Dead hen

JAE1974

Chirping
May 30, 2019
20
43
69
Brazoria County, Texas
When I checked on my hens this morning, I noticed on sitting instead of foraging, not long after leaving the coop. She ried to get up and was very wobbly. She bagan throwing her head back, Squawked and died. Any ideas what the problem may be. She has displayed no issues before this morning.
 
When I checked on my hens this morning, I noticed on sitting instead of foraging, not long after leaving the coop. She ried to get up and was very wobbly. She bagan throwing her head back, Squawked and died. Any ideas what the problem may be. She has displayed no issues before this morning.
I'm sorry you lost your girl.
The only way to really know what killed her is to send her to your state lab for a formal necropsy or perform an informal necropsy yourself if you are up to it.
 
I feel your pain as I found my 2.5 years old Buff Orpington hen (who is my Avatar photo by the way) dead this morning. She had been having some issues lately with the September heat wave in our area along with molting which can cause increased stress. This particular hen began laying at 16 weeks which is very (maybe too) early and had been a very good layer.
 
When I checked on my hens this morning, I noticed on sitting instead of foraging, not long after leaving the coop. She ried to get up and was very wobbly. She bagan throwing her head back, Squawked and died. Any ideas what the problem may be. She has displayed no issues before this morning.
Sorry for your loss. I have seen a few hens and a rooster die in front of me like that. Sometimes, they have been acting a bit under the weather, and we can easily miss symptoms. Your state vet can perform a necropsy if you keep her body cool in a cooler or refrigerator. Take or send it (shipped overnight via Fedex or UPS to arrive M-F.) If you call them today, they may send you a prepaid shipping label to add to the bill, making it less expensive. Some people perform necropsies at home, and if you take pictures of her organs, you may post some here for any opinions. Some causes of death may be obvious, some not. Here is a list of state vets:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/PoultryLabs.cfmj

This video may help you to identify the organs, and taking pictures of the liver, intestines, opening the gizzard may be helpful:
 
Sorry for your loss. This year I have lost several hens to pox. Seems a lot of people in my area have the same problem, and the only thing we can do is ride it out. I agree if you want to know what it was is to get a necropsy.
 

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