One of my hens died today...

[begbfg]

and I'm not sure how.

I went outside this afternoon to gather the eggs and there she was, on her back, in one of the nest boxes. Before I took her stiffening body out, I looked all inside the coop and nest boxes and couldn't find any signs of anything other than chickens being in the coop. I went into the run to check the rest of my birds. They all were doing their usual chicken things: scratching around the run and chasing each other and taking dust baths. They all look rough but that's because they're molting.

After taking the dead hen out of the coop, I looked her over and she looked "normal", just dead. It's almost like she had a heart attack or was scared to death.

I wish I could give more info, but that's all I have. Any ideas, anyone???

 

[Attila the Hen]

So very sorry for your loss. That happened to me a few months back. One hen didn't seem all that chipper as she went to bed and I found her the next morning. I think they are delicate creatures with many things that can happen to them. In my case I wondered if I was overfeeding especially with peanuts and she had fatty liver syndrome. I'll never know. Again, so sorry.

 

[<3ChickenForever]

Aww I'm sorry for your loss.

This happened to me as well, about 1 or 2 months ago. My hen, Ella, I found her dead behind our feeding cans. I think she knew she was going to die and went back there so no one could see her. It was not a predator, it was of sickness that we didn't know of.
Do you remember what her poop looked like? Did she ever puke? Anything unusal. Your hen might have had what my hen had.

 

[begbfg]

<3ChickenForever :

Aww I'm sorry for your loss.

This happened to me as well, about 1 or 2 months ago. My hen, Ella, I found her dead behind our feeding cans. I think she knew she was going to die and went back there so no one could see her. It was not a predator, it was of sickness that we didn't know of.
Do you remember what her poop looked like? Did she ever puke? Anything unusal. Your hen might have had what my hen had.

Thank you and I did notice that she had greenish-brown loose poo on her feathers around her vent. However, I've seen this with all my birds at one time or another and they're healthy. I also mix food grade DE in with their feed to keep them wormed.​

 

[kidcody]

I'm so sorry

sometimes we never know it only pulls at are heart strings

 

[MetalSmitten]

sorry to hear

sometimes it just happens.

as a side note though, it might be worth your while to worm the rest of your birds (or have a fecal check done first) with a chemical dewormer. there is great debate about whether or not DE is effective as an actual wormer or preventative, and i don't want to start the debate again, but a fecal test could let you know for sure whether or not it's working for the rest of your flock.

 

[GoldenSparrow]

so sorry

 

[JenniferNgo]

It's happened to me too. Everyone was fine all day, went to bed and when I went out first thing in the morning I found a light brahma dead in the corner. It was cold that night so I don't know if all the snuggling suffocated her or she had some unknown illness... we will never know as we haven't had a problem with any of our other birds!

Just one of those things I suppose...

 

[<3ChickenForever]

Quote:
Thank you and I did notice that she had greenish-brown loose poo on her feathers around her vent. However, I've seen this with all my birds at one time or another and they're healthy. I also mix food grade DE in with their feed to keep them wormed.

Well if she had greeny, liquidy poop all the time, something is wrong. (Or in this case, was.)

 

[southerndesert]

Sorry for the loss, but it happens with chicken keeping/farming please also keep an eye out with the others to be sure all is well. Sometimes thie loss can serve as a warning to save the rest and sometimes one will just die for no apparent reason