Chicken Found Dead with Blood in Beak/Throat

[remily]

Hey BYC, I'm new here.

We rescued 7 ex-commercial hens in March and have been delighted by how they've thrived here with us, but today we lost our first one in a way I can't figure out.

They free range in our front & back garden. Today towards the end of the day we found a hen dead on the grass; still warm with no external sign of injury or attack but with blood in her beak and throat. I hadn't noticed any symptoms leading up to this, but these are my first girls so I may have missed something. We don't use any form of poison in or around the garden.

Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated. I hope she didn't suffer, whatever happened.

Thanks ever so,

Rachel

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Very sorry for your loss. Do you think she could have been pecked by another chicken, or hurt by an animal or predator? Did she have any symptoms of a respiratory disease, such as gasping or difficulty breathing? ILT is a respiratory disease which could cause blood from the beak, but it could be an injury, an accident, or a predator. About the the best way to know what happened might be to have your state vet do a necropsy. Here is a list of state vets to contact on Monday am:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...Lp3rhTaU1KU8TiRqKUuNVv4o1W-ubdF65OwQDmbLeg9Gj

 

[ksbkeys]

Hey BYC, I'm new here.

We rescued 7 ex-commercial hens in March and have been delighted by how they've thrived here with us, but today we lost our first one in a way I can't figure out.

They free range in our front & back garden. Today towards the end of the day we found a hen dead on the grass; still warm with no external sign of injury or attack but with blood in her beak and throat. I hadn't noticed any symptoms leading up to this, but these are my first girls so I may have missed something. We don't use any form of poison in or around the garden.

Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated. I hope she didn't suffer, whatever happened.

Thanks ever so,

Rachel

So sorry! It may be a predator. You could put a trail camera up. I use one. Very handy. Please keep us posted!