Chicken Suddenly Died?

[TheyBeChillin]

Hello, I recently had a chicken that passed away today. She was only two years old, and she was not acting very strange at all. She ate and drank fine, and there was no change in her laying behavior. Yesterday, she stayed in the coop mostly which was the only unusual behavior she possessed. Over the past several months she has looked unwell- feathers unkempt, becoming reclusive from the others, seeming unhappy… but again, because she ate, drank, and laid fine I was not too worried.

What might have happened to her? Do chickens just sometimes suddenly die? Do you think it is anything contagious that my other girls might catch? I have three other hens. They are acting completely normal and do not seem to be grieving Rosie at all.

 

[texasgal]

I'm sorry you lost your hen. Even by your own description, she didn't die "suddenly". Many times they will show those subtle changes when something is going on and we tend to overlook because they eat and drink and when we are around they "perk up" .

I've had a few do that over the years for whatever reason. I would just keep an eye on the rest of your flock just in case, but if she's been acting different for several months and nobody else is sick, chances are it was something going on with her.

Again, I'm sorry.

 

[TheyBeChillin]

I'm sorry you lost your hen. Even by your own description, she didn't die "suddenly". Many times they will show those subtle changes when something is going on and we tend to overlook because they eat and drink and when we are around they "perk up" .

I've had a few do that over the years for whatever reason. I would just keep an eye on the rest of your flock just in case, but if she's been acting different for several months and nobody else is sick, chances are it was something going on with her.

Again, I'm sorry.

Okay, thank you. I’ll keep an eye out for the others. Thank you

Do you suppose it’s anything I could have prevented?

 

[texasgal]

Hard to say, but don't beat yourself up. It happens. Maybe just file the info away so next time you see a bird separating itself or acting fluffed up and such that you might want to scoop her up and see what's up. One of my hens that "died suddenly" was skin and bones and I had no idea. That doesn't happen overnight. So, now you know if one is acting different, there is probably an issue.

Sadly, part of keeping livestock is losing livestock. Make it a learning experience.

Again, I'm sorry.

 

[TheyBeChillin]

Hard to say, but don't beat yourself up. It happens. Maybe just file the info away so next time you see a bird separating itself or acting fluffed up and such that you might want to scoop her up and see what's up. One of my hens that "died suddenly" was skin and bones and I had no idea. That doesn't happen overnight. So, now you know if one is acting different, there is probably an issue.

Sadly, part of keeping livestock is losing livestock. Make it a learning experience.

Again, I'm sorry.

Okay, thank you. She had been losing some weight, but she was also very broody over the summer. I assumed she had just lost the weight for that reason. I’ll keep an eye out for next time and not beat myself up too much.

Thank you

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. Being broody off and on may have made her weak and lose weight. I have had a lot of determined broodies, and they are placed inside a broody pen on the ground with a roost and no bedding to break them. It takes a few days. Some go broody again and again, and they can lose weight and condition. Did she brood any chicks? When I lose a hen, I usually do a necropsy, opening the abdomen and having a look at the major organs. When doing this it helps to take some pictures of the liver, intestines, and other organs.

 

[TheyBeChillin]

Sorry for your loss. Being broody off and on may have made her weak and lose weight. I have had a lot of determined broodies, and they are placed inside a broody pen on the ground with a roost and no bedding to break them. It takes a few days. Some go broody again and again, and they can lose weight and condition. Did she brood any chicks? When I lose a hen, I usually do a necropsy, opening the abdomen and having a look at the major organs. When doing this it helps to take some pictures of the liver, intestines, and other organs.

No, she never brood any chicks. We don’t have a rooster. But she did lose quite a bit of weight over the summer from being broody. I truly did think she would fatten up again. Do you suppose maybe it depressed her she didn’t hatch any chicks? What are you looking for when doing a necropsy?
This is the first time I’ve lost a hen I got my first four chickens two years ago.