Dead Hen

[karen71]

I just went to lock up my girls this evening and one did not look right - upon further inspection she was dead- she was fine this morning and dead tonight- what might this be ? Do I have to worry about my other girls? should I disinfect the coop?

 

[birdlover]

Hey Karen,

So sorry about your hen. Many people here write about a hen suddenly dying like you describe and it's just too difficult to say what happened unless you get a necropsy done. Sometimes a hen will die suddenly when something is wrong with her heart. I had one that was healthy in the a.m. and dead at noon. I had her necropsied and she had died from a liver that had hemmoraged. I would say just to be very alert to any others appearing sick and come back if you have any symptoms to report. If another dies suddenly, you would probably be wise to get a necropsy done to see if you are dealing with a contagious illness. Then you would know what you're dealing with and treat it accordingly. How old was this girl? Was she laying yet? You could disinfect the coop - it wouldn't hurt - but I don't think it's necessary at this point. Good luck!

 

[karen71]

She was 9-11 months- I believe she was laying - I was not getting eggs from everybody -I guess due to the winter months- She appeared that she was laying down -DH checked no marks neck was ok - I will keep an eye on the rest- I would hate to lose any more.