Chicken found unalive

[AusChameleon]

Hello,
My husband just found one of our girls dead.
She had some yellow liquid in her beak, no injuries it looked like she just sat down and died.
We have bees, could she have been stung?
She hasn't laid much this past 6 months, but had recently started laying again, I think she'd been eating mandarins from the tree in our backyard and it stopped her laying but now they've gone she started again.
So I don't think it's old age because I assume she'd stop laying well before then?
I don't know how old she was, we've had her for about 2 years.
We also have another hen who is now on her own, should we get her a new friend as soon as possible? I assume she'll be sad?
So far Pepper looks fine and healthy, should we check her for anything?
Anyone know what may have caused Candy to die? She was right outside my bedroom window and I heard nothing.

 

[azygous]

Yellow liquid draining from the beak may point to insecticide poisoning. Spraying insecticides, even after they dry, can reconstitute if it rains, a chicken drinks from a tainted puddle, and they die.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Hello,
My husband just found one of our girls dead.
She had some yellow liquid in her beak,

This is a normal post morten thing. Nothing to worry about unless it’s really excessive (spilling out into a puddle kind of excessive)

no injuries it looked like she just sat down and died.
We have bees, could she have been stung?

Almost certainly would not have killed her unless she were allergic, in which case the sting site would probably be hard to miss if you checked her for injuries.

She hasn't laid much this past 6 months, but had recently started laying again, I think she'd been eating mandarins from the tree in our backyard and it stopped her laying but now they've gone she started again.

Too much citrus can mess with their ability to absorb calcium meaning that when she started laying again her egg shells were probably thinner which can often lead to egg binding- something that might fit here with the way you say she just “sat down and died”

So I don't think it's old age because I assume she'd stop laying well before then?
I don't know how old she was, we've had her for about 2 years.
We also have another hen who is now on her own, should we get her a new friend as soon as possible? I assume she'll be sad?

Absolutely. Get her more than one if you can, but please follow quarantine protocols before integrating.

So far Pepper looks fine and healthy, should we check her for anything?

I say yes to be on the safe side, but I do believe this is more likely a reproductive related death.

Anyone know what may have caused Candy to die? She was right outside my bedroom window and I heard nothing.

Did you see her at all that day? How was she acting and standing? If you still have her body, you might feel for an egg. If you or your husband is willing, you might even stick a hand up there and check.

 

[Squawkers]

 

[AusChameleon]

This is a normal post morten thing. Nothing to worry about unless it’s really excessive (spilling out into a puddle kind of excessive)

Almost certainly would not have killed her unless she were allergic, in which case the sting site would probably be hard to miss if you checked her for injuries.

Too much citrus can mess with their ability to absorb calcium meaning that when she started laying again her egg shells were probably thinner which can often lead to egg binding- something that might fit here with the way you say she just “sat down and died”

Absolutely. Get her more than one if you can, but please follow quarantine protocols before integrating.

I say yes to be on the safe side, but I do believe this is more likely a reproductive related death.

Did you see her at all that day? How was she acting and standing? If you still have her body, you might feel for an egg. If you or your husband is willing, you might even stick a hand up there and check.

Thank you so much for all the information!
Hubby said it's been a week since she laid, and yes there was an egg he checked.
Hubby used to collect the mandarins so Candy wouldn't eat them, Pepper doesn't like them, but we have a bird that eats them and drops them to the ground and Candy can sometimes get to them before we do.
Yesterday she seemed normal and healthy!
So I guess reproductive. That makes me so sad. If we did better managing the citrus she might be here.
She was our favourite, cheeky, used to try and get into the house, she was trying to work out the dog door so she could get in more often lol.
Good news is, we have to move house, so we won't have to worry about the citrus.
Do you think Pepper will be ok if we wait until after we move? Catching Hens to move that don't know us well yet will be stressful for them and us.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Thank you so much for all the information!
Hubby said it's been a week since she laid, and yes there was an egg he checked.
Hubby used to collect the mandarins so Candy wouldn't eat them, Pepper doesn't like them, but we have a bird that eats them and drops them to the ground and Candy can sometimes get to them before we do.
Yesterday she seemed normal and healthy!
So I guess reproductive. That makes me so sad. If we did better managing the citrus she might be here.
She was our favourite, cheeky, used to try and get into the house, she was trying to work out the dog door so she could get in more often lol.
Good news is, we have to move house, so we won't have to worry about the citrus.
Do you think Pepper will be ok if we wait until after we move? Catching Hens to move that don't know us well yet will be stressful for them and us.

Don’t blame yourself, sometimes things happen that we cannot control. You did your best. I would wait until after your move to get a new bird just because trying to let them establish a new pecking order and then suddenly moving them to a new location completely all over again may be too stressful and confusing. Give your birdy lots of attention in the mean time. Sorry this happened.

 

[HowIsItDone]

Absolutely. Get her more than one if you can, but please follow quarantine protocols before integrating.

Yes.
It's called a flock for a reason.