48hrs? She literally looked like she was sitting and then just... died. She was almost a year old.

Totally mystified by this and honestly super bummed out. I know not to get too attached because chickens have a tenuous hold on life but she was such a good chicken, had the most beautiful speckled olive eggs always healthy and lively. I just wish I knew what happened. Anyone have thoughts? or had something similar happen?

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Without a necropsy, you'll probably only get guesses. Have you considered sending her remains for necropsy? If so, you'll want to keep the remains cool, but not frozen. If you decide against a lab necropsy, you can do an at home necropsy. This oftentimes will give you a good idea of the cause of death. Again, cool not frozen is the best way to store the remains. You'll be in my thoughts

 

[Prop toe]

Age and many other factors.Just like people sometimes heart failer massive stroke .We are no different from animals.We are born seed and die.No time stamp for death kids die everyday also from health issues. Sad but true