Lost our first hen, how to help the rest of the flock?

[Turner_Family_Flock]

I went outside this morning like normal. let the hens into their run, filled their food and changed their water.
Hens were acting normal, even the broody girl ran out running and jumping and a little crazy (as she's been for about two weeks now, we're just thankful she's gone to broody and barely leaving the nesting box to eating and drinking normally, even if her personality is a bit jumpy)
I go to the nesting box to get the eggs.
And I look down
And Unice is laying in the nesting box that she likes to sleep in from time to time. Curled up, but her feathers look wrong to me. Not fluffed up and pretty. When I reach in to nudge her, she's cold. I lift her from the box and lay her in the garden so the other chickens cant see her. She's gone.
I look her over.
No cuts. No scratches. No blood. Wasn't squished.
Her wings were tucked into her sides and her eyes were closed. She was stiff, like she'd been laying there all night like that- but she was acting normal the day before. The other hens weren't picking on her, nothing.

She'd gone in to bed the night before and never woke up.
The only thing that was slightly off was that when I lifted her from the nesting box, she'd been sitting on an egg. I'm not sure if she laid it, but I know it was a novogen egg, because our Black Australorp lays eggs that are a bit lighter in color, so it was either her or one of the other novogens.

I woke up my dad, and now she's gone. We said our goodbyes and I held her for the last time.
I don't think the hens understood then. Because they hadn't really seen her. They usually dont go up to lay their eggs until about 9, and I found her at 8.

I made a point to check on them more today.
They look at me like they're panicked every time I walk out there.
I think they realized that they're missing a bird, and they can't see her in the garden, so they only know that she's missing.

Is there anything I can do to make sure the hens handle the loss of their flockmate? Is there anything I should be expecting? I've not lost a bird before- we had them for a full year as of...the 15th. We don't know what to expect for changes in the flock

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

I went outside this morning like normal. let the hens into their run, filled their food and changed their water.
Hens were acting normal, even the broody girl ran out running and jumping and a little crazy (as she's been for about two weeks now, we're just thankful she's gone to broody and barely leaving the nesting box to eating and drinking normally, even if her personality is a bit jumpy)
I go to the nesting box to get the eggs.
And I look down
And Unice is laying in the nesting box that she likes to sleep in from time to time. Curled up, but her feathers look wrong to me. Not fluffed up and pretty. When I reach in to nudge her, she's cold. I lift her from the box and lay her in the garden so the other chickens cant see her. She's gone.
I look her over.
No cuts. No scratches. No blood. Wasn't squished.
Her wings were tucked into her sides and her eyes were closed. She was stiff, like she'd been laying there all night like that- but she was acting normal the day before. The other hens weren't picking on her, nothing.

She'd gone in to bed the night before and never woke up.
The only thing that was slightly off was that when I lifted her from the nesting box, she'd been sitting on an egg. I'm not sure if she laid it, but I know it was a novogen egg, because our Black Australorp lays eggs that are a bit lighter in color, so it was either her or one of the other novogens.

I woke up my dad, and now she's gone. We said our goodbyes and I held her for the last time.
I don't think the hens understood then. Because they hadn't really seen her. They usually dont go up to lay their eggs until about 9, and I found her at 8.

I made a point to check on them more today.
They look at me like they're panicked every time I walk out there.
I think they realized that they're missing a bird, and they can't see her in the garden, so they only know that she's missing.

Is there anything I can do to make sure the hens handle the loss of their flockmate? Is there anything I should be expecting? I've not lost a bird before- we had them for a full year as of...the 15th. We don't know what to expect for changes in the flock

Sorry for your loss,
This happened to me last year, that’s exactly how I found mine. Just in the nesting box.
The other girls seemed okay, but the next day I went out and they were all sluggish and acting weird, and turns out they had coccidiosis. They probably didn’t really notice the loss much because they were stressed out from me cleaning everything and giving them medication and all of that, but I think just even going outside with them more and letting them be near you helps after they loose a flock member. Maybe give them extra treats or something to keep them extra busy, like a bordom buster, which you can make.

Good luck!
-ChickenWhisperer101