Dead chickens, no sign of illness

[Moolindafarms]

Help. Two dead hens within a week of each other. 5 months old, not unkempt-looking, no mucous, no diarrhea. No signs of illness beforehand. Free range, coop at night. First found in morning in nest box week ago. Tonight, hen lying in coop at door, looked dead, stroked her, opened eyes, went down to house to tell spouse, he went up, found her dead. The only thing that looked odd was her comb was very red. ???

 

[Eggcessive]

Do you or a neighbor have rat poison around anywhere they could get it? Have you had them long? Most hens are immune to cocci by this age unless they have been moved or exposed to new chickens who have a strain of cocci they haven't been exposed to. I might think of treating with Corid liquid 2 tsp. per gallon of water for 5 days if it is coccidiosis. Hens this age getting ready to lay can have egg laying issues that can kill, but I would doubt 2 hens would be affected within a week. Be sure and check their crops tomorrow morning when they should be empty, just in case they have gotten impacted crops.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your losses... I would get a necropsy done.
http://vdl.uark.edu/
http://alpc.arkansas.gov/lab/Pages/default.aspx

-Kathy