RIR hen died after laying egg!!!

[Ema]

I have been going through the forum in order to find what the cause of this is. My 14 month old RIR who has never been sick and has been laying perfectly fine since she began laying last september laid a heavily blood covered egg and then died. I found her in the run when I went to collect the eggs. I saw the egg and then I began looking for the girls to see who was bleeding but she was laying outside all by herself and the rest of the flock was inside. I guess they must of been freaked out cause they did not want to go out there.

anyhow I had fed them scratch and BOSS an hour earlier and I noticed she was clucking away, figured she was complaining for more treats. I was on the outside of the run checking things out because I have a mama bear and cubs hanging around and wanted to be sure the run was secure and nothing was out of the ordinary, I never went in the run like I always do, and now I feel terrible.

I have had this flock since may of last year and they always follow me everywhere, now the new flock have been dropping like flies, between injuries and heat related issues I have lost 8 juveniles, and I was upset over it, but the loss of my RIR upset me more, specially knowing she likely suffered from a painful experience.

What causes this to happen? I just can't seem to find an explanation as to why this happens, anyone have any info for me on this topic?

Thanks

Ema

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

Wow, I'm so sorry for your loss. I have no idea but I'll give you a bump.

I wonder if it was prolapse. That's what it sounds like to me but I'm hardly an expert.

 

[hokankai]

This is a very amateur guess, but could the egg have somehow caused an internal hemorrhage which would have either caused her to bleed internally or die of blood loss? Was there anymore blood on her? Was she especially pale? Did you inspect her vent after she died?

 

[Ema]

when I looked at her rear it was all red and bloody and sticking out, but I didn't think they could die from that so quickly, and suddenly. I mean I have read so much about prolapse and I know the signs and what to look for and I check my girls every week on sundays and she was fine.

Usually with prolapse you can separate the chicken and help her heal up, but this as quick and sudden with lots of blood, I mean I guess it could be a severe case of it??!!

I am kind of lost for answer :-(

thanks by the way, at least I can look in that direction and see if it can lead to sudden death!! thanks for your help, kinda spooky to find a hen dead from something they naturally do everyday, lay an EGG!!

Ema

 

[Ema]

Quote:
the egg was pretty big, so this could be it, Hemorrhage, while her vent was sticking out some, and a little open, it wasn't completely out not like the pics I have seen on prolapse vents, it had to be an internal cut or something, after all the egg was literally covered in blood.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Unless one of the other birds pecked at her rear before she laid the egg, causing more damage to the area already traumatized?

 

[Ema]

I cannot say yes or no, but I have not had pecking issues with this flock except for when they were juveniles, they were all acting normal and minding their own business, they weren't really paying attention to her a she was clucking away in the run, and come to think of it, she came up to the top roost where she took a dandelion leaf from me and when she walked away to go eat it I did not see any blood on her or anything out of the ordinary.

Hard to say, all I know is she is gone, just worried it might happen to another one of my girls, but I think this was a fluke. I swear I thought she was sleeping when I first looked at her, her feathers look great, and her comb was really red like the rest. even when I picked her up, she was quite plump, big girls but not fat, trust me these girls could run their acreage in no time when they saw me, the kids or my dh coming just to get first picks on treats, which because they had free run it was only a bit of scratch and BOSS.

Ema

 

[savingpurple]

I can only add that I am sorry for your loss. Too new to add further...

 

[spacecowgirl]

I don't know what happened, but I'm so sorry.

 

[Ema]

well than you my fellow chicken people!!!

BYC peeps always make me feel better, even if I don't come on as often as I used to!!

Ema