Dead chicken...how?!?

[wallace707]

Just went out to garage to check on chickens, I have 2 silkies and a serama that are a couple to 3 months old and 3 younger seramas. They have lights so no cold....I thought the silkies were laying on serama rooster like they have been since a week old... But he was breathing funny and had eyes closed.... I picked him up and he had drool coming out of mouth... Within 3 minutes he convulsed and died. Other chickens are fine. Only thing different was I put two small pieces of banana in (which now I know they aren't supposed to have soft food) but now that I think about it he was resting pretty much all day yesterday. I'm so upset and not sure if I killed my chicken

 

[QueenMisha]

So sorry for your loss.

I really doubt this was your fault - chickens can eat some really strange things and be OK, so it's pretty unlikely that one or two small pieces of banana would have killed him.

This really sounds like a simple case of "something went wrong inside." The fact that it happened so quickly points to some kind of chilling or trauma as the cause, but in reality sometimes chickens just drop dead with no explanation. You can perform a necropsy if you wish, I would highly recommend it, or, if you are near an area with some kind of veterinary teaching facility (e.g. UC Davis in California), you might contact them - sometimes such facilities are willing to do free necropsies on poultry.

In the meantime, check your remaining birds over for any sign of distress or parasites. Check their poop to see if it looks normal. Look at their environment (brooder) and make sure everything is normal and safe for them. Make sure they have appropriate nutrition (grower feed) and appropriate bedding (not any kind of cedar shaving or chip, as cedar is semi-toxic). Chances are this was just a one-off death as happens sometimes, but better safe than sorry.

 

[wallace707]

Another thing is his comb looked jaundiced this morning but he was 3 minutes from dead so I font know if that's just what happens when they are dying.... Do chickens get jaundice? Normally he had a bright orange comb

 

[QueenMisha]

Another thing is his comb looked jaundiced this morning but he was 3 minutes from dead so I font know if that's just what happens when they are dying.... Do chickens get jaundice? Normally he had a bright orange comb

This phenomenon is known as paleness of the comb and it's often one of the first indicators something is wrong. Most sick birds will show a pale comb and wattle.

 

[wallace707]

It wasn't pale until this morning... Or middle night maybe

 

[wallace707]

Two days ago.... Seemed normal and healthy then.... Nothing in environment changed. They are confined to the cattle trough, always have been

 

[casportpony]

Just went out to garage to check on chickens, I have 2 silkies and a serama that are a couple to 3 months old and 3 younger seramas. They have lights so no cold....I thought the silkies were laying on serama rooster like they have been since a week old... But he was breathing funny and had eyes closed.... I picked him up and he had drool coming out of mouth... Within 3 minutes he convulsed and died. Other chickens are fine. Only thing different was I put two small pieces of banana in (which now I know they aren't supposed to have soft food) but now that I think about it he was resting pretty much all day yesterday. I'm so upset and not sure if I killed my chicken

Sorry for you loss. The drool, eyes closed, funny breathing and convulsions were all signs that he was dying. Cause of death was not the bananas you fed them.You did not kill him!

-Kathy

 

[wallace707]

Thank u casportpony..... I was a vet tech for years before I became stay at home mom... Just haven't seen in chickens and other than a hawk killing one and having to euthanize another with a hurt leg, this was first death unexplained

... Just wish I knew so I could try to prevent agsin

 

[wallace707]

Or know what to look for in other 5 that were in the trough with him. They have all been together for weeks and others seem fine

 

[casportpony]

Or know what to look for in other 5 that were in the trough with him. They have all been together for weeks and others seem fine

Give all of them a good exam, check for mites/lice, examine their poop and he a baseline weight on them. Make notes on all and re-weigh in a week. As long as they are maintaining their weight and have normal poops, they're probably fine. You might also want to gather up a bunch of fresh poop and have a fecal float done.

-Kathy