dead chicken

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cher1190

cher1190

Chirping
11 Years
Sep 6, 2013
17
9
82
Kingston, Tennessee
This morning my husband went out to get our chickens ready for the day, we keep them in an enclosed coop closed up at night and )their run is attached to the coop, No predators can get in so we don't know what happened. We do have a rooster, he is a Delaware X Hampshire Cross (Indian River). Anyway, when my husband went in the coop she was laying across the pan we have their oyster shells in, and he said her feathers were all ruffled a lot at her neck where the rooster pecks them . He seems to think the
Rooster was trying to peck her while she was eating the oyster shell and it either broke her neck or choked her and she died, I am just heart broken poor little thing was only 5 months old and we have them tamed, except for rudy, he is flighty. Any suggestions as to what happened would be greatly appreciated. She was not sick or sickly in any way. so an illness is not a factor.
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Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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I am so sorry for your loss. (hugs) It is possible the bird somehow died and the others pecked at her after she died. Cannibalism is common in chickens. If they see skin or blood, they go after it. I know it sounds awful, but this is how they deal with dead flock members. Don't think poorly of your flock either.

Is this an adult rooster? It is possible he hurt her if he is large enough. I am so sorry and I hope your heavy heart can heal soon. (hugs)
 
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Glad you joined us!

I'm sorry about your hen.
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She may have had a heart attack, or it is possible that she was injured by another bird. Sometimes chickens die for reasons that we will never know.
 
No Rudy is the same age as the chickens, he is a big boy , but not enormous. The only place she had ruffled up feathers was around her neck where Rudy would have pecked her. I just am upset, the poor little thing was only 5 months old and had started laying around 3 weeks ago, its the first one we have lost, and I worry about them . It's hot here but we have fans in their coop with the windows open to help with that plus 2 water spots plus we move the water inside with them at night so they never go without it. There was no blood or missing feathers, could she have choked on an oyster shell? Just worried....
 
One morning about 5 or 6 months after we first began keeping chickens, I had a similar experience as you. My favorite of all favorites, Gert, a Buff Orp lay in the coop dead as can be. I never suspected our roo because the two came to us together at 2 days old and he never had much interest in mating her, and was her best friend. I do recall the day before. Gertrude scored a pile of termites. She was at the end of the pecking order but still, that girl was going to be darned if she was going to share her find. I've since learned a chicken can easily die of kidney failure from a rush of protein. It's the only thing I can think happened. She too went to her coop the night before perfectly young and healthy. I was absolutely heartbroken!
In reality, I'll never know!
These gals steal your heart in a big way. Most here know your pain in a big way.
You have come to the right place.
Welcome
I am truly sorry for what you are feeling right now.
Just know, this happens sometimes. It is doubtful that her flock mates did anything to purposely harm her.
 

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