My chicken died and I don't know why!

[ladynightowl555]

A few of days ago or so one of my 6 chickens got sick, so the only thing I knew to do was isolate it from the others, and then yesterday we found it dead. The other chickens seem to be fine, and aren't showing any symptoms of being sick. Is this normal for one chicken to just get sick, and then up and die? Should I be worried about the others, and can humans get sick from sick chickens? This is my first time raising chickens, so I'm somewhat clueless. Can someone please give an idea of what might be going on? Thank you!

 

[GitaBooks]

I'm sorry to hear that.

What age was it? What temperature is it outside? What are they eating?
Did it have diarrhea? Was it breathing strangely? Was there any discharge? Was it straining?

I hope I can help.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome. Most people can lose a chicken to an unkown cause eventually, but if more than one dies within days, I would get a necropsy done by your state vet in case of a contagious disease. Some chickens will seem to drop dead, but sometimes there are symptoms that we can overlook unless we spend a lot of time with them observing. Lethargy, diarrhea, poor appetite, standing around puffed up or with the beak tucked into the back, a full hard crop, swollen lower abdomen or vent, cough/sneeze, or vomiting can be some of the many signs of illness. Sorry for your loss. Here is a link for your state vet to send a refrigerated body for a necropsy, or for just ansering questions: http://www.usaha.org/Portals/6/StateAnimalHealthOfficials.pdf

 

[ladynightowl555]

Thank you for your prompt responses. My hen was only 4-5 months old, the weather has been sorta hot & muggy.....maybe high 80's, but that's not unusual for this area. I did notice some diarrhea, but didn't know which chicken it came from, and I'm not really sure what normal, healthy chicken droppings should look like. I'm really new to this. I've been feeding then chicken feed crumbles, for layers, from the feed & seed store, and some left over fruit scraps. Since she died however I've only been feeding them the feed. I did also notice that her crown, I guess it's called, was a darker deep red compared to the others that were a bright red, and more plump looking. I thought this may be due to dehydration. She actually drank when I brought her water, so that gave me hope. My other hens seem to be fine, and I've been keeping a close eye on them. Thank you so much for your help and advice. I will post any new developments, and welcome any comments from anyone. Like I said I'm very new at this. Thank you thank you!