Found dead chicken in the coop

[jhubb]

We got 18 chicks in April 2012 and haven't lost any until this morning (Sept 2012). She was my favorite, most bossy little chicken of the whole flock! She was found dead on the floor this morning in rigarmortis but her neck was flexible. I wonder if she got smothered/neck broken by the other birds when they were roosting. There have been times you can see the chicken on the bottom of a bunch of birds when they are roosting in the coop.

I am just sick about it and I don't want it to happen to any of the other birds. Any suggestions on how to discover the cause of death?

 

[SIMZ]

I'm sorry!

I hope someone can give you some ideas.

 

[centrarchid]

Disease most likely. How do others look / behave?

 

[jhubb]

The others are all fine! We just started free ranging for a couple hours in the early evening....do you think she could have swallowed something? I have one other that has had sour crop for a while and we have isolated her and giving her ACV and no food. She is throwing up when we help her. But I don't think the two are related. The girl that died was very full of life and definitely ran the roost! We have been in tears all day, and we can only hope this is an isolated event.

I have read getting an post mortem exam would maybe help identify the cause...but we have already buried her and won't be doing that for her.

 

[NovaAman]

About your girl with sour crop, try some chopped garlic and probiotics... kefir...

About the one who died... Now you say they all still pile up on each other? Do you have a foot of roost space per bird? Maybe there could have been a fracas and she was injured in it, fell and broke her neck... That's one of the weird things about chickens. YOU will lose some for absolutely no discernible reason. You won't know... Sorry you lost her....