RIP

[LC]

I found one of my Sexlink hens dead yesterday morning. I'd like to try to figure out why she died. I'm new to yardbirds ... can anyone help?
She was a one-year old that I raised - looked healthy. No discharge or wound that I could see. She was fed and watered every morning. I have always tried to keep the coop clean ... sweep out the manure as needed and new oak shavings every couple of months or so.
One of the hens had stopped laying in the last month ... maybe it was her? The rooster (Barred Rock) is pretty robust and lays down the law for the hens ... especially around the feeder and waterer (where I found her dead). Could he have killed her?
Thanks in advance for any theories you may have. I have two hens left and would like to make sure this doesn't happen again.

 

[Bawkadoodledoo]

extremely EXTREMELY unlikely your roo killed her. A rooster's main interest in life is to fight to the death to protect his hens. so sorry for your little one..

 

[newchickowner]

Someone with more experience will be a long to hopefully help, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for your loss! :aww

 

[LC]

Update: remaining rooster and hens doing fine. Still no idea why the hen died.
I have noticed that I'm not getting any mottled/multicolor eggs any more ... the hen that died was laying something other than a large deep brown egg. Nothing wrong with them, just a little smaller and mottled. Maybe that is a symptom of something.

 

[rooster-red]

If the rooster had killed your hen there would have been blood and feathers scattered and she would have had wounds.

I wish I could tell you what she died from, but sometimes they do die mysteriously. I had one die of a heart attack (we think) right in front of me.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[Iluvmychickens]

So Sorry for your loss

DeeDee