Healthy Chicken dead 24 hours later

[abitaman633]

Thank you for posting this. I hope that someone has some useful info. I also lost a hen like this last spring. Completely healthy and beautiful mottled bantam cochin. She was about six months old. She left the coop in the morning (pastured girls) acting completely normal. I found her in the yard laying still that afternoon. I picked her up and she kinda seized up. Her head and neck turned awkwardly, her whole body stiffened and she looked like she was struggling to breath. I rushed her inside and held her in a towel. She drank some water, hung out for awhile then seized up again. This happened one more time then she was still. Died right in my lap. I still have no idea what happened. Best guess is something called sudden death syndrome. I don't know if there is anyone out there who knows more about that, but I hope you get some answers!

Thanks for the reply. So odd to lose them so fast and have no explanation. This is the not-so-great part of owning chickens most people don't think about when first getting them.

 

[Conan]

Thanks for the reply. So odd to lose them so fast and have no explanation. This is the not-so-great part of owning chickens most people don't think about when first getting them.

It really is. There seem to be a million things that can go wrong. Makes me grateful for how resilient they really are for the most part.

 

[kristinahoney]

Sounds like egg-binding and complications. Eggs coming out at the same time as feces indicates a blockage that went on for awhile and then was pushed clear. There could be a second egg that broke inside, which creates an amazing amount of havoc. Straining is exhausting and depending how much blockage there is can interfere with circulation of both blood and air through the air sacs. She might have torn something inside too and bled to death internally. It's also possible there's a tumor in there. A necropsy would help, even a DIY necropsy, but do it soon. Keep an eye on the other chickens in case it's something contagious. Good luck.

 

[DaviJones]

Much appreciated. Funny how much chickens can take on a character of their own. This was our (hate to say it) favorite gal and you come to really care about their well-being.

Funny how they do that indeed, I was planning on selling mine at the local fair but the darn things grew on me and wormed their way into my heart. I'm truly sorry though, it seems the favorite always has the worst luck. You really did all you could, if she died that quickly whatever it was likely couldn't have been reversed.

 

[abitaman633]

Sounds like egg-binding and complications. Eggs coming out at the same time as feces indicates a blockage that went on for awhile and then was pushed clear. There could be a second egg that broke inside, which creates an amazing amount of havoc. Straining is exhausting and depending how much blockage there is can interfere with circulation of both blood and air through the air sacs. She might have torn something inside too and bled to death internally. It's also possible there's a tumor in there. A necropsy would help, even a DIY necropsy, but do it soon. Keep an eye on the other chickens in case it's something contagious. Good luck.

I was thinking that as well, especially since she had apparently laid an egg and it was covered in feces. The only weird thing is that she laid the egg outside of the nesting box. I would have thought that complication would have arose once she got inside the nesting box to lay (but I know little of this process). Also, there was no blood on the egg. I wonder if egg binding usually result in some sort of blood discharge.