Sudden chicken death

[rdranch]

I am sorry for your loss. I just lost one today that was just over a year old and she died about 5 hours after I noticed something wasn't right. At least I knew she lived a good life and was well cared for. I guess these things happen sometimes and all we can do is give the rest of them even more love and attention.

 

[mmajw]

When I had sudden death the county came out and we found they had Salmonella and I had to treat the whole flock immediately with an antibiotic in their water from the farm store

 

[Eurekachick]

Thank you all for your responses. I've been away from my computer for a long time. In that time our third and final chicken died. We had allowed her to be out in the garden with us yhat day. She seemed fine. 5 minutes after we returned her to her yard she was on her back, dead. It was horrid. My partner started crying. I cancelled my order for the new chicks we had ordered. We are organic gardeners, so it wasn't anything like that.
The samonella suggestion interests me, thank you. I will look into it. Did your chickens have any symptoms from samonella?
I have always been concerned about the numerous wild birds that visit our yard transmitting something. We have a lot trees and get large flocks of cedar waxwings, robins, and other birds during the winter berry season. Their poop is everywhere. Although I change their water everyday. I would find wild bird poop in it. I am going to post another message to see what people think. In the meantime I have decided against getting more hens. After twenty years of loving my chickens it is hard to adjust to their absence.

 

[mmajw]

I think that once you clean out their coop well and burn any of their old bedding , you should be fine. The only symptoms were that they would be lethargic, retract their necks and the eyes would get puffy. Then within a few days or so of that they would die. I treated with Tetracycline and saved the rest.

Don't give up. I would clean out your coop and give it another shot. Good luck

 

[mendochickenmom]

I think you may have helped me. I am just south of the person who posted about the sudden chicken death. Down in Mendocino county. I just lost 2 chickens- a month apart- the same way. Seemingly fine then dead the next morning. Both had no sign of illness and we happily free ranging the yard and being social the day before. We are down to one hen and some chicks we hadn't introduced yet. I am contacting the feed store to try some antibiotics. I too worried it was a plant that might be toxic. Thank you so much! I hope this is the problem. My daughters are heartbroken, the chickens were their buddies.

 

[norcalfran]

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry for your loss, Eurekachick. I just lost one of my gals today, suddenly and without any symptoms, just like the posting above. She was a silver-laced wyandotte named Sweet Pea. She had been completely normal and healthy this morning at 9am, but by the time it was time for everyone to come in to roost she had passed on. She was one year old.

I am cleaning out the coop, nest boxes, the litter in the run, feeder and waterer just in case I have a chance at disinfecting everything (?). I will try the antibiotics for their water too. Of course, I don't even know if it was a disease or not. She seemed very peaceful when I found her, sitting with her feet tucked under her and just relaxed under some of her favorite bushes. Anyhow, I also wanted to say thank you to everyone on this site for being so kind and sharing their stories/experience.

 

[bantamchick]

i also lost a chicken a couple of days a go she was a little more than 10 months old, she was a golden esbright bantam. one day she was health and the next she was dead

. i have four now, they live in a coop and it was very cold the day she died. i am wondering if i couldhave been from a stroke or if she got scared

 

[Bikergrl]

My RIR had 10 or more consecutive days of laying monster eggs (90+ grams), sometimes 2 a day. For the past 2 weeks she hasn't laid anything and over the past week she's seemed a little odd, hiding face first in bushes, for instance when I let her free range. When I came home from work tonight she was lying in her coop dead. I dont' know if the strain from all those huge eggs was the problem or if something else I should worry about. Her coop mate Huck is doing fine so far and still laying every day so I'm fairly hopeful that it's not a transmittable disease.

For now Huck is on her own but I have 5 chicks who are probably 2 weeks away from moving to the big coop. Is Huck going to be OK all alone for that time or should I rush out and track down a friend for her?

 

[allieloveschickens]

So sorry for your loss! I am from Arcata originally, I just started a little back yard flock down in San Diego- I would be so upset to lose one of my girls!

I hope you can find out what caused them to pass on so suddenly.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Just a couple of thoughts as I read this...

What new plants were introduced? Maybe the plants were non toxic, but what soil and fertilizers were around the root ball?

What are all of you feeding? Brands? Maybe there's a link there?