Emergency

[MagdaMae]

You can consider listeriosis. Heat can cause food to spoil and birds drop fast.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm sorry for your loss.
It is unlikely that heat/sun was the cause (especially in Ireland.... it might be different if you lived in Arizona) without some underlying issue, especially if you free range and she was not trapped in a pen or coop with no shade.
If a professional necropsy is not an option, would you feel able to open her up yourself and take some photos? There are some of us here on BYC that are sadly becoming more experienced at opening up dead chickens and we can quite often identify a problem that may have lead to death. Photos are not as good as being able to see and feel for your self but can sometimes shed light on the cause.
What do you feed them? The panting sounds like respiratory distress which could be due to ascites (water belly). That can come on quite quickly if the liver ruptures and large birds like Buff Orps can be prone to Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome which can cause Ascites, so her diet is quite relevant. The fluid puts a strain on the respiratory system and the heart which might explain what you were seeing both in terms of the gasping and seizures/flapping. The body cavity is usually moist but with no pooled liquid, so if you found fluid inside her, it might point to that and a close up photo of the liver and a description of it's texture might indicate that, especially if there was a lot of thick yellow fatty deposits inside the hen.
If you don't feel able to open her up, can you check her body over for any abdominal swelling... particularly between the legs. Were her vent feathers soiled?

Finding out what killed her can obviously sometimes benefit the whole flock.... if it is a dietary problem then improving their diet can make a big difference. So if you can psych yourself up to do it, it can be very worthwhile.
It is highly unlikely in my opinion that she choked on a worm. Some peoples chickens swallow mice and frogs whole.

 

[Annie Lamb]

I left my hen Rosa to be cared for by my brother for 10 days as i needed to go to Canada and he let her loose about 1lbs and she looks horrible!!! Feathers fell out on her butt and all over her body! is that part of her weight loss or is it molt? How do i get her back to her normal summer weight? Im nervous, will she be ok?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I left my hen Rosa to be cared for by my brother for 10 days as i needed to go to Canada and he let her loose about 1lbs and she looks horrible!!! Feathers fell out on her butt and all over her body! is that part of her weight loss or is it molt? How do i get her back to her normal summer weight? Im nervous, will she be ok?

Oh dear! Can you post some photos of Rosa?
How old is she?
Where in the world are you located - are you in the US or another country?
What type of food/treats do you feed?
Does she have any symptoms of illness - not eating/drinking, lethargy, etc.?

Hopefully with photos and more information, we can give you better suggestions.

I would first see that she is drinking very well, then offer her normal feed to see if she will eat for you.

 

[Annie Lamb]

Oh dear! Can you post some photos of Rosa?
How old is she?
Where in the world are you located - are you in the US or another country?
What type of food/treats do you feed?
Does she have any symptoms of illness - not eating/drinking, lethargy, etc.?

Hopefully with photos and more information, we can give you better suggestions.

I would first see that she is drinking very well, then offer her normal feed to see if she will eat for you.

Rosa is 7 years old, we are in the USA, she eats layer pellets and worms i find for her and meal worms, no illness i can detect (I just became a registered vet tech), she is drinking more than normal her stool is very watery and she is eating the pasta with meal worms i hive her to try to get some weight on her. As I've said above, i left her to my brother to take care of for a bit and she lost a lot of weight for that time. I'm worried she is molting out of season and she is sick. i sent some of her feces to a friend who is a vet to see if he can find any parasites and he sent back that there's nothing wrong with her on the inside.

what im wondering is if shes too thin for her size (purebred and used to weigh 6 pounds)
im also wondering if im over feeding her because she seems fine other than the weight loss.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

7 years old

she is drinking more than normal her stool is very watery and she is eating the pasta with meal worms i hive her to try to get some weight on her.

Is she still laying eggs?

Drinking more water than normal, how hot is it?
I would check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks to make sure it has emptied.

I realize you are concerned about her weight loss, but it would be better to try to put weight back on her slowly. Pasta with meal worms is not a complete diet. If you want to increase her protein consumption feed her chick starter or give her normal feed and some egg, tuna or meat as a daily treat.

I don't really see any feather loss in the photo that you posted, if you have one that shows it that would be good. Some birds molt very early in the year. Other things to check for would be mites/lice and have a fecal float performed by your vet.