Dead chickens

[shartnett5]

I had a broody chicken, 1 yr old, who kep hopping the fence to hide a clutch. I eventually found her cluch not far from my hose near the house. The eggs smelled horrible and I tossed and buried them. One popped open, white and curdled nastiness. A few days later we found her dead outside the run in a fenced area. No scratches or pulled feathers, just dead. That was last week. Today we found a second dead. Come to find out this is the broody. The other was her look alike sister. I looked closely and found nothing. All the other ladies look great. One has a peck on her eye so her lid looks white. She gets out for a few days and sleeps with my ducks and then goes back and they fight.
I worry that two mysterious chicken dealths in the span of a week. I see no mites, no odd behavior, no sign of disease.

Anybody have any ideas of what to look for. I plan on hanging with them all day tmrw to watch for signs.

 

[micstrachan]

No symptoms of any kind? With sudden death without any symptoms, I think diet should be considered. And how has the weather been? Any chance of moldy feed?

 

[Table4Six]

Chickens are known to eat their own eggs when given the chance. Could those two hens have eaten some of the rotten egg yolk?

 

[True Patriot]

I agree with mistrachan, first check the feed. Was it only the ones that escaped that died? If so look around the yard and area for anything that could have poisoned them, vehicle fluids, treated ant mounds, painting/cleaning supplies etc. If it happens again, you may want to send the bird off for a necropsy.