Hen suddenly died overnight, laying on the side

[JianWG]

About 3-4 years old, died suddenly overnight in the coop.
Breed is either Rhode Island Red, Lohmann Brown, or ISA Brown

It is unlikely to be egg binding since she stopped laying months ago (likely bc we stopped feeding her layer feeds and switched to organic grains + whatever she finds in the backyard)

She died laying on the side, legs stretched out, eyes closed, head curled in in a 'C' shape.

I think it might be a disease since there is some white poop near her, she was feeling kinda light and unenergetic before, but I am not experienced enough to know what exactly is it. Don't think I can bring myself to do a necropsy.

 

[nuthatched]

Sorry to hear that. Placement of the body often doesnt indicate cause of death
Why do you think it's not egg binding because you stopped feeding layer? what are the organic grains?

 

[JianWG]

Sorry to hear that. Placement of the body often doesnt indicate cause of death
Why do you think it's not egg binding because you stopped feeding layer? what are the organic grains?

Her diet consisted of leaf vegetables, fruits, (minced) nuts/walnuts, corn, milo, oats, and small pieces of meat. She also often finds plants and worms in the backyard to eat.
Tbh I am unsure if stopping the feeding layer is exactly what caused her to stop laying. Maybe there is not enough calcium in her diet. But she had already stopped laying months ago and I did not see any egg-laying-related motion before her death.

My mom chalk it up as either old-age or disease-related. But it's kind of a shock to me since I have read that a chicken can live up to 8 years old and that her death is kind of sudden. The only indicator is the white poop and her being a bit unenergetic the day before. A quick Google search says Salmonella Pullorum, but I thought it was more for younger chickens, although I guess the chance of it being the cause is not zero.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. The best way to know what was wrong is to get a necropsy through your state vet lab. Here is a list of state vets to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

 

[nuthatched]

Her diet consisted of leaf vegetables, fruits, (minced) nuts/walnuts, corn, milo, oats, and small pieces of meat. She also often finds plants and worms in the backyard to eat.
Tbh I am unsure if stopping the feeding layer is exactly what caused her to stop laying. Maybe there is not enough calcium in her diet. But she had already stopped laying months ago and I did not see any egg-laying-related motion before her death.

My mom chalk it up as either old-age or disease-related. But it's kind of a shock to me since I have read that a chicken can live up to 8 years old and that her death is kind of sudden. The only indicator is the white poop and her being a bit unenergetic the day before. A quick Google search says Salmonella Pullorum, but I thought it was more for younger chickens, although I guess the chance of it being the cause is not zero.

8 years isn’t the longest lifespan for a chicken, I've had chickens live longer than that and several members have chickens that live 12,15, 18 years. Unfortunately, she likely died to a reproductive issue, 3 is usually when they strike.
Calcium doesn't make chickens lay.
If you get more chickens or still have chickens, you want to feed them mostly chicken feed, if you can.

 

[orelsi]

There are a bunch of reproductive issues that can happen after a hen stops laying naturally. Some can be deadly.

She could have had a disease or something that was the reason she stopped laying and she hid it well.

There's always a chance it was just a heart attack. White poop doesn't mean a problem automatically. Sometimes they die out of the blue like humans.

No way to know unless you get a professional necropsy.