Lost my first chicken

[PH0E]

I lost one of my Buff Orpingtons yesterday. She was 2 years and 5 months old. She was my biggest girl. With no rooster she ruled the roost. She was fine, my husband brought out cored apples (seeds removed) and 5 of our girls came running and she did not. He found her in the ground area of our coop squatted down. He tried to pick her up to have her stand and she couldnt. Then he noticed a foamy substance coming from her mouth. He ran to get water and when he got back to her she was dead. I checked her out when i got home and she did not appear to have fly strike. All of our chickens are the same age and egg production is not what it once was. They have all seemed to slow down in egg laying and i think i read when i first got them that depending on breed 3-4 years is normal time to.slow on egg laying. Anyone have any idea what might have been the culprit? I love my buff orpingtons so i am sad. Our big girl was the one who would trot right to you and let you pick her up. She would even lay her head on your shoulder.

 

[Chick_Maelle]

Oh no! That is very sad. I really don’t know what I’m doing but hopefully someone who does comes along!

 

[Callender Girl]

I've never come across anything similar. So sorry you lost your friendly girl.

 

[Chicalina]

so sorry to hear about your loss. I had a young Orp (my fave partridge cockerel) just drop dead on me one time. But he had some type of congenital malformation.

There are quite a few diseases that cause the symptoms you mention. Perhaps get a necropsy done or at least a blood test and see if it is something you need to treat the whole flock for, and then you know what you are dealing with. Before it affects the next one because it may well do soon.

 

[Wezdin]

Sorry for your loss. Do you still have the body? If you want to know for sure send it in for a Necropsy at your local lab, we could try and guess what happened to her but there is really no point because it could be virtually anything.

 

[Jeanw]

 

[Sammi_0411]

Im sorry for your loss just keep an eye on others incase it was contagious x

 

[PH0E]

Ok so over 1 month later another buff orpington is gone. I am reading they live to 5-7 years. They girls are all moulting (sp) so egg production is virtually halted.

 

[Chicalina]

Sorry to hear that. I reiterate my earlier suggestion to get a necropsy done and figure out what disease or condition they have before you lose any more.