Chicken dead in coop

[1stTimeChicken]

Yesterday morning my husband found one of our beloved chicken dead.

She has been broody for about 3-4 weeks, but has been eating and drinking and her comb and wattles looked good.

What could she have died from? She was just outside of the nest, stiff. No sign of any struggle.

Not old age either. She just turned 4. Black Australorp.

 

[triciayoung]

That is terrible. I am sorry for your loss and suffering. What are the temperatures where you are?

 

[AidKD]

She was pooping, right?

 

[1stTimeChicken]

That is terrible. I am sorry for your loss and suffering. What are the temperatures where you are?

Temperature had been hot and humid.

 

[1stTimeChicken]

She was pooping, right?

As far as we know, yes.

 

[AidKD]

Huh, I'm stumped! Unless there was something going on internally that you just didn't know about. Could she have been egg bound? I know that broody hens don't lay but for the first couple of weeks, but still. You could try cutting her open to see.

 

[Coops Dad]

I had an Ameraucana hen which went broody; she apparently had a defect because she wouldn't leave the nest to eat or drink or even poop. I put food and water within reach but she killed her clutch by burying the eggs in poop. I broke her in a wire cage.

She disappeared about a month later and I found her dead on top on a hidden clutch of eggs out in the pasture. She was so skinny- nothing but feathers and bones.

 

[triciayoung]

Temperature had been hot and humid.

Broody hens are already really warm. I am thinking heat exhaustion or a reproductive issue.

 

[1stTimeChicken]

Poor bird. She was broody last year too, even though none of the hatching eggs worked.