One of our hens died yesterday

[ErikaRI]

One of our chickens died yesterday. She was fine in the morning, and when I went out in the early afternoon she was at the back of the coop, gone. She was our first layer and was only about 15 months old. She was also the loudest—in the morning she’d been loudly proclaiming herself from under the bushes.

We think it may have been a heart attack. Can’t tell for sure, of course, but it matches with some other stories we’ve seen. So this isn’t really a question—just feeling a bit sad.

I think she was my favorite. But we still have 3 others, including our ridiculous Polish, Tallulah.

RIP, Betsy.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

I'm sorry you lost Betsy. Losing birds from time to time is a sad fact of poultry keeping, but they provide much joy to counter that heart break. At least it sounds like she went quickly and did not suffer.
In that photo she looks to have a very full crop and possibly some abdominal swelling. The bulge of feathers below her tail. Fatty liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome can cause sudden death and ascites which would cause abdominal bloat. What do you feed (main feed and treats) your chickens? A dietary imbalance can cause such issues. Many people assume their chicken died of a heart attack because it happened suddenly and they do not see any other symptoms but there can be other causes and unless you have a necropsy done (or possibly do one yourself) you can only guess.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Greetings ErikaRI,

So sorry for you loss.

Are you in a very hot region of the country?

 

[TelfTheElf]

Sorry for the loss
I had a chicken die the other day. We were out at a friends and there was a thunderstorm so i think it was that. can a chicken die of fright?!

 

[micstrachan]

I’m so sorry for your loss.
@rebrascora, I noticed the crop, too, but thought the feathers toward the back were just fluffy thigh feathers (Rusty had that and I called it her “skirt.) Will be interesting to learn what this little flock eats and hope the rest can be helped if an adjustment is advised.

 

[ErikaRI]

Hmm. That picture was a couple of weeks old, but it’s the most recent. I’ll go out later today and get pix of the others. They’re on Poulin layer pellets with mealworms as bribery when we need to get them back in the coop. We let them free-range when we’re outside, so they also get grass, etc., plus leftover salad, fruit, etc. Lately we’ve been eating a fair amount of corn on the cob so they do get to pick over the cobs. I think we’d put a full ear in there in the morning (including the kernels), so that would’ve been the last major treat.

And yeah, it’s been hot and humid. We’re in RI, so not the hottest part of the country...

 

[aliciaFarmer]

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. What a pretty girl Betsy was.

I appreciate reading others comments too as I've not yet had any chicken issues and definitely didn't notice

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I am so sorry about your beautiful Betsy! It’s always difficult losing one of our feathered family members. Bear hugs!

 

[staceyj]

Oh poor Betsy!!
So very sorry for your loss @ErikaRI .
What a pretty girl. Those australorps have so much personality that when one “goes” their absence is EXTRA noticeable.

We lost one (14 month old australorp) in the same way earlier this year.
We cried for days.
The other girls didn’t seem to know what to do the next morning when it was time to come out of their coop. for days there was a hesitation and then finally they’d come out, but not until after much arguing and discussion and trading of positions.

 

[Kiki]

I am sorry for your loss.