lost a chicken

[hyper_chick]

Hi, bird loving community. Thank you for accepting me. My apologies for entering with a sad story and gruesome pictures. I just lost a chicken. :-( She was 2 yo and I grew her from an egg. So, I am heartbroken. She was a very nice and shy chicken from the birth. She didn't interact much with her peers and kept to herself. She was totally fine (at least visibly) yesterday. This morning I found her lying in the nest with her leg in the air. She was breathing heavily. I checked her quickly and found something sticking from her vent area. I thought it could be a stuck egg and I remember reading stories here how people saved their chickens using warm bath. So I tried that. She died in a few minutes in my hands holding her in a warm bath. Now I need to make sure my other chickens are safe and that it's not something dangerous to humans. I would appreciate if you could share your expertise or thoughts. Thank you.

 

[arwoon]

I am so sorry for your loss, it is really hard to lose chickens.

 

[Battlepants]

Sorry for your loss.

It looks like a prolapse on this one. Not contagious in itself, but something definitely worth checking out your other chickens for just in case.

Additionally, are your other chickens eating, drinking, pooping and laying as normal?

 

[Lemon-Drop]

I’m so sorry for your loss.

The only way to completely know if it’s contagious would be to send her in for a necropsy.

To me it looks like her vent prolapsed.

 

[hyper_chick]

I am so sorry for your loss, it is really hard to lose chickens.

Thank you, arwoon.

 

[hyper_chick]

Sorry for your loss.

It looks like a prolapse on this one. Not contagious in itself, but something definitely worth checking out your other chickens for just in case.

Additionally, are your other chickens eating, drinking, pooping and laying as normal?

Thank you, Battlepants. Everything and everyone look normal. They are laying and eating and drinking. I didn't see anything unusual. They eat Blueseal feed and veggies scraps pluss some weeds I bring them from the garden. I keep them enclosed as we have many preditors.

 

[Sally PB]

I'm sorry you lost your girl. Fly high and free, sweet bird!

 

[hyper_chick]

I’m so sorry for your loss.

The only way to completely know if it’s contagious would be to send her in for a necropsy.

To me it looks like her vent prolapsed.

Thank you, Lemon-Drop. I'll read about vent prolapse. You are the second person suggesting that.

 

[hyper_chick]

I'm sorry you lost your girl. Fly high and free, sweet bird!

Thank you.

 

[Battlepants]

Thank you, Battlepants. Everything and everyone look normal. They are laying and eating and drinking. I didn't see anything unusual. They eat Blueseal feed and veggies scraps pluss some weeds I bring them from the garden. I keep them enclosed as we have many preditors.

Yea, it sounds like you are doing everything right. Sometimes chicken anatomy just fails and things like this happen.

I'd probably just keep an eye on the rest of the flock looking for anyone struggling to lay eggs, walking funny or avoiding the group. Especially watching hens related to this one (I honestly suspect hereditary for this).