She just died??

[kjpanda]

I was outside about 20 minutes ago sitting on the porch and all six of my girls were fine. I came inside to feed the cats and went back outside to feed the girls and found one of my girls dead! I am devastated and have NO idea what happened. She wasn't egg bound, we got 6 eggs today. She is just barely one year old, a white Plymouth Rock, no signs of anything wrong. No predators, no new birds, (this flock was together since 2 days old), nothing. How can they just die? Anyone have any insight into what might have happened? My heart hurts......

 

[speckledhen]

Unfortunately, sometimes there is a flaw we cannot see. It means on occasion, an apparently healthy chicken will die suddenly. I've had one die of what I believe was an accident after roost time. One died as she was coming into lay-seems she had an undetected heart defect and her heart couldn't take her body gearing up to lay. When we opened her up after finding her dead, we found one chamber of the heart imploded.

The longer you have chickens, the more you will lose. It's awful, but in my mind, it's better to have their company for the short time they're with us than to miss all the joy they bring.

 

[kjpanda]

Thank you Speckled, I know that sometimes things just die. But when it happens so quickly and so unexpectedly, it hurts even worse. I did/do enjoy their antics and goofiness and can't imagine my world without them. I was just so shocked and saddened when I found her. Your words helped me immensely. Thank you.

 

[ChickiesInUtah]

I'm sorry. I'd be sad, too.

 

[kjpanda]

Thank you....

 

[Firefighter Chick]

I'm very sorry for your loss. I'm sure you gave her an excellent life.

 

[Cetawin]

It is always hard when we lose one...whether it is suddenly and it leaves us asking why or whether it is long-term from an illness...the hurt is always the same. Just remember your gal was happy, loved and the last thing she knew of you was your love and attention. No chicken can ask for more.

 

[bloom_ss]

I had one of my girls just up and die about 2 months back. She was perfectly fine and healthy as far as I could tell, but one morning I went out to the coop and there she was laying under the roosts. =( So sorry you lost one of your girls. I live in Spokane Valley also...in fact, I think you emailed me a while back just to say hi. =)

 

[Buckhunter76]

That's is sad

 

[sherylreno]

I had a chicken that died suddenly too in March. She lived 1 year and 2 days. At 1 year they start their first molt and sometimes it really affects them. That is what happened to my Wynonna. She started losing her feathers fast. She looked at her back and went into a corner in the yard with her face turned away from all the other chickens. She stayed like that for over an hour so I brought her into the house and she ate a bit but I saw she was declining really fast. I gave her a small bath and then held her until she passed. It was so fast. Almost in a blink of an eye she was gone.

Sorry for your loss.