Chicken died

[jan4jesus]

Hi everyone, I am still new to a lot of this chicken stuff having only had my chickens since babies in February. This morning I noticed my biggest and healthiest looking chicken a blue Orpington seemed to be somewhat quiet. When I first saw her at 7 AM she was sitting in the chicken house next to the feeder. I wondered if she might be trying to lay her first egg. A couple of hours later I went out into the chicken run and she had moved out there and was still sitting on the ground with her tailfeathers somewhat moving up and down. She did not look particularly stressed and one of my other Orpingtons was laying there next to her as though trying to give her moral support. So again I just thought she was trying to lay her first egg. I just went outside little while ago and she was dead inside the chicken house. I'm a bit squeamish about touching a dead chicken but I did pick her up with a shovel and try to look as best I could. I did not see any evidence of blood or anything like that around her vent area as best I could tell. Does anybody have any idea if chickens die when they're trying to lay their first Egg? Now I'm concerned that she might've had some kind of disease and worried that it might spread to the other chickens but I don't know what to do. I am heartbroken over this and would appreciate any suggestions or input. Thank you so much.

 

[realsis]

It is possible for a chicken to become bound when laying an egg. although its usually not likely with the first egg because they are smaller yet I suppose could still be possible. She was straining as if trying to lay then perhaps that is what happened.I'm so very sorry for your loss that is very sad. In the future if you notice a bird strained trying to lay you can try too help her along by giving her a human calcium pill and a relaxing warm bath. you can also lube her vent with ky jelly. Sometimes these things help them lay sometimes not. I'm really very sorry about your bird. Did she give you any other clues as to what might be wrong? Was her breathing normal? Any sneezing or coughing or mucus? Was she acting lethargic or sleepy? All these things can be clues to other reasons? Or was she just straining trying to lay? If she had no other clues but straining its likely she did become bound with her egg. Again I want to express how sorry I am for your loss.its always hard to loose a beloved pet. May God give you comfort during this sad time. God bless

 

[jan4jesus]

Thank you For your kind words. I will take your good advice about other chickens that have not started too late I try to watch them over carefully. I truly did not notice any other signs that could indicate something like coccidiosis infection in this chicken. I have looked at some pictures and I certainly have seen no bloody stools like I've seen in pictures. I just found it unbelievable that she seemed so fine one day and dead the next! The only sign that she might not of been feeling good was the way I found her this morning, sitting next to the feeder and kind of quiet. Does a chicken's tail feather area somewhat move up and down when they're getting ready to lay an egg? Could that be a sign of anything else?

 

[chooks4life]

Quote: Yes, many things. Stress is one, chickens don't just show stress by freaking out, since stress is caused by various things including fear, pain, and illness. Chances are in this case she was injured. Sitting quietly for a whole day before starting to pant, then dying, suggests she hemorrhaged internally. Probably from a broken bone or rupture. But this is a guess, so best to keep a keen eye out for signs of disease just in case.

When a hen is getting ready to lay an egg, most don't pant, they just sit there. Gradually they rise up at the chest as they lay the egg. Then it's all done. If she pants, in general it means she's suffering. Hens with low calcium levels will often cry out as they lay, because everything hurts more when your calcium magnesium levels are low, as it is the liquid of these that coats your nerves and insulates them, among other vital functions. Injury and stress take huge amounts of calcium out of the body.

Panting is more often a sign of pain in this sort of case. I think she was injured. It's unlikely a first egg would have killed her unless it broke inside her, and then you would have seen blood coming out, especially when you moved her, most likely. She would have shown strong signs of distress if that was the case. Also if she had been egg bound, she would have been sitting, trying to lay, tilting her body so her vent was downwards, as she strained. But she just lay there, like she couldn't easily get up, if I'm reading your post correctly. Sometimes they get hurt flying down from the perch or if they land wrong, or another chicken lands on top of them.

Sorry for your loss. I don't think you could have done anything about this one. Best wishes in future.

 

[realsis]

Interesting because my pullet pants every time she lays an egg. This is just her way. Others don't pant when laying in my flock but my lead pullet does pant.She is almost a year old and has been laying since she was 6 months old and pants every time. Guess it just depends on the bird but I know she does it with every egg then goes about her business once she lays just fine.

 

[chooks4life]

Yeah, some do. Most of mine don't. I've found it's those closest to Isabrowns genetically that pant more. Not a fan of that sort of chook, way too many troubles with all of those.

I think, like with their inherited program for protein distribution, they also have an egg-production-over-health-favoring calcium distribution 'plan'. They're genetically programmed to produce at even the cost of their own lives.

I think another exception would be a small hen, a mixed breed, who's inherited the huge eggs of one parent line. That sort would also be more likely to pant, because the huge egg takes more effort to lay and is likely more painful.

 

[realsis]

Mines a little silkie. she's panted since she came into lay.at first I was really concerned thinking she was bound but she's been laying now for six months every single time without fail she pants.. her eggs aren't too big and she's a healthy bird my lead hen actually. she's a great layer giving me around 5 eggs a week on her own. She makes her nest settles in and pants then lays the egg and gets up and goes about her business. I hope she's not having trouble laying with every single egg? Its been going in for six months now? I finally accepted that's just her way. Funny thing is she is silent when laying. No egg song or anything. I guess she's just different.?

 

[chooks4life]

If she's coping fine I wouldn't worry about it. Some just are that way, there's not necessarily anything you can do about it. Kinda like some females always have a hard time birthing. It's not always something that can be diagnosed without great expense. I know my bottle raised lamb will have a hard birth when it's her time because she's had a hard time as a young one; in her case it's because when she was meant to be growing, instead her body was spending that energy and nutrition on staying alive and healing. Setbacks like this can be permanent. You can't put in later what never went in when they were growing that body. They don't rebuild 100%, unfortunately. Either you grow them on the best stuff, in the best environment, or they are forever sub-par, in my experience.

Generally the panting is a sign of pain but laying eggs is painful anyway, not to mention demanding on the body. Lots of people think animals don't suffer when laying or birthing, but most do. The degree to which they suffer has a lot to do with their health, especially calcium levels because that's one major way the body insulates itself against pain. Then it's also got a lot to do with the size of the resulting offspring or egg.

But panting doesn't mean it's a sure sign she's suffering abnormally, the only guarantee of that would be if she shrieks when laying. Generally, though, if you see a chook panting and it's not the heat, you can assume there's a problem. Key word being 'generally'. (Not always the case, just mostly).