lost my first..... not sure why???

[khable]

Hi all,

I am sad to report that I have lost my first chicken. Teriyaki was almost 1 1/2 years old.

I have no idea what happened. She was fine this morning when I went out to feed everyone and late this afternoon she was just laying there dead.

There were no wounds or anything on her. We checked her pretty close and she looked completely normal.

The only thing I can think of is that I noticed that one of their combs was a bit paler than the rest but that is it. Not sure if it was even her... I have all buff orpingtons (now 5 of them)

What can cause sudden death like that? There is one other one in there now with a bit of a paler comb but she is acting completely fine. It could even be the one I saw already tho. Should I be concerned about it??

Are the eggs safe to eat? or should I toss them?

Any ideas on whats going on here? I really hope it wasn't something contagious to the other gals.

Any help on what I should do now would be appreciated

Thanks,

Kim and my 5 remaining gals.

 

[dixiechick]

If it were me, I'd toss the eggs...I have a hen on antibiotics and am tossing her eggs too until she is better.

 

[keljonma]

I remember losing our first - I think I cried all day. I think it would be helpful if you could focus on each of your remaining hens as individuals. Try to observe everything about each hen and make a note of it. It really shouldn't be too hard with just 5 hens, although, I don't have any two birds alike, so that is easy for me to say.

Anything could cause a pale comb at 1 1/2 years of age, molt for example. So I wouldn't automatically assume that disease is involved with just that clue. That is why I think you need to do some observation.

I would eat the eggs from your other hens, unless you are planning on giving them drugs. I wouldn't give them anything except some vitamins with electrolytes or some yogurt with turmeric and crushed garlic in it at this point.

If any of the other hens start displaying some other problems, I would isolate it from the others. And post back if you see anything that doesn't look normal - droppings, breathing patterns, lethargic hens...

Hard as it is to take or understand, sometimes they just die.

 

[khable]

Thank you both for your comments.

This morning everyone is acting completely normal. Very eager to see me with their treats.

I'll keep checking on them.

 

[wilds of pa]

Hi, possibly a heart attack, Normally you find them on there backs..
Tips:
As the others said just keep a close eye on the others and also watch out for moldy feed. damp areas and feed dont mix(Botulism), we always keep our eyes open for it, esp during rainy days...Mold grows very quickly..and in most cases kills fast as well.

Charlie

 

[Jenski]

khable, so sorry you lost your hen. While it would be nearly impossible for me to really know for sure what happened to your hen without actually being there, here are a few mature hen "sudden death" causes from my Chicken Healthy Handbook (Damerow) ~

Fatty liver syndrome
Streptococcosis (not common)
Botulism (not common)
Cholera (not common)
Gout - visceral (common)
Marek's (common)
Choking - too rapid eating (not common)
Pesticide poisoning (not common)

My own vague guesses given what you have written might be fatty liver (perhaps causing stroke/heart attack) or maybe choking. It certainly wouldn't be a bad idea to check (or even replace) your feed, scrub out all food and water containers and rinse well, and keep a close eye on your other girls (good suggestion from wilds of pa) just to make sure it's not something else.

Good luck! Please keep us posted.

[Ed. for spelling]