Sudden Chicken Death Syndrome?

[LoveOfChickens1]

It looks like this is the place to post this. One of my RiR's, Clementine, was found dead in the run this evening. She's the one that had 2 bouts of being egg bound this summer so it didn't surprise me but hurt, none-the-less. There are no signs of injury that I could see. She was acting perfectly normal this morning when I opened up the coop for the day. We have had our 1st week of colder winter temps but I'm not convinced that played any part in her passing. I didn't expect she would have a long a life as the others with her egg binding issues and can't say 100% that is what it was but I'm worried about the others. They all looked healthy and chipper tonight so we'll see. I did cry because she's so sweet. When she had been egg bound this summer I was able to sit her in a warm bath and give her electrolytes/water with a syringe to give her the energy to work that egg out. She never fought it and was always affectionate with me. Poor sweetie.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

So sorry. In that setting, I'd be inclined to think something startled her. They have been known to drop dead from fright.

This makes sense, thank you. I had forgotten my parents drove the car up through the yard that day to drop off some groceries. I had asked them not to do that since it scares the chickens so much when they do. The very one that died suddenly the other day and a few other flock mates of hers had once time run way up into the woods, through a field because they were so scared of the car. I could not get them to come down for hours. The car is quiet too when it approaches, so I bet that is what it was that scared and then killed her. :'-(

 

[Bocktobery 10]

.. in reply to LoveofChickens1....

So sorry to hear about that. It's always the sweet ones, isn't it? The not knowing what happened is difficult too. I'm so sorry for your loss. *hugs*

 

[under the radar]

I found my little Buff Orpington dead in the coop this morning. She was 23 weeks old and I noticed she was eating and drinking but not gaining any weight and seemed small.No other signs of illness. I guess whatever caused her failure to thrive ended her life prematurely. It's very sad to me, because she was sweet natured and friendly.

 

[casportpony]

I found my little Buff Orpington dead in the coop this morning. She was 23 weeks old and I noticed she was eating and drinking but not gaining any weight and seemed small.No other signs of illness. I guess whatever caused her failure to thrive ended her life prematurely. It's very sad to me, because she was sweet natured and friendly.

Sorry for your loss... you should probably collect some poop from your other birds and have a vet check it for worms and coccidia.

-Kathy

 

[Phoenixwmn]

Hello all…..

I only started keeping chickens last Spring; I have a small flock of 5, two American Bresse and 1 Cuckoo Marans, 1 Cherry Egger, and one Black Australorp. They have enjoyed what I suppose to be a pampered life; their bomb-proof & winterized coops and runs are daily kept as tidy-clean as I can make them ( they NEVER walk in their own poop!) , water is changed daily no matter how cold it is out; and for the blizzard I bought them in the house and put them in two different large crates. They've been eating/drinking just fine, all of them; even laying, which I didn't think they'd do r/t the change in environment.

The 3 'not-Bresse' girls were in one crate together, the Bresse in another crate in my office. I noticed yesterday that the Cuckoo and the Cherry Egger ( Miz Cookie Madeline and Miz Rougie) were intermittently pecking at Nicole Kidman, the Australorp….although she was bigger than they are, they just seemed to be always on the offensive with her, to an extent. I don't know if that has anything to do with what happened.

I held her & cried for a while and then dried my tears, tried to examine her to see if I could determine any obvious cause…she is clean, well fleshed out, feathers shiny & iridescent, no wounds I can find, I just don't understand what happened to her !!! You can't imagine how I baby these girls……they get Alfalfa soaked in milk, ( to replace what they forage in the green months) along with their usual layer crumbles, scratch grain, mealworm treats, fruit & veggie peels,mineralized grit, some leftovers ( not too much, just a taste now and then) . They've thrived and been such sassy lil girls and a great joy to me. I love taking care of them and just being with them, they're such curious and darling little creatures.
They squat down close to the ground for me to pet them when I go into their runs, they're rather spoiled, I think. I'm always laughing at them; they hop up on my shoes and peer up at me sideways, and love to eat treats from my hands.

I am so, so sad…I can't even bury her because of the snow…I carefully put her in a cardboard box and covered it with snow, put her up on a deck table where critters can't get to her, will have to figure out what to do with her.

I am watching the other girls very closely, but I have to say she was eating & drinking/pooping just fine……the only thing I've noticed is that her eggs have been having increasing surface blood blemishes on them recently, like blood colored freckles/birthmark-looking, as opposed to actual blood on the eggs, that's not what it was…they're like blemishes actually embedded IN the shell.
AND, she laid an egg just before she died !!!

I feel so very bad…I keep wondering if there was something I should've done for her that I didn't, if it is my fault.

I'd be grateful for ANY input from anyone here, even if you think it'll hurt my feelings…..I have to know or understand what happened so I don't make the same mistake ( if it was me) again.

I take the care and raising of these animals very seriously and want to do the very best by them. I just need to understand what happened…….. Thank You, Susi

 

[LemonLover123]

I think my little baby chicken had this we found her this morning laying on the ground being snuggled by the bigger chicken

 

[jflanny]

This is always such a shock. I have had this happen a few times in the 20 years I have kept chickens. Sometimes you just find one that passes with no warning. I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[PulletNewbie]

A co-worker had what appeared to be an 8-10 week-old Bantam Ameracauna show up in her rural front yard. The little thing was shrieking her head off and desperate to be held. Kay picked her up, carried her inside and, for lack of anything else to give her, offered raw oatmeal flakes and water. She mentioned the find to me the next day at work (Saturday) and I offered to foster the little one.

The little gal rode home in my lap wrapped in a towel. Very sweet, instantly quieted when handled. No idea where she came from or the status of her health. But, it seemed clear to us she had been handled quite a bit and was most comfortable when cuddled.

Her poop was watery, usually dark but sometimes clear with some yellow. I gave her chick food, a scrambled egg, and water on a fresh bed of straw. She instantly went to sleep. Didn't see much evidence of her eating or drinking. However, she nibbled on grass outside the next day and seemed to have a good night Sunday night.

Came home Monday afternoon after work and she was sitting in a roosting position on her hay, stiff as a board and barely able to slowly blink. Absolutely no visible injuries within her silky white feathers.

My husband put her down and buried her. In light of these events, I am so thankful to have followed The Forum's advice to ALWAYS quarantine!

Any ideas what caused this rapid decline? Could the oatmeal have impacted? Could the initial fright of having gotten loose from her home (no telling where) then to be surrounded by cats before being rescued by Kay have been too much?

Her lack of appetite, diarrhea and lethargy I originally chalked up to exhaustion. Now I wonder if it could have been an illness lurking in the background.

Would love to hear from You Good Folks as to ideas on what could have caused her rapid decline as well as how to better care for a rescue...

 

[marcid]

Found this thread and am comforted by it. My black australorp, Mrs Toadflax, died overnight. I tucked her in myself around 830 last night. Came out this morning and she was dead in the coop. She was the biggest, sweetest, most loveable of all our four chickens. My son used to swing with her on his lap. I'm devestated and confused. She showed no signs of illness and was 1 year, 2 months old.

Sorry for all of your losses as well.