Please help me. I went out this morning (3/23) to let my hens out and feed and water them and found my RIR hen, Ginger, behind our shed flopped over dead. She hasn't shown any signs of illness, she didn't have any open wounds. The only thing I can think is A. They weren't out at all yesterday, the last they were out was Thursday (3/21) Maybe she got locked out when I put them away for the night on Thursday. But she ALWAYS goes in with the others before I even come out to lock them away, and even if she missed being put up, I feel like she would have run up to the pen and started pacing. But I can't help thinking "What if I missed her?" What if she got stuck in the yard with little food and starved? I have NO idea how long it takes for a chicken to starve. The only other explanation is that she has some hidden disease that took her while she was out and she was unable to get back in. When I found her, she looked as though she had fallen to sleep, like she had been in a sitting position but when death took her it caused her to fall over to the left. Her eyes were closed though, not open. I wondered briefly if she could have frozen, but it was only in the twenties the last couple nights, which is cold for this time of year but we are going through this last cold snap before Spring really sets on, it was MUCH colder this winter and she was fine. Though she did have the other hens around her...can a chicken freeze if it is out by itself in the twenties? I am SO upset. I love my chickens like part of the family and never thought I would lose one so soon. She was only a year old and laying fine, like I said in great health. Can someone please let me know what could have killed her? Should I send her away for a necropsy?
I'm so upset....I can't help thinking it was my fault...
