I am heartbroken....What killed her?

[tomkat1]

Hi, My name is Kathy. I just had one of my last 4 year olds die in my arms as I tried to do what I had read to try to make her feel better. I thought she had vent Gleet as her back end was really pretty gross looking and slimy looking. Her appetite and mood to range were both down. So after reading up on Vent Gleet yesterday, I came home from work today to wash her backside with warm water that had epsom salt and white vinegar in it. She was sitting by herself under our raspberry bushes, and then had gone into a dog pen we have in their larger pen that houses our younger chickens at the moment since we are integrating a new group of 4 into our original 2 older girls realm. Well Thelma was in the dog pen by herself as she oddly has done the past couple days. I got her, wrapped her in a towel to prevent her from digging her claws into me and talked soothingly to her as I started to get her positioned to clean her vent area with the solution I had prepared. When I got her into position, I was shocked to see that there were maggots pulsating at the bottom of her vent. She was moving a bit as I applied a soaked wash cloth compress to the area and squeezed water to the area. She did calm down....or so I thought, but after cleaning and getting maggots out for a few minutes, and her not moving, I checked, and ....she had died in my arms! Did she have vent Gleet, or Flystrike? I just found out about Flystrike after googling the maggot issue. Are my 5 remaining chickens at risk? Thelma was fine last week....I am so sad, but also want to do right my by new 4 pullets and 1 remaining 4 year old.

 

[coach723]

If there were maggots then she definitely had fly strike. Unfortunately, often with fly strike in the vent area it's brought about by droppings build up, which can be caused by another health issue. If you are up to doing an informal necropsy, that may answer that question. You can post pictures here for opinions on what may have been the problem. Or you can refrigerate the body and send off for a professional necropsy to get answers.
Reproductive problems are common in hens over two years old, so that may have contributed, but a necropsy is the only way to know for sure.