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

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Just feel the crop and see if it is enlarged and hard. The crop is external to the body cavity attached to the right breast just next to the neck.

Here's your state poultry lab for necropsy. Call them to see how they want it sent.
Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Center
500 Clemson Road
Columbia, South Carolina 29229
Phone: 803-726-2260 Fax 803-788-8058

 

[MeepBeep]

Only thing different was I put two small pieces of banana in (which now I know they aren't supposed to have soft food)

Sorry about your lose but whomever informed you chickens can't have soft food is completely wrong on all levels... Commercial feeds are dry and hard because they want a longer shelf life and cheaper transportation cost it's not for dietary reasons...

I regularly feed my chickens bananas in copious amounts (by the 5 gallon bucket full) along with many other 'soft' fresh items in the wild or free range they would be eating mostly soft items...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I doubt banana was the problem.
How's the ventilation in there?

 

[Percheron chick]

Mine eat bananas all the time.

 

[wallace707]

Fine, its big garage, we go in and out all day. Two lamps.... Other 5 chickens r fine. Guy I bought from said they can't eat soft good, could impact crop..... Just no clue how he up and died, nothing they can get into either...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Was his crop impacted? If not it wasn't banana.
There are many things that can kill a chicken suddenly.
Unless you have lab work with a necropsy, you will never know.
It would be advisable since your other chickens were exposed.
What state are you in?

 

[wallace707]

I'm in south Carolina. That chicken was right at 3 months I believe along with the two silkies. Then 3 more seramas from same breeder were introduced couple weeks before Christmas and they are almost 2 months. I've had the other 3 since they were a week old and they have been in house in crate and then in garage whole time... Enclosed garage I should say. Has actual door, not garage door. I wouldn't know what to look for if crop was impacted, I'm a newbie to chickens...only about 8 months of having them. This is first death

 

[wallace707]

Do chickens get jaundice? That's other thing I noticed right before he died, usually very bright orange comb but really light and yellowish this morning, but I only saw him 3 minutes before he died so not sure if color drains at death anyway

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Color drains quickly. The comb and wattles are full of blood vessels close to the surface. When the heart is no longer pumping, there is no color.

Never read about Jaundice in any health/disease book written about poultry.