Dead Chicken ...why?

[PPhilbrick]

I have four RIR that are two years old. They have laid consistently-- eat organic feed, bugs, kitchen scraps, etc. Last night I found one dead, with no sign of injury, trauma, illness, etc. Can anyone help me figure out why a healthy chicken suddendly dies?

...and this morning one of the chickens has a white substance on her head feathers. Could this be related?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

PPhilbrick

 

[chickensioux]

Hi, sorry for your loss. I usually try to offer some insight when I see someone post this question. I'm afraid without a necropsy you will never know what happened. I have had a one year old, healthy hen die suddenly, I got a necropsy done and she had died from a ruptured tumor on her spleen. Yours could have died from any number of things. Heart attack, tumor, etc. I don't know what the white stuff could be on the other hen. Have you checked for lice? Again, sorry.