I found my hen dead today face down near a bush right outside my screen enclosure.

[allymcshop]

Upon examination it looked like no one had attacked nor harmed her. All 6 of my hens free range all day. They have a large area to roam close to the house and go back and forth all day. I found her at 7 pm tonight. I found another one face down off the roost about 90 days ago, and a third walked off and never came back 45 days ago.( I had 8 total ) I have had the 6 chicks for 14 months and I added two more adults 9 months ago. When I gathered eggs this morning I found one to have yellow heavy stain on it- almost like a yolk and that could be the one who I found dead. Most of mine are Amerecaunas except for a large RIR. Can anyone help? I am feeling really down about this. I have raised an additional 13 chicks and a rooster from days old to now- 16 weeks. They are confined to a screened dome with a coop inside. I have not allowed them to free range yet or join the other older hens. Please give me guidance. I feel terrible and don't want to put these young ones in jeopardy.

 

[Haihai]

I can completely understand as this had happened to me last week, I went into the back and found one of our silkies dead... broken hearted and crying I was desperate to find an answer... I still have yet to find one, so if you do please let me know! I'm sorry about your hen

 

[allymcshop]

Thank you Haihai. I feel like it is something I must be doing wrong, but I don't know what. I feed them organic feed and some yougurt; minimal table scraps- tomatoes and veggie skin. I wish I knew.

 

[Haihai]

@allymcshop I do the same, honestly my husband tells me our chickens are so spoiled lol the get fresh water melon on hot days there coop is cleaned every third day they free range on 4acres... and get meal worms as treats when I call them in for the night, they are on organic feed as well... I get the frustration, I told my husband I would feel better if I knew what did it, like if a dog came in and got her or something... I cried and thought I was a horrible chicken mom, however the investigation will continue, and I am overly sedative to how they act now too... I watch them all the time to make sure I'm not missing andything.

 

[allymcshop]

I wonder if there is a disease lingering in the coop. She has no physical evidence of harm. I wish I knew. Maybe someone else can help. What does the yellow all over the egg mean? the egg is not broken. Thanks again Haihai. It was 94 out today- HOT. But we have lots of shade and water.

 

[Haihai]

I agree, it's just finding an answer that would make me feel better as well! I'll let you know if I find anything out.

 

[Eggcessive]

It would be good to get a necropsy done by a professional or state vet to look for a cause if you lose another one. They can suffer from different problems, such as egg binding, impacted crop, eating a toxin from molded feed or dead animal remains, egg yolk peritonitis, heart failure, and other diseases. It can be common to lose a hen now and then, and the one that disappeared may have been taken by a predator (it has happened to me a couple of times.) Sorry for your losses.

 

[BlueShadow]

The yellow on the egg sounds to me like there WERE 2 eggs in the nest box, and someone ate the other egg. So that means you have/had someone who was eating eggs - that may or may not be the bird who died. Usually they like to eat eggs because they learn eggs taste good, they do not usually eat eggs because they are sick.

Unfortunately, with no other symptoms than "dead bird", we really can't guess why your birds are dying. It could be management (do they have grit? enough calcium? appropriate feed? clean cages? good ventilation?), disease (do they have coccidiosis? lice? respiratory symptoms?), or any of the other random things that may afflict chickens. Chickens are prey animals, so they are VERY good at hiding the fact that they are sick.

 

[13ChickenGirl]

Could it be the heat?