Chicken found dead?

[bradybuck]

I opened the coop this morning and all was well with our hens. I left and just came home to find one of our 2.5 year old Buff Orpingtons was dead. No signed of a predator. She was healthy as far as I could tell. She was just curled up like she was asleep on the nest.

Ideas? Isolated incident?
I have noticed a big decline in egg production over the last month from the entire flock.

 

[Eggcessive]

Most of us experience a sudden death occasionally with having a flock of chickens. Egg binding, something stuck in the gizzard, heart, liver, or kidney disease, and worms or mites, or dehydration can kill a chicken. Sometimes we might notice symptoms for a day or two, and sometimes they hide them. If you have another soon, I would get a necropsy done by your state vet. Sorry for your loss.

 

[bradybuck]

Thanks. So far she was the only one.