Colorado

[Pozees]

I just had a hen die this morning. No attack marks, it was warm last night, no jammed egg as far as I could tell. Any other ideas???
I changed the water out with molasses water mix & dropped them yogurt.

Everyone I know has this happen at one time or another, and it is often an unknown heart defect. For those brave enough to do necropsy, especially those who have already processed several birds, differences are detectable which offer clues. To be honest I don't remember what they are, I have yet to process or necropsy my birds. Preumably they would be signs of loss of blood flow - a stroke or heart attack is usually caused by a blood clot or blockage stopping blood flow in the heart causing death of the muscle tissue of the heart. There can also be faulty valves causing the heart to work harder than normal, abbreviating the life of the bird much as it would in a human if undiagnosed.

 

[maggiemo]

I just had this happen to me too. I went to the coop Thursday morning and there was a beautiful 2 year old EE hen laying on the floor dead and still very warm.
She wasn't sick, was just coming out of her first molt and had some beautiful feathers growing in. I picked her up and there was some blood, very fresh red warm blood, around her vent. There was also, what to my untrained eye, something coming out of her vent that looked like a prolapsed something. I couldn't feel any egg in her. There were no lice or mites, no discharge in her nares. She was heavy for coming out of her molt, not thin at all.
All the rest of the chickens are fine, well, there is one chicken who has a weird twitch/tick/cough/sneeze thing that has been going on for months and doesn't get worse or better. If someone was to die I would have bet it would have been her.

I don't really know what to do, if anything. In my gut I think she was starting to lay again after taking time off from molting and and something went wrong and she hemorrhaged or something. I buried her immediately, then thought I should have had a necrosopy (sp?)done.
I called CSU and asked if I should do anything and no one has called me back. This was Thursday.

So, that's my story. What do you guys think? Should I do anything?
mo

 

[fullpawtential]

I live in centennial and need to find home for 2 roosters.
Ones a white silkie and one is a barred bantam cochin frizzle. They are friendly guys but I live in the city and can't have them here. Can anyone help or know where I may post for more exposure?

 

[Pozees]

I just had this happen to me too. I went to the coop Thursday morning and there was a beautiful 2 year old EE hen laying on the floor dead and still very warm.
She wasn't sick, was just coming out of her first molt and had some beautiful feathers growing in. I picked her up and there was some blood, very fresh red warm blood, around her vent. There was also, what to my untrained eye, something coming out of her vent that looked like a prolapsed something. I couldn't feel any egg in her. There were no lice or mites, no discharge in her nares. She was heavy for coming out of her molt, not thin at all.
All the rest of the chickens are fine, well, there is one chicken who has a weird twitch/tick/cough/sneeze thing that has been going on for months and doesn't get worse or better. If someone was to die I would have bet it would have been her.

I don't really know what to do, if anything. In my gut I think she was starting to lay again after taking time off from molting and and something went wrong and she hemorrhaged or something. I buried her immediately, then thought I should have had a necrosopy (sp?)done.
I called CSU and asked if I should do anything and no one has called me back. This was Thursday.

So, that's my story. What do you guys think? Should I do anything?
mo

I agree it sounds as if something just went awry internally as she was coming back into lay. If she had anything contagious in all likelihood you would be seeing some kind of symptoms in other birds, and the fact she was at good weight tells you it came on suddenly - first thing they do when they don't feel well/right is stop eating enough. I wouldn't worry unless another one dies suddenly, and even then, if you have multiple hens of the same age that were exceptional layers their first year, there is a higher probability they will have shorter lives because of reproductive problems.

The best layers are usually those of the Mediterranean class, Leghorns, Anconas, Minorcas, etc., they are meant to lay upwards of 250 eggs a year; the rest just aren't. They can be pushed to lay more, but at a certain point when selecting for most egg production the chance of reproductive disorder or failure increases. I don't know what that point is, just saying the system can only be pushed so far before it starts to fail, as a general rule.

 

[Pozees]

I live in centennial and need to find home for 2 roosters.
Ones a white silkie and one is a barred bantam cochin frizzle. They are friendly guys but I live in the city and can't have them here. Can anyone help or know where I may post for more exposure?

You can post to the Buy-Sell-Trade page here for free rehoming, post to Craigslist, put up a sign at the feed store, pretty much anywhere you can find free advertising I would try

 

[Mtn Margie]

Sorry for the loss of your hens you two. Sounds like what others have said, natural and noncontagious, but still unnerving when it happens.

 

[lovincolorado]

Necropsy thru CSU costs ~$35 (plus shipping), but can add up if you elect additional testing. The bird needs to be kept cold, not frozen. A singular, sudden death is usually not infectious to other birds (or there would be many showing signs), but more likely heart attack/stroke or even a sepsis from a wound/tumor (which may be internal). I find a death in the barnyard a good opportunity for surveying for other diseases too (ie, parasites, viruses!)

 

[Camp Leader]

Anyone the Colorado Springs area growing Cornish Cross. There is always a disclaimer about not for growing over 5000 ft. Was hoping to try some soon. Any thoughts?

 

[maggiemo]

Thanks for the support.
As a side note. When I called CSU I asked how much a necropsy was. They said $70, yikes. I guess if I lose any more I might think about it. But, wow $70.

 

[maggiemo]

I was posting when you were lovingcolorado. I thought it was closer to $30 or $35 too, but they said it was $70. Maybe the price went up this year?