Sudden Chicken Death Syndrome?

[ScrltOTara]

I had two of my 3 year old hens die like this within a month of each other. They were fine one minute, then "poof" laying on the ground, feet up. No trauma, just looked like they went to sleep. Neither had laid an egg for a year prior. I have two more that are the same age and don't lay any more (I thought they laid longer than a year and a half!). Wonder if they are next?

 

[JoePa]

I know it can be rough to lose a pet - but look at the bright side of this issue - evidently these chickens had something wrong with them or they would not have bit the dust - with them going that way you didn't have to cull them - now I know how many of you would have a hard time culling one of your pets - they made it easier for you by them dropping dead - every cloud has a silver lining -

 

[SteadysDream]

I just got 8 RIRs from a friend, I've had them about two weeks. I was told they are only a year old. Just the other day one hen seemed "off" so I told myself if she made it to Monday (it was a Saturday) that I would get some antibiotics in an attempt to save her. Sunday morning I found her dead under her perch. I wasn't surprised but today (Monday) I fed all the hens and since I was gone all day I kept them locked in their pen. So from 9am to about 9pm I was gone. When I went in to collect the days eggs I found another hen dead but not under her perch like the other. I was worried that the hens were sick because by now they could have infected my other three hens I already owned but now that I have read this I feel a little better. All seemed fine this morning. I will keep an eye out for any one showing signs of sickness. Its always sad when a pet dies.

 

[Nobbit]

I'm so glad I found this thread! We lost one of ours this way last night. Everything seemed fine, she was the dominant chicken, then when my husband went out to put the girls up, she was dead in the middle of the run. No sign of any external stress (predators, etc.) Just dead. I'm sad because that is 3 out of 4 of our first set we've lost. The other two were predator losses. This one was my favorite of the 4, too. Luckily, I have 2 more "little" girls that are ready to go out with the big girl. It was comically tragic. Everyone is afraid of everyone. The big one isn't being aggressive, but anytime she goes near the 2 new ones they run away and anytime they walk by her she flips out and moves. We had tried integration a few weeks ago and Hazel, the one that just died, was enforcing pecking order so I think that is why the littles are wary. I'm sorry that so many of you have had to deal with these unexplained losses. At the same time, it made me worry a lot less about mine.

 

[Lake Desire]

I found my 17 month old barred plymouth rock dead this evening, curled up with her head tucked in. She was fine earlier today... she seemed to be eating and even laid an egg. Is there any risk to eating her egg?

ETA: we are having a bit of a heat wave here in Seattle, with temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s. My hens don't like the heat. Not sure if that is a factor (their water is full).

 

[gmendoza]

I found my 17 month old barred plymouth rock dead this evening, curled up with her head tucked in. She was fine earlier today... she seemed to be eating and even laid an egg. Is there any risk to eating her egg?

ETA: we are having a bit of a heat wave here in Seattle, with temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s. My hens don't like the heat. Not sure if that is a factor (their water is full).

if you have any doubts,dont eat it.

I have two barred rocks here in South Carolina and they are doing fine with the heat and humidity here.

SCDS just comes onto chickies for no reason.Gruesomes sister Twosome (barred rock hens) died unexpectantly.She was fine and dandy,then the next morning,stiff as a board with head down.No others died this way as of yet (knocking on wood). Gruesome had to take over the "mother" duties of the guinea keets.
I do hate SCDS, but I have accepted it as a part of chicken life.

 

[wood&feathers]

SCDS just happened to us last night. "Pearl" was a special needs cubalaya pullet, born in an incubator in my daughter's 2nd grade classroom 2.5 months ago. As one of the last to hatch she was a victim of everyone's urge to open the incubator. She was missing the last joint of both middle toes, had droopy wings and a slightly compressed forehead. So she probably had a heart defect as well.

I was doing my sunset head count and found her dead in her nest, no sign of trauma, not a speck of anything on her eyes or nostrils. She was running with her buddies an hour earlier. JoePa you are right - I really should have culled her, but she was everyone's favorite. She sucked in 2 sets of pet sitters so we could take trips. One gal was considering her for a house pet.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

So sorry to hear this happened!

They can just die at any time with no warnings. I'm trying not to get too attached to mine anymore, I had a 3 month old golden laced Cochin cockerel bantam who was my favorite. His name was 'Cochise'. Every evening I'd take him out of the run and let him play in the front yard as I stayed there with him just enjoying the evening. One afternoon late I notched he was not being himself as in scratching and eating grass. He was not eating at all. I brought him inside the house and set him up in a crate with food and water. He died the next morning. He was fine 24 hours before that. You just never know.

 

[Cecile K]

I just had this happen tonight! I'm heartsick! We have just started our chicken experience in collaboration with our neighbors who have had chooks for a couple of years. When one of my neighbor's hens went broody, we hoped to she would raise six or seven day old chicks as advised by our local breeder. The goal was to start our flock and to expand my neighbor's flock. The hen accepted five of chicks, but would have nothing to do with the other two, so we took on the task of rearing the "orphans."

They're about almost three months old now and go outside during the day in their own tractor adjacent to the run that's housing the others. When the hen escorts her adoptees into the coop for the night, we have been bringing the other two back inside to their "coop." Tonight, they'd settled in nicely when I hear a flapping and loud squawk. I ran to the enclosure to find one of the girls on her back looking as if her neck was broken. I'm distraught... and so is the other girl, who's by herself now.

I'm not sure quite what to do with the solo bird since she's not quite as big as the others in the outside pen and the hen is still very protective of her brood.

 

[gmendoza]

Just found one this morning.It was one that was about 12 weeks old.It wasnt sick,thin, or nuttin.Just dead.So I pulled it out from the underrun and put it in a bag and in the trash.

Sometimes this happens and there isnt a thing to do about it.