Dead Chicken - Heat? Water? Fighting

[Debbie292d]

I’m assuming with her eyes rolled back like that she’s dead, yes?… not just unresponsive?

If you think she's possibly still alive and just passed out, bring her into the house where it's cooler. Don't get your hopes up though just in case.

 

[FrostRanger]

If you want to possibly arrange for a necropsy, I'd refrigerate - not freeze - her now and contact your state poultry extension. If not, it's possible the heat killed her as I don't see any obvious signs of injury. Sorry for your loss in any case

 

[HollowOfWisps]

How is the air flow under your coop? How tall is it under there?

 

[farmland5]

I’d say maybe 2ft. There’s some airflow but clearly not enough.

 

[farmland5]

We put together a large dog kennel and have it placed in an area of deep shade and wind. 3 hens are in there now. The 4th is back in the tractor with the keets.

she’s the next problem…because if shes with the other hens she fights. Could that have anything to do with her taking care of keets in the tractor?….like a temporary mother thing? Or is this likely just an alpha problem and would the presence of a rooster stop it?

 

[McChooky]

Obviously you could add a fan to cool them off. If these hens didn't grow up together and are confined to a small space they'll fight

 

[McChooky]

We had 5 Columbian Wyandottes in NJ in a 6x8 coop. Their coop has an underneath run. They were all fine this morning at 9am. We gave them fresh cold water and let them into their underneath run. I put a few cold water bottles out.

I checked on them at 1pm and found 1 dead. she was laying by the water.

I’m guessing she died of a heat stroke.

We only have 1 water source. Any advice on water sources/systems?

We have a metal standard chicken watered. I don’t like that it gets dirty. We use to use nipples screwed into the side of a plastic bucket but they kept leaking an and the chickens seemed to not drink as much from them.

The other 4 chickens were all walking around but with their beaks open. They are in our kitchen now cooling off.

Another problem I’ve noticed is now 2 are fighting…which makes me wonder if they had picked on the dead one or blocked her from the water.

We had 1 broody hen that we put with keet eggs in a chicken tractor the past 2 weeks. I think she was the alpha. Now she and another keep fighting in our kitchen. I was going to put her back with the other hens this week but now I’m afraid. We had total harmony before….

So any advice on keeping chickens cool, water, or prevent fighting is welcomed.

I am so upset I didn’t check on them sooner. . I spent 2 hrs moving other animals to cooler locations. Clearly our chickens were the ones I should have been moving. . Im heading to tractor supply to buy another chicken tractor that I can put in thick shade on days like today.

Their coops should be in a shady location year round so when leaves are on the trees it helps keep them cool in the heat .The sun keeps them warm during the winter months after the leaves have fallen. You might could relocate the coop. Can it be moved?

 

[McChooky]

Did you keep this hen in the chicken tractor when she went broody r only moved her after they hatched?Separating her and putting them back together can make them fight

 

[Mrs. K]

How old is the dead chicken? Truthfully, I think it was the heat. And really I don't think there is a lot you could have done. When an animal dies of heat, it can be fast.

Chickens are not real hardy, and do not live a real long time. In years of keeping chickens, I have noticed this (not real scientific) chicks tend to die in the first 2-5 days, if you get them past that, they tend to live. Then around 5 months old, I have had active chickens, just be dead. Sudden death syndrome it is called. A wise old woman told me that she thought there was an internal problem, and as the bird reached full size, the body can not keep up with it, and they die like a heart attack.

And then around 3 years of age.

But adding some shade is always good, and checking shade at different times of the day, is also important. A picture of you set up, might help us give advice. Leaning pallets up against a wall can give some shade and a place for birds to get out of sight.

As for your broody hen, if I am understanding it, you pulled her out of the flock to raise up some chicks. They are not with the flock. Then today you put them all back together. Her flock mates have forgotten who she is, and are determined to be above her. I would keep her separate in this heat. Then when done with raising the Keats and the weather breaks, then I would work on getting her back into the flock.

Mrs K