Chicken killed over

[bobl]

One of my hens came in last night and a few hrs later I went to check on them and she was dead. No sign of injury or animal attack. She's been running and hiding in the woods all day for the past month or so because the rooster won't leave her alone but other than that she laid everyday and was other wise healthy.was it just her time? She was about 2 yrs old.

 

[dekel18042]

One of my hens came in last night and a few hrs later I went to check on them and she was dead. No sign of injury or animal attack. She's been running and hiding in the woods all day for the past month or so because the rooster won't leave her alone but other than that she laid everyday and was other wise healthy.was it just her time? She was about 2 yrs old.

I'm sorry about your hen. Not sure what happened but a few questions. You said the rooster wouldn't leave her alone. How many other hens did you have? What breed? I have been told some of the production breeds lay every day then when they are about two years old they fail. I guess they just kind of wear out. Had this happen with several friends birds.
When you picked her up, was she in good weight? (Trying to figure out if there was an underlying problem.)

 

[Teila]

G’Day from down under bobl

Welcome!

I am so very sorry for your loss

I too have experienced sudden death in a couple of my gals. I lost one of my gals suddenly and overnight at only 9 months of age. It can be very upsetting and a cause for concern creating thoughts like ‘did she have something contagious’ etc.

I have not done this myself, but I believe if you are in the States you have the availability to send her to a lab for necropsy? That might help set your mind at ease if you are concerned about contagious diseases.

As to what may have caused her demise, sadly the list can be long and include such things as:

Parasites [internal and external].
Fatty liver.
Egg binding.
Something she ate.
Something might have bitten her.
They can die from internal bleeding from a simple knock to the chest.
Heart issues.
Tumours.
Genetic disorders.

Chickens are very good at hiding illness as they do not want to show weakness to the rest of the flock; it is a self defence mechanism. Unfortunately, that means we sometimes do not know anything is wrong until it is too late. You will probably never know for sure unless you have the necropsy done. If you do not want to go down that path, I recommend keeping a very close eye on the rest of the flock to ensure that no-one else starts showing any signs or symptoms that something is amiss.

I hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun. Unlike non chicken loving friends, family and colleagues, BYC’ers never tire of stories or pictures that feature our feathered and non feathered friends

 

[redsoxs]

Hello from Kansas, bobl, and

! Great to have you in our community! If there was no sign of injury on your hen it will likely be hard to determine the cause. I have had hens die mysterious deaths - no marks, injuries or anything - healthy in the a.m. and dead at dusk. Defective bird? Hard to say....hope you find the cause. Best wishes and thanks for joining BYC!!

 

[RuBaltLion]

Very Sorry about your hen. Welcome to the BYC community.

 

[Wavechickens]

Sorry to hear about your hen.

 

[drumstick diva]

I wonder if she wasn't able to find enough food and water foraging on her own - to escape the rooster.

 

[N F C]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[CuzChickens]

Hello there, and welcome to the big, happy BYC family! I am so glad you joined us, please make yourself at home. I hope you will enjoy it here as much as I have!

~Cuz