Hyline Brown - short gasps for air last night - dead this morning

[tmikem]

When I was closing up the coop last night ~7pm, Molly, a HyLine Brown, was making what seemed to be short gasps for air. She stayed on lower roost bar for awhile before finally moving to upper bar(her usual sleeping spot). She's been the boss of my 4 bird flock and was the most outgoing/adventerous of the 4 girls. I found her dead on the floor of coop this morning. Any ideas of what could have been the cause and are my other birds at risk? I close them in coop at night, then let them in run until ~noon. Then I usually let them free range fenced in backyard during the day/evening until they return to coop on their own. I did spot a very light brown poop pile earlier in the day which was very unusual, but can't say which of the 4 birds did it. That and the gasping where the only oddities, everything seemed normal as usual. Their coop is large enough I can walk in and the floor is covered in straw that I change out every 3 or 4 days. I just remembered, she and my other Hyline started showing white around their waddles.
Also, is she safe for consumption or should I dispose of her (any if so what would be preferred method) ?

Any ideas? Are my other birds at risk?

 

[MysteryChicken]

The purple in the face says she had a heart attack. Was other patches of skin purple? If so it was definitely a heart issue.

What's their diet like?

These are high Production hybrids, which don't really live very long, & usually die quite early in age. How old was she?

 

[tmikem]

I bought her off craigslist, late July this year and like I said she started laying beginning September, so I figure maybe 6-7 months old. So when you say young, typically how old? Aside from feed, they get additionally get tomatoes, carrot tops' greens (they didn't care for carrots), chopped up spinach, oatmeal and what every they forage in the yard.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I bought her off craigslist, late July this year and like I said she started laying beginning September, so I figure maybe 6-7 months old. So when you say young, typically how old? Aside from feed, they get additionally get tomatoes, carrot tops' greens (they didn't care for carrots), chopped up spinach, oatmeal and what every they forage in the yard.View attachment 2862344

High Production hybrids typically live 1-2yrs, sometimes 3, or 4yrs before eventually passing away.

Cut out the other stuff, & only give the treats every other day, or 1-2 times a week?

 

[MysteryChicken]

High Production hybrids usually start laying earlier then 6-7 months. They can start as early as 4 months of age.

 

[tmikem]

thanks for your replies, vey much appreciated.
my partner in this activity seems to think their beaks say they are older than what the seller claimed. they are definitely rounded off as opposed to sharp like the other girls who haven't started laying yet. Molly had been laying an egg a day since September 4th, though this last week she had been laying it on the floor under the roost bars instead of the box like she would normally. Was that a sign I should have picked up on indicating something was amiss?

 

[MysteryChicken]

thanks for your replies, vey much appreciated.
my partner in this activity seems to think their beaks say they are older than what the seller claimed. they are definitely rounded off as opposed to sharp like the other girls who haven't started laying yet. Molly had been laying an egg a day since September 4th, though this last week she had been laying it on the floor under the roost bars instead of the box like she would normally. Was that a sign I should have picked up on indicating something was amiss?

Beaks do not indicate the age of a bird. The tip of the beak, grows, & wears that's normal.

Laying an egg on the floor occasionally is nothing to worry about. My hens do that to me once in awhile.

 

[tmikem]

thanks

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. All chickens that die have cyanotic or bluish combs and wattles do to a lack of oxygen. Do you still have the body to take or send it in to your stat vet for a necropsy? Occasionally you can do a home necropsy to look for anything unusual in the organs, or for internal laying/egg yolk peritonitis, or ascites. I would look at the heart, the throat and trachea (airway) for any yellow spots or plaques, look at her abdominal organs and intestines, gizzard, and for any yellow fluid in the belly. In some states necropsies are very inexpensive. It would be hard to know if the meat is safe to eat or not.