Fluffed up hens passing away

[Larissa_xoxo3]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum to post in but here goes anyhow, I'm looking for some advice. This past winter I have lost 3 hens and I'm not sure what is exactly going on, the hens are showing no symptoms whatsoever except for being all fluffed up and not eating or drinking on the same day they are passing, however the day before they pass they are completely fine. I had one hen do this last week so I brought her inside gave her a warm bath and scrambled up some eggs for her and she was completely fine after spending the night inside. I live in Canada so our winters are typically very cold maybe the temperature has something to do with it? I know that hens usually fluff up when they are trying to keep warm but they are fine the days before and the temperature hasn't fluctuated that much. Any advice would really be appreciated, I'm feeling like a terrible chicken mom and just want to do whatever I can to prevent this from happening again .

 

[featherhead007]

Larissa, I know that helpless feeling quite well. Just keep studying BYC threads. I am sure someone has an answer, "I don't" in your situation, but I have had poultry problems too, and
this is the right thread for it. Good Cluck!

 

[Eggcessive]

Whenever I lose hens it is in the coldest of the winter months. The best thing to do when you lose one is to get a necropsy by your nearest poultry lab. You can sometimes figure out what is going on by doing a home necropsy, if it is something obvious. Take pictures if you do one and post here. The age of the chickens would matter, since older hens or ones who haven’t been laying eggs are more common to succumb to an illness. Getting a fecal float might help if it is a parasite problem. Depending on the part of Canada you live in, there is probably a poultry lab that will perform necropsies on hens that have died. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Larissa_xoxo3]

Whenever I lose hens it is in the coldest of the winter months. The best thing to do when you lose one is to get a necropsy by your nearest poultry lab. You can sometimes figure out what is going on by doing a home necropsy, if it is something obvious. Take pictures if you do one and post here. The age of the chickens would matter, since older hens or ones who haven’t been laying eggs are more common to succumb to an illness. Getting a fecal float might help if it is a parasite problem. Depending on the part of Canada you live in, there is probably a poultry lab that will perform necropsies on hens that have died. Sorry for your loss.

A few people I have talked to from my town had lost a couple hens too it’s been a bad winter here so i’m thinking it might have been the cold, but I will look into seeing if there are any poultry necropsy labs close by in case it happens again, thank you

 

[Larissa_xoxo3]

Larissa, I know that helpless feeling quite well. Just keep studying BYC threads. I am sure someone has an answer, "I don't" in your situation, but I have had poultry problems too, and
this is the right thread for it. Good Cluck!

Thank you, it can be very tough and tiring not knowing exactly is wrong, I will continue to read the threads in case someone has a similar case.