Heart issues-sudden death

[Genthehen]

I have 6 chickens born February 2, 2018. They have a very large covered run and coop. 8 weeks ago 4 of them stopped laying. I know this because they are all brown layers. At the same time I noticed Goldie my Buff Ophington acting strange. she looked fine, but when I picked her up she was super thin. The vet said it was her heart and she would be dead in 24 hours to a week at the most. I separated her from the flock and she slowly got better, shes gained weight and the color returned to him comb. She has not returned to her normal weight through. The vet didn’t think she had worms, but did give me a prescription, once she was still alive two weeks later. Yesterday I found my Rhode Island Red dead under the roost, she never gave any sign of illness. My girls always have good quality layer feed, unlimited grit and calcium along with fresh water. No signs of lice. My leghorn and Americanna have continued to lay. Everyone looks good. After Nuggets sudden death, and Goldies mysterious illness I’m afraid I might lose all of them. I’ve hand raised them and they are super friendly. My regular vet is not seeing poultry at this time because of COVID, so I had to go to one I wasn’t familiar with. We are in Florida. Any ideas of what could be happening?

 

[CluckerFamily]

My girls are free-range if they choose to be and they tend to stop laying when a four-legged predator is around.
In autumn, I know when the cougar passes through and in spring, I know when the bear is around because the girls stop laying. To help their stress level, I will lock the run so that everyone has to stay in the coop or run for a week to prevent them from getting out, they start laying by the end of the week and by then the predator has moved on.
Stress can cause a stroke or heart attack. Could it be the weather? If it is too hot, they may need electrolytes in their water.
For the weight lose, maybe extra protein will help. Like mealworms or insects.

 

[Genthehen]

My girls are free-range if they choose to be and they tend to stop laying when a four-legged predator is around.
In autumn, I know when the cougar passes through and in spring, I know when the bear is around because the girls stop laying. To help their stress level, I will lock the run so that everyone has to stay in the coop or run for a week to prevent them from getting out, they start laying by the end of the week and by then the predator has moved on.
Stress can cause a stroke or heart attack. Could it be the weather? If it is too hot, they may need electrolytes in their water.
For the weight lose, maybe extra protein will help. Like mealworms or insects.

I give them mealworm each day, about 3/4 to a cup for the 6 of them. The same day Nugget died we had a large bobcat try to get into the run, it was on top but couldn’t get thru the avian netting. I can’t free range because we have Bald Eagles that are here every day. it has been extremely hot here. The thing I don’t understand is why two of them are still laying, they are also my most timid hens.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I give them mealworm each day, about 3/4 to a cup for the 6 of them. The same day Nugget died we had a large bobcat try to get into the run, it was on top but couldn’t get thru the avian netting. I can’t free range because we have Bald Eagles that are here every day. it has been extremely hot here. The thing I don’t understand is why two of them are still laying, they are also my most timid hens.

Those two that are still laying, are they the two at the top of the pecking order? This could be why they are still laying.