Sudden chicken death -- why?

[bartyhuffer]

Our flock had 8 chickens, two of which were Araucanas. They are slightly over one year old. Our white Araucana had been acting a little odd for a couple of days -- almost dazed, inattentive when we came to the coop -- but no other symptoms. Yesterday morning I went out to the coop and found her dead, lying just outside the coop door. No marks on her body. Her vent show a green stain which had no odor. In the coop on the floor I found a smaillish, slight mishapen soft-shelled Araucana egg.

Can anyone offer a theory as to why she might have suddenly died like this?

 

[chickencopper]

rare, but I have had some that die in egg delivery. may have been internal injuries or illness. are other birds ok?
watch and prepare to move them if illness spreads, but I imagine internal injury. good luck.

 

[bartyhuffer]

So far everyone else looks fine. We're keeping close watch.

The odd egg makes think that your theory is right.

Sad. We will miss Henrietta. The feed store gave her to us as a chick for free because they didn't think she'd make thru the week. She showed them!

 

[subhanalah]

Have you performed a necropsy to see what could have been wrong with her egg makin' pipework?