HELP! Need some insight into this sudden chicken death

[moxiemom6]

My hens are 1 yr old, from a hatchery, and vaccinated. Everyone healthy and very interested in treats yesterday. They all ran around for corn. All combs and wattles looking good, everyone active. I have 2 chickens that I think might have mites. They have feather loss on their neck, and 1 a little below the vent. I had treated them, and ordered some "bigger gun" treatment from hatchery. This morning, one of my Australorp girls was laying slightly dug into coop bedding and dead. She was not one of the ones that I had treated -but when I picked her up, she was missing a lot of feathers on her lower belly, and coming up her breastbone a bit. Never noticed anything prior. She was on the roost bar last night - nothing unusual.
So - I am not of the impression that mites would have caused her demise without her seeming to be sick or her comb and wattle pale.
I am only 1 yr into having chickens and this is our first death. I never thought about just finding a hen dead in the coop with no injury. What do you think?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Dead chickens happen. Those that are found like that I generally think it was either a heart attack, or fatty liver. Both will cause sudden deaths.

Most chickens have a few external parasites that they manage by dust bathing. If you see them, than it's best to dust all birds, nestboxes, and roost cracks weekly for 3-4 weeks.

Most laying hens can end up with missing feathers on their chest and between the legs from sitting on eggs in the nestboxes when laying.

 

[moxiemom6]

I didn't know chicken could have heart attacks or fatty livers! How do they get fatty liver disease?
Thank you for replying

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Fatty liver is from consuming too much fat in their diets. Things like black oil sunflower seeds, and too much corn can cause a buildup of fat around the liver. It can also occur from not exercising enough. Birds can appear ill before dying or can suddenly die from an internal rupture.

 

[moxiemom6]

oldhenlikesdogs
Hi again, and thank you. I googled some info about that after you mentioned it. I did include black ol sunflower seeds over the winter (here in illinois) to make sure the girls would have rev'ed body heat. I included them sometimes after that because I still had them. I also give them whole oats sometimes in their feed and sometimes just tossed separately. With spring - they get a lot of dandelions and greens.

Reading about fatty liver was confusing because were was no signs of illness, no fat chicken, not listless, etc. They get regular 16% protein feed and that info about feeding at 17% protein and 3.5% fat was confusing. Reading the feed tag, it seems that is ok for fat.

Actually, I would have been less surprised if my other australorp had died. She has been super broody, and kinda - go away and leave me alone while I sit here in this nest box, oh and don't be surprised that I get back off the roost when you leave and sleep here too.
Being new to chickening, my thoughts were - what did I miss, what could I have done. I live with woods around my house, and have seen the local fox take a look at my run. My girls are well protected even though it took me quite a while to believe that nothing can get through the door into the coop, and nothing in going to get into the run. So - bam dead was nothing I had thought about.

The feather loss under her belly was weird. I have two girls that have feather loss on their necks, and one included a bit on her head. Peach (top of head feather loss) had poopy butt back in febuary-ish. I washed her off and have since sprayed her with some no chemical mite stuff - Puffmomma was sprayed too. Since this death, I looked and some girls have some degree of belly showing which I only saw because I turned them up to check. I don't see any nits or louse dirt - zip. Same on my poor dead girl - no sign of anything. I have pictures but on my phone. Have some spray stuff coming and will zap all. Have you dealt with mites or fleas?

I hope I have not over whelmed you with this. I don't have any chicken person around to ask questions. I figure, like the repair guy who was here and we talked the whole time about our dogs, most people like talking about their critters.

Thank you for taking the time to reply
Paulette

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've had mites in my bantams. Those can get so bad they suck the life out of birds. I treat my bantams yearly because they go broody a lot which can allow external parasites to get out of control.

Without cutting open the deceased bird or sending it in for testing it can be hard to guess why it died.

A bird just dying one night isn't uncommon with chickens. They are pretty good at hiding illnesses, or when they aren't feeling good.

It sounds like your chickens diet is okay. I would just chalk it up to one of those unexpected deaths.

 

[moxiemom6]

I will treat all of my chickens. Stuff should be here friday. Having had kids have head lice (just mentioning that makes my head itch still) and I could see telltale signs. Other than the feathers missing, I haven't seen anything. I think the 2 with some head or neck feathers are victims of a boss white rock named Pearl. I have seen her zip a peck or feather pull in before anyone can dodge.

Can't say finding an other dead on the floor sounds good. Glad to know the diet sounds ok. I'll leave the sunflower seeds out until winter rolls around again.

When your chickens go broody, are they hatching eggs or just hanging out in the nest box? I have started to wonder if I should let Miss Frizzle languish in the nest box or take some action to get her hormones in sync.
thanks
Paulette

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If I want them to hatch I let them, otherwise I pen them away from, or block them from their chosen nest site to break them. Broody hens generally stay broody until they lose enough weight to break by themselves which isn't good for them. Those external parasites can get out of control too, so overall it's best to break them asap or use them.

 

[Jared Vera]

Mites can cause anemia causing pale wattle and comes, mites are nocturnal so you may not see signs of mites in the day.

 

[moxiemom6]

Mites can cause anemia causing pale wattle and comes, mites are nocturnal so you may not see signs of mites in the day.

I have not seen anything. No nits, nothing zipping away, no dirt - yuck! Just feathers missing. One girl had poopy butt in febuary and I washed that off. She has had some more feather loss around the vent, and was sprayed. I have some other stuff coming and everyone will get sprayed. My girl that died did not have pale comb or wattle. I have always taken note of that since it seems to be an indicator of their general health. Especially in the winter - I watched those combs.