My hen died mysteriously

[RHRanch]

Same thing happened to me earlier this week. Found one of my favorite old hens (6yrs old) who had never been sick a day in her life, laying on the ground in the henhouse in the morning. She had shown no symptoms of illness or distress that we saw prior to that, and its not been too hot here either. It happens, don't blame yourself. If another dies like that anytime soon, take the body for a necropsy.

 

[PipiOli]

I am sorry about your girls, guys.
yeah I think we will never know why she died. I just hope she wasn't in too much pain. She looks like she died peacefully in her sleep.
Well I just hope there is no disease going around. Not sure if we should keep collection and eating the eggs...
Thanks for all you responses...

Good luck with your hens...

 

[edselpdx]

Quote:
I wouldn't worry about eating the eggs if your other girls have no signs of illness.
Here's to the health of your remaining ladies!

 

[sherylreno]

Quote:
I wouldn't worry about eating the eggs if your other girls have no signs of illness.
Here's to the health of your remaining ladies!

I agree as well! You shouldn't have any issues with the eggs, always crack them in a bowl one by one not mixing any together and inspect them for any parasites and such. We never will truly know what happened to her I was just doing the math. If she had an egg break inside her or possible egg bound this could lead to infection and she could have died from that.

Keep loving your girls and enjoying their daily gifts!

 

[nikischicks]

Im sorry. I had a hen die this way also last year. It wasnt hot out either. I think she just gave out. She was healthy otherwise.

 

[CluckCluck18]

The same thing happened to me a few weeks ago with my 14 month old Marans. Fine and then dead in 24 hours. I thought she had heat stroke at first and then when I really watched her symptoms I think she was egg bound and had an infection. I know how bad you feel, I still go out and look for her in the yard and rack my brain about if I could have saved her and what it was I might have missed. Thank goodness I still have 5 and they all seem healthy. So sorry for your loss.

 

[alaina]

I lost a hen this morning, got home from work and went out to feed and water everyone, found her lying in a dusting bowl in the chicken yard, with her head down. Could be the heat, we have not had a break the past month or so. She was a hen from last years batch of BR chicks.

 

[heatherkh]

I'm sorry for all of your losses! We've not had to deal with too much heat up in the PNW, but I did lose a hen to being egg bound/infected earlier this summer. Broke my heart, poor girl. I don't think I'll ever get used to that part of chicken keeping.

 

[BovieVei]

Quote:
I agree, the weather we have been having here isn't nearly enough to kill a chicken...

 

[PipiOli]

So today my second hen died in my arm on the way to vet.
We have found her in the evening sitting in the water dish. I thought she was already dead.
But she was alive but wouldn't walk just sit down.
I took her inside the house, put her in box and wrapped her in towel to keep her warm.
she just sat there with eyes closed she look bad.
I gave her some water through little dropper. she drank.
Than she started breathing kind of hard even she had to start opening hew mouth to breath.
We decided to take her to vet but on the way she died.
She started drooling, coughing and little vomiting some water, than she twitched and died...
We are cooling her now and will send her for necropsy.
I have heard UC Davis will do it for free for hens.

I am extremely upset.
Just wanted to give you update.
I really wan to now why they die. I have feeling that me other ones will go too soon.
If it some kind of disease. Maybe respiratory no something. I have no idea.
Thinking of giving them all away because it is sooo hard on my when they die.
I guess I am just too sensitive...

Katerina