one of my hens died for no apparent reason, how come?

[BikerBabeRules]

this morning while doing chores, one of my laying hens was sitting in the barn, next to the bread bin (for the pigs) and I was petting her, which was unusual as she's very independent and doesn't like to be petted. I knew something was wrong, but she looked content/happy. I left for work and got a phone call from a friend I had check on her an hour later and she had passed away. She looked fine, no marks or anything on her. Is it possible she was still traumatized from last weekends predator attack on the other chickens? Is this how chickens die when it's time? She was 3 or 4 the lady that gave her to me last year said. thanks for our input. She was black with green tint to her and dark legs, black jersey giant maybe?
-Kathy

Ruth-
I watched her and the others all week, she seemed fine. As long as this happens from time to time, I won't do anything.

 

[ruth]

I'm so sorry to hear about your hen. I have heard that they can die for unexplained reasons. You mentioned a predator attack last week. Was she involved? She could have been stressed or internally injured.

 

[speckledhen]

I had that happen to me with my first loss. My hen looked perfectly healthy till then with good color, etc. We did a layman's necropsy. All her organs looked very robust and healthy internally-the only thing amiss that we saw was she had loose egg yolk in her abdomen in addition to the yolk "balls" lined up, waiting to be coated with shell. There was no egg stuck in her for that day's egg, either, which I expected to see, no extra shell pieces, nothing but the loose yolk in the wrong place. We chalked it up to an egg issue.