Chickens dying afer laying eggs

[hacharlton]

I have Rhode Island Red Hens that are now starting lay. They were hatched last spring. Yesterday I found a dead hen when feeding and gathering eggs. I found 2 eggs covered in blood near the dead hen, and today I found a dead hen and also a blood covered egg. The hen's vents looked bloody and wide open. The eggs were not huge.
Can chickens die laying eggs by tearing their vent?
Are they missing something in their feed? I feed corn, hen scratch and laying pellets

 

[chickencrazymamahen]

Not sure if they can tear them that bad, but what about another hen picking their vent while they are laying their egg...sometimes that happens if the eggs are large and stuck....I had to seperate one hen for a while because they would follow her with the stuck egg and were trying to peck her to death. Just a thought. Someone else may come along with a better answer....so sorry for your loss!! Good luck!

 

[tinychicky]

i'm very sorry for your loss

check for other signs of disease and check on your hens often.

 

[hacharlton]

Both Hens seemed to be healthy before. Their vents were open the size of a nickel. Eggs had blood on them but were fine.
I love that the hens are beginning to lay, but do not want to find another dead hen and bloody eggs