Our first casualty

[dfdesigns]

We're having unseasonable weather here in San Diego - thunder, lightning and rain. I was just outside (since our power got knocked out), and my main pullet was making a huge, noisy fuss. I went over and talked to her, thinking something must be wrong. (I'm new to chickens, but know a distress call when I hear one.) Eventually she came out of the bushes which is my flock of four's favorite place to hang out in, and hurried back to the coop. Two more chickens were already in there, but one was missing.

I went back to the bushes, and peered in as best I could. I finally see our missing EE pullet, and she isn't moving. I can't see anything outwardly wrong, but without cutting down bushes to get to her there's not much to see. No mess of feathers, no trauma that I view.

Could chickens be scared to death by thunder? My heart is a little broken right now; I've gotten really attached to these girls.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Sometimes an injured or very sick chicken will be very very still. I would find a way to get in there and get her out to find out what her condition actually is.

 

[CubRed]

amazing...

 

[bargain]

It's important to go in and get her. Find out what her status is. If she is hurt, you can try to help her!!! Please...

 

[dfdesigns]

She's definitely dead, not just injured. If I had thought there was any hope that she was ill, hurt or simply scared, I would have immediately started cutting down branches to get to her. As it was, it was pouring rain and I am home by myself with a little one. I unfortunately must wait until my husband gets home tonight to help me watch the baby and help get her out of the bushes.

My quite serious question was if chickens could indeed be scared to death? The thunder was very loud, and that is very unusual around here. This was a (seemingly) healthy young pullet who came bounding out of the coop with the rest of them this morning. We are fully fenced with both planks and mesh making terrestrial predators (foxes, coyotes, etc.) unlikely. We do have hawks and owls, but where she was is completely protected from the skies. A snake bite? Something else? I am really at a loss to explain what's happened, but I want to make sure that it doesn't happen to any of my other chickens.

 

[PunkinPeep]

Well, considering the fuss you said the other chickens were making, it certainly could have been a predator of some sort, which will possibly be apparent once you're able to look at her body.

I have to assume that it is possible for a chicken to be scared to death. They do have heart attacks and brain aneurisms, and so it is possible that one could be triggered by thunder, etc.

I'm very sorry for your loss.