Dead Barred Rock

[Rcasady]

I have a 3 year old barred rock. She was moving slow yesterday but eating and drinking. Came out of the coop this morning and died. I'm not sure why. Is 3 old? I thought they lived longer. Should I be worried about my other chickens? They all seem fine now.

 

[ChasingChooks]

Sorry about your birdie.

3 years is getting older, past their prime. But I wouldn't say that age was the cause of her death.

Was she still laying?

 

[MysteryChicken]

I have a 3 year old barred rock. She was moving slow yesterday but eating and drinking. Came out of the coop this morning and died. I'm not sure why. Is 3 old? I thought they lived longer. Should I be worried about my other chickens? They all seem fine now.

There's many reasons to why a chicken may die. But her age wasn't the factor. A chicken's average lifespan is between 5 - 10yrs. But with proper care they can live past the age of 10.

 

[21hens-incharge]

While many CAN live 10+ years most do not.

Can you send her for a necropsy?
Have you externally examined her to see if there was anything odd like a swollen hard or mushy abdomen or perhaps signs of egg binding or weight issues?
Do you regularly check for mites and lice? They can drain a bird and lead to death.

 

[Rcasady]

While many CAN live 10+ years most do not.

Can you send her for a necropsy?
Have you externally examined her to see if there was anything odd like a swollen hard or mushy abdomen or perhaps signs of egg binding or weight issues?
Do you regularly check for mites and lice? They can drain a bird and lead to death.

We treated her for scaly leg mites last month and it worked. I checked her over yesterday when she was moving slow (one of the few times she let me pick her up) nothing seemed abnormal. She was laying eggs still about 1-2 per week.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. Do you feel up to opening her abdominal cavity to do a brief necropsy on her today? Your state vet lab can do a more thorough necropsy with tissue pathology and testing, but some disorders may be seen on a home necropsy. If you do one, look for any yellow fluid that comes off when the abdomen is opened. Take pictures of the liver, spleen, intestines, and gizzard. Try to find the oviduct and eggs.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are a couple of necropsy videos to help identify organs: