Sudden Chicken Death, little blood but no major injury

[Moolinda]

Hello,

We opened the coop today to find our two and a half year old Buff Orpington dead. She was on the ground there was a little blood coming pooling near her head but no other major injuries to see. We flipped her over and saw two tiny circular marks maybe cuts on her face but that’s it. No feathers spread out, no signs that the other chickens went after her as the cuts were on the face down side. Any idea if this was caused by chickens or something else. She was pretty stiff so if I would guess it happened sometime in the middle of the night. It’s been 90+ degrees here in Maryland so my husband was thinking maybe heat got to her? We only have 4 girls and they were all fine last night when we closed them up in the coop. The other three are looking good right now, happy to be roaming the yard. Any suggestions to protect my last three? It never gets easy losing a chicken

Thanks all!

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

I'm thinking snake bite here. Do you have any snakes in your area?

 

[Moolinda]

We do but I think I’ve only seen garter snakes and my husband said he’s seen some that look like hognose snakes. That’s helpful though we can look to see if there’s any ways it might have gotten into the coop!

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

If it were a small/young snake, and your hen tried to go after it, the snake would've bitten her in defense. It could've been poisonous, causing her to die quickly. Did you notice any swelling on the wounds.?

 

[Moolinda]

If it were a small/young snake, and your hen tried to go after it, the snake would've bitten her in defense. It could've been poisonous, causing her to die quickly. Did you notice any swelling on the wounds.?

Maybe a little but not super noticeable. They definitely have eaten baby snakes before though so that’s a possibility. Thank you!

 

[Moolinda]

Maybe a little but not super noticeable. They definitely have eaten baby snakes before though so that’s a possibility. Thank you!

It’s just weird my husband said she was up roosting when he left them last night.

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

A small, possibly poisonous snake such as a copperhead or coral snake could've easily squeezed through a small crack or hole anywhere on you coop fencing and entered. I've seen large snakes disappear under my house merely by squeezing in a little hole.