My hen just died in my arms-please help me figure out why. :(

[heiditam]

Well, that's a good question! As far as I know, total digestion time from beak to vent is only 2 hours. That is why they poop so often. I imagine that food in the crop is moist but most of the water passes on to the next phase fairly quickly. (gizzard, true stomach,etc). We're starting to get out of my range of knowledge here but I hope I have helped and given you new ideas to research.

Thanks.

I wonder if she was not drinking enough water-I have water in coop. They know it is there, but I wonder if they are going in there as often as they should to drink? They love hanging out in the run, and now I am worried they are ignoring the water for playtime...is that even possible? ??? I will def put water in run as well to be sure...

 

[MrsBrooke]

Chickens have a funny way of hiding their symptoms until it's sometimes too late.

As someone mentioned before, super green runny poo indicates the hen wasn't eating. If she wasn't eating, she may not have been drinking. Dehydration can be enough to kill a chicken before we have any inclination something is amiss.

A chicken's crop should not smell. If it smelled pungent enough when you opened her up that you took notice, I would guess she had some kind of infection. That combined with potential dehydration and malnutrition could have made her so weak that she was already passing.

I hope this is your only loss. If another bird goes in a similar fashion, I would /highly/ recommend sending it in for a necropsy... it's free (at least in Texas), and I believe you can even arrange for pick up through your local vet.

I'm very sorry you lost one of your mamas.

MrsB

 

[heiditam]

Chickens have a funny way of hiding their symptoms until it's sometimes too late.

As someone mentioned before, super green runny poo indicates the hen wasn't eating. If she wasn't eating, she may not have been drinking. Dehydration can be enough to kill a chicken before we have any inclination something is amiss.

A chicken's crop should not smell. If it smelled pungent enough when you opened her up that you took notice, I would guess she had some kind of infection. That combined with potential dehydration and malnutrition could have made her so weak that she was already passing.

I hope this is your only loss. If another bird goes in a similar fashion, I would /highly/ recommend sending it in for a necropsy... it's free (at least in Texas), and I believe you can even arrange for pick up through your local vet.

I'm very sorry you lost one of your mamas.

MrsB

Thanks.

Well, crop was def foul...could she have had a fungal infection? It is dry in coop but run is a constant battle. It is wet, and I have been throwing in leaves and chips to battle it but it is a losing battle some days as it has been very wet here.

Necropsy is about 100.00 and a long drive...if another gets sick, I will def do it though...I just assumed she had a laying problem(When I opened her I can now assume that she did not as she was not laying) as the others are all fine and it was so sudden...will def get answers if I lose another sweet girl.

This AM-I have topped off grit and shell just to be sure(There was grit and shell in all places), given a secondary food source pan, and two waters. I may add 3 waterers later today...

I am going to throw more chip in run to make it drier.

I am going to not offer scraps or treats to make sure everyone eats food.

Thank you everyone. <3

 

[heiditam]

Everyone else's poops look totally normal...

Is it possible she got into something free ranging at some point?