Found 1 of my hens dead

[Steveos Flock]

All was fine in the coop this afternoon, I went out to the coop and only 4 hens in the run (they are all Plymouth Rocks, so they all look alike) 1 of them was up stairs in the coop dead. last night we had a storm wind a rain. I didn't notice any of them "acting" any differently, sick or weird. they just started laying this spring, I got them as pullets may 28, 2019. Can anyone offer ideas why she may have died?
Thanks for any info.

 

[IJustWantMyChicksToLive]

I am so sorry for your loss! It is hard to find sickness in chickens, unless you are looking for it. There are lots of reasons your hen could have died. It could have been chicken mights, the temperature outside during the rain, some kind of disease, a bad diet, or the other hens attacking her for some reason. It could have also been a predator, though you would most likely know if it had been one. I hope I have been helpful! Again, I am sorry for your loss. It is hard to lose an animal.

 

[lindaDH]

I'm so sorry, I had the same experience this morning with a not quite 2-year old hen. She was happy and playful all weekend, fine when my husband let her out this morning, and less than an hour later I found her gone. Very hard, very sudden and I still can't believe she's gone. A few of my knowledgable friends have suggested she might have had a heart attack because there are no signs of injuries at all and she wasn't sick. I wonder if this might be true in your case as well?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Sometimes parasites can cause that, be sure to look under the vings and around the vent to see if there are mites or lice.

 

[lindaDH]

I haven't seen mites on my birds, don't think. I know this sounds silly but I'm guessing it's an obvious infestation, but now I'm wondering. What am I looking for? I'm really worried about my other hen and rooster. They are my only birds now and I'd hate to have the same thing happen to them.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Can anyone offer ideas why she may have died?

Mites and lice do NOT cause death in full grown birds.. they would only be one factor adding to a weakened immune system.

If you want to get a clear picture... send the bird in for necropsy to your state lab.. Everything else is just guessing!
How to Send a Bird for a Necropsy

State poultry labs

It's often free or cheap for back yard keepers. If that isn't an option and you're feeling brave.. consider doing a home necropsy to look at things like the heart, liver, intestines, etc. a few folks on here are pretty knowledgeable and helpful when looking at photos to help identify anything out of the ordinary. Many folks will blame sudden death on a heart attack... with NO evidence of such. Other possible causes of sudden death are kidney failure, fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome, and probably more. If in the lay box, egg binding can also cause essentially sudden death though most of us catch it in time to know that was the cause... and It'd be foolish not to mention any possibility of poison... rat, garden, etc...

If you aren't worried about disease and you're feeding a formulated ration not diminished with excess treats.. I would likely chalk it up to poor genetics.

Sorry for your loss!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I haven't seen mites on my birds, don't think. I know this sounds silly but I'm guessing it's an obvious infestation, but now I'm wondering. What am I looking for? I'm really worried about my other hen and rooster. They are my only birds now and I'd hate to have the same thing happen to them.

Look for angry skin below the vent... checking after dark with a flashlight part feathers down to skin on the abdomen and below the vent, will give the clearest picture as that's when the bugs are easiest to see.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[lindaDH]

Thank you for all the answers. I probably won't know, but I am leaning toward genetics since we don't use any pest sprays, rat bait or other toxic things. My other two seem okay, but I will check them for mites after dark tonight. It's amazing the amount of happiness one little chicken can provide that causes such sadness when they are gone. Thanks again.❤

 

[Eggcessive]

It is only about $20-30 for a necropsy through UC Davis at one of their four locations. Very reasonable since it includes testing. If you should lose another, keep the body cold in a cooler, and contact them. It can be common to lose a chicken at the 1 year mark. It might be a heart or other organ problem, or reproductive problem. But hard to know without a necropsy. Had she ever laid eggs? Sorry for your loss. Here is a link for contacting UC Davis:
https://cahfs.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/form/contact