Hen died after laying egg...

[Deleted member 94844]

My chicken is still the same right now I've been feeding it water since I saw it but she still looks the same she tries to stand up and she can't but her breathing is constant, still heavy breathing, is there anything I should give her? She layed and egg could that be stress for her therefore leading to her like this? I don't want to see her like this suffering and all

I have some Nutridrench on hand that's good to give when chickens look poorly. It could be a nutritional deficiency. Adding a little Apple Cider Vinegar to their water can also be beneficial. If she is too weak to eat you will need to hand feed her. Make a mush of feed and plain Greek yogurt with some added vitamins. Really hope she improves...

 

[Deleted member 94844]

I'm very sorry for your loss. What is S&P brand feed? Thanks!

Scratch and Peck... I think the issue is that the protein and vitamins are in the fines and they knock it out of the dish. This feed is really meant to be fermented and I don't know if I want to do that. I don't think they are getting enough protein or nutrition. May need to switch back to layer crumbles.

 

[tex-adam]

I just had the same thing happen. One of my hens, the smallest of the bunch, was the first to lay yesterday. It was a small egg, very clean, no blood, and a very thick shell. The girls are still on starter grower feed that is fermented. This evening, I walked out to find her dead, with a very red, swollen vent, with blood coming out. To say the least I was shocked because she was fine last night. I left this morning well before dark but my wife said she was fine all day. (Didn't check on the after 4 until I did at 645). There were no signs of another egg being stuck, but to be honest, with a 6 year old crying that her baby died I didn't get to check real well before I had to dig a hole and put on a proper service. I do give acv in their water, keep everything clean so I am really at a loss at how it happened so quickly. Oh, and like many others that I have read similar things about, this was a 5 month old rir hen. Am I missing something or just a freak thing that happened?

 

[rooster 2011]

Natures best organic start and grow that you can get at tractor supply is a good organic feed

 

[KDMdesigns]

I know you are in Rowlett, I'm not very far from you… Could it have been Heat Stroke? I'm always checking in on mine every hour or so since it has been super HOT out this week with 100 degree days… I have one just like your deceased, sorry to hear of your loss..

 

[tex-adam]

That would have been my first thought if her vent would not have been swollen, bright red, and bloody. And it may very well could have been the heat but they get frozen fruit treats three times a day in this heat.

 

[ChicKat]

That would have been my first thought if her vent would not have been swollen, bright red, and bloody. And it may very well could have been the heat but they get frozen fruit treats three times a day in this heat.

so sorry for your loss...
I lost my best hen to heat stroke in connection with egg laying this year. The heat in the nesting boxes can probably build up. It is so sad. The vent-blood could have come possibly from other chickens pecking the dead one after death. My guess FWIW is that your first thought was right.

Sometime I wish I could turn off laying until this heat wave gets past. --

Hope you won't loose any others in your flock -- but this heat is truly dangerous to livestock.

 

[Mammasloth]

So im new here and I have had my hens almost a yr. They started laying in October and were all decent sized eggs. They started going into molt so production has slowed but I have one hen who looks like she's on deaths door all of the sudden. Granted every eggs has been up to par size wise with store eggs and some even double yolks and non stop laying all winter with 5-6 eggs but could that be why I'm getting ready to lose one of my gc's?

 

[5vias]

I didn't get any replies in the egg laying subform, so I'm posting here:


So I went out to let the ducks in and check on the chooks and found one of my hens dead on the floor of the coop. It was a busy day and I wasn't in the garden all afternoon.

There was an egg (definitely hers) on the straw directly behind her. She seemed to be in good health. Comb was a little pale, but not sickly. I have no idea what happened. There was no blood or evidence of trauma, no visible prolapse.

Can they die from the stress of egg laying? She was barely a year old and still laying small pullet eggs, so I don't think it was strain. Her eggs had been fairly consistent.

My son wants to bury her and won't let me take her in for an autopsy. She was a Columbian Wyandotte.

She had been eating feathers and I suspected a protein deficiency. This batch of hens is being fed organic Scratch & Peck layer feed, with supplemental hard boiled eggs, egg shell, veggies, and occasionally some S&P scratch in the afternoon. For the first six months I mixed organic oats in with the feed. The girls all had bad moults and their feathers look very scruffy. They free range once or twice a week, but hadn't been out for a few days on account of rain. The coop was cleaned last weekend and had new, clean straw. I am totally at a loss.

Hell I wanted to reply if you still are around if so please reach out….thank you

 

[swilliams4life]

We had three pullets pass separately, between ages 16 weeks to 10 months that were fine one day, then croaked suddenly. We follow organic living, clean chalet coop, everything is to the "rule" of raiding good hens. The each were healthy but died suddenly a few months apart. All three lost ability to stand. One had gleet
The other two who knows. They could have had a parasite.
I wouldn't be concerned unless you have others due suddenly within the week. In meantime, clean coop and hen boxes, provide Organic ACV (with mother) in their waters - 1 TBSP per gal, if providing mealworms or larvae limit to only once or twice a week as treat. Too much protein causes pasty butt. Scratch is good in winter for warmth and encourages foraging in free roam area, you don't need a lot. I provide herbs every other day... I also provide some left over raw veggies like cabbage, celery, carrot, lettuce, broccoli. As treat only. For pullets -layer pellet crumble, for hens reg pellets are their main feed. We provide two waterers for 14 hens year round.
That's the best you can do.