Dead chicken

[Ghetto Dunn]

I need some help fomr all of you. Please. I went out to feed this morning and all was good. I just went out to give a head of cabbage to them and one of my 7 month old's was dead. she had no markings on her. This is the third hen I have lost, But the first young hen that has gone this way. I have a big huge rooster I took him out for awhile after loosing the first two. had no problems. now he is back and this has happened.

Is it him of do I need to start running antibotics in the water?


Thanks for any and all help.

 

[bobbi-j]

If it were the rooster, I would think there would be some sort of injuries present. I would not just start treating with antibiotics as a "blanket" treatment when you don't even know what's going on. I've had weasels kill chickens that leave little to no marking. Just two little bite marks on the neck or under the wing (or, the "wing-pit" as we like to call it.) They just make a small bite and consume the blood. Did the other two hens have any injuries present? I'm not saying it couldn't be your rooster, as the timing sure seems suspicious. It just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Ghetto Dunn]

No marks on any of them. I live in southern ca. No weasels here. Dog's cats coyotes are large birds of pray spiders and snakes. I was outside but not near the coop when this happened. No noise from the chickens at all. I have 30 three week old birds in the next pen. Way easer to get them.

 

[bobbi-j]

Hmm, it's a mystery. I still think if it were the rooster, there would be marks. You would also have heard something if you were nearby... I live in MN, so our predator lists will differ. Hopefully someone nearer to you has some ideas.

 

[Ghetto Dunn]

It looked like she fell over dead. No scratch marked or anything.

 

[Mattemma]

I had a 1 and half year old RSL hen that was dead in the coop one day.My poor *Milly Bean*. She had no marks,and there was no squishy bloated areas anywhere on her.She was a lean healthy looking top hen.

None of my other hens were sick so I just figured it was one of those things.Sorry for your loss!

As sad as it was for me I prefer finding them dead than having to cull them.

 

[Ghetto Dunn]

Sorry for your loss, I agree with just finding them this way. She ate in the morning when I feed them. just hate to loose a young hen.

 

[Toetwo]

Hi,
I just lost a hen today the same way. She laid an egg this morning. I went out and found her flat out in the run, already in riga mortis. I took her to a vet who said she was in great shape--except for her liver. He said her liver looked like rotten cottage cheese. He said it was either her falling from a very high place, or perhaps a virus. Which is contagious. And nothing to do about it. So, I am hoping hoping my other four hens and the cock will be okay. Now the question is: what to do with the body? The vet said through her in the garbage but she was CHIPPER. How could I do that?

 

[turkey lover]

I found a dead hen this morning. Nothing as far as marks go on her.hope none of my others die I'll be really. Sad.

 

[Toetwo]

Hi,
A bit late in the day, but I had the same thing happen to me awhile ago. My 8 month old Wynandotte hen laid an egg in the morning. Later in the day, she was in the run, dead. I took her to get an "autoposy". The vet said she was in great shape, healthy and well-cared for--but her liver was like rotten mottled cottage cheese. He said she either fell from a high spot (nope, no high spots) or had a virus.

Later, I was talking about it to a chicken owner who said, "When a vet doesn't know what it is, they say it's a virus."

In any case, all my other hens are fine, a month or more later. I guess it's something to get used to, the losses. And agree that better have 'em go naturally than have to help them along!