Necropsy results: My best layer was impacted with sand - could I have prevented this?

[cocoloco]

Thank you for the words of comfort - and I am sorry for the loss of your horse. It's so hard to diagnose an animal - their inability to tell you what is wrong brings a fair amount of guesswork into it - and, if they don't make it, hindsight drives you crazy. I should have done this...I should have noticed this....etc. I first acquired chickens last May. A friends' son and his wife bought 9 chicks from Tractor Supply as Easter gifts for their 1 year old baby - great idea, right? Guess they didn't read the BIG sign in Tractor Supply stating chicks are not gifts and require a lot of care and expense. It was too much for them to handle - knowing my husband was a softie - they asked if he would take them. When he brought them home, I was furious but I have learned to love these crazy, entertaining animals. It's almost a year now, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have BYC. I am surrounded by old Yankee farmers here in Central Mass and, by that, I mean their advice is always to do what is least expensive. I asked a few about litter -they said to grab sand out of the yard and throw it in. I know it works great for some folks so I am not judging. I chose to use pine shavings at first, then switched to straw for the winter because it holds heat better. I plan to go back to shavings in a week or so - but leave straw in the nesting boxes. We have 2 small sand pits in our yard and a patch of it under the coop for sand baths. I realize now Ginger had eating issues - she acted like she was always starving. Live and learn. Note to self: when a regular chicken eats like a Cornish Cross broiler - it has food issues! I am happy we rescued her from a cramped pen and gave her a great life for 5 months.