Hen died today while napping after being a little tired yesterday. Any ideas what happened or what I could have done? :(

[peyton233]

Hi everyone. I'm really heartbroken today- I got home this afternoon and went into my yard to check on my chickens. Two of my three girls came running up to me, but my other one (Ghost) didn't. She usually is the first up to me unless she is sitting on an egg, so I went to look in her favorite spots. I found her lying beneath my orange tree, which is one of her favorite napping places.

I knew something was wrong because she didn't get up and greet me. When I got to her she was laying like she was resting, but her head was all the way forwards, with her forehead resting on the ground. It was clear she had been gone for a while.

I just am so upset and want to know if I missed something. Her behavior has been pretty much normal, outside of one small incident that was either yesterday or the night before. I went out to check on them and she was laying right next to the house, but again, didn't join her sisters to greet me and follow me to the food. I thought it was kind of strange because she usually follows along right at my feet, but didn't think too much of it. I went to check on her and she let me pet her and then settled back in where she was. I just figured she was tired or a little hot and left her be. She was in bed like normal last night, and then gone this afternoon.

That's the only strange thing I have noticed. Her body didn't have any signs of injury or illness, except for a very small amount of yellow liquid at her mouth. I did also look around the yard after I buried her and I noticed some splatters of white liquid poop near where she was resting yesterday, that I don't think were on the concrete before today.

I'm just really upset that it seems she was sick and I missed something. Does anyone have any ideas what could have caused this? And if so, how should I handle it in the future? I'm not a farmer, I live in a city and have three (now two) backyard hens and they're cherished pets. The only thing consoling me is that she passed seemingly oeacefully in one of her very favorite spots and that if ahe was sick and feeling badly, she's resting now.

I've included some of my favorite pictures of her- she was a beautiful and sweet girl and I will miss her terribly.

 

[FrostRanger]

How old was she? It sounds like while there may have been something going on, it was just her time. Chickens can be really good at hiding illnesses

 

[peyton233]

How old was she? It sounds like while there may have been something going on, it was just her time. Chickens can be really good at hiding illnesses

She was only about three years old.

 

[FrostRanger]

She was only about three years old.

Some birds only live that long unfortunately, lifespans in chickens is highly variable

 

[peyton233]

Some birds only live that long unfortunately, lifespans in chickens is highly variable

Maybe it was just her time then.... Thank you for this peace of mind. I wish I could have had longer with her.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Unfortunately this is part of keeping chickens. Sometimes we just don’t know. I lost a chicken a few years ago and I have no idea what happened. She had never even laid an egg. She fell off the roost sometime in the night and since I used to open the coop before I went to work and before they came outside I didn’t even notice until I came home from work. Sometimes there is something going on and it’s impossible to know what without a necropsy. You did nothing wrong!

 

[peyton233]

Unfortunately this is part of keeping chickens. Sometimes we just don’t know. I lost a chicken a few years ago and I have no idea what happened. She had never even laid an egg. She fell off the roost sometime in the night and since I used to open the coop before I went to work and before they came outside I didn’t even notice until I came home from work. Sometimes there is something going on and it’s impossible to know what without a necropsy. You did nothing wrong!

It's a lesson I'm struggling to learn with them! In the five years I've been keeping hens, I've had one die to predation, two vanish without a trace (so probably a predator), and now with her, three who have just dropped dead without any warning or obvious signs of illness or injury. I love them dearly, but having pets so prone to dying is tough on me . Thank you for your kind words though

 

[ColoradoChicken89]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I have no real help, other than to say that don't blame yourself! It sounds like you gave her a wonderful life for those few years, and that you were doing the best you could.

I wouldn't be too concerned if all the other chickens seem to be doing well, and there isn't any noticable signs of illness.

 

[peyton233]

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I have no real help, other than to say that don't blame yourself! It sounds like you gave her a wonderful life for those few years, and that you were doing the best you could.

I wouldn't be too concerned if all the other chickens seem to be doing well, and there isn't any noticable signs of illness.

Thank you for the kind words. They mean a lot to me

And yes, that's another part of my concern is that if she was sick it might spread. I'm not quite sure what to be looking out for aside from odd behaviors... I guess I'll just have to keep a really close eye on them the next few weeks to make sure I'm not.missing any signs.

 

[ColoradoChicken89]

It's a lesson I'm struggling to learn with them! In the five years I've been keeping hens, I've had one die to predation, two vanish without a trace (so probably a predator), and now with her, three who have just dropped dead without any warning or obvious signs of illness or injury. I love them dearly, but having pets so prone to dying is tough on me . Thank you for your kind words though

OH ME TOO! lol. I go into a spiral when ANY pet passing, and it's what kinda kept me hesitant on chickens. I knew I would get so attached to each of them, and their lives are so short I finally got some, and read threads like this all day just to mentally prepare myself for the inevitable.