Sudden Chicken Death

[celia501]

My two year old (almost 3) Red Star died suddenly Thursday. I really don't know what happened and nothing seemed to be wrong. However, the past month or two I noticed that she wasn't acting quite like she used to; she was gentler when I hand fed her seeds, she would just stand in one place in the yard for a minute or two absolutely still, she wasn't as aggressive and dominant over my other chicken, and her attention span was much shorter than before. I also noticed that she had a bump on her leg for like 9 months - this bump did not seem to bother her, she was not in pain and was not limping or walking differently than before. I would like to know what was wrong with her and why she died so that I can try to prevent my other chicken from a sudden death.

 

[gander007]

Alright

great to have you joining the BYC flock

BYC has a very useful learning center

How many chickens do you have ????

Did you bring in any new animals to the yard before this all occurred ????


What are you feeding your flock ?????


Did you or do you put anything in the water ??????


A chicken not acting normal is a bad thing ......



Chickens are like people meaning if they are not acting normal something is wrong and they get many diseases .......

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Sorry about your hen. You might want to post about her in the Emergencies forum for help with figuring out what was wrong with her. www.backyardchickens.com/f/10/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures What was her body condition like, did she seem thin etc? Do you know if she was still laying eggs? Where was / What did the bump on her leg look like?

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

X2 on posting in the emergency section. I do not know what might have been the problem.

So sorry you lost her.

 

[drumstick diva]

It would have been good to have taken her in for a necropsy so you might know what you are dealing with. But people don't think of that when a death & shock prevail. Were your birds vaccinated for mareks as baby chicks before you got them?

If the leg bump(tumor??) was the cause of her death - it wasn't sudden - it was working on her for months.

 

[celia501]

Everything has remained the same in my yard and my chicken's house/food/water. She had stopped laying eggs. She was vaccinated for marecks. I don't think the bump on her leg had a major effect in her death. She seemed very healthy except for the personality change. I would have taken her to some vet or chicken person, but a) I can't drive (because I'm 16) b) I don't have any money and c) there's no one around here.

I have one hen now (her name is Viper) and she's really lonely, she gets upset when I'm inside rather than with her and she follows me everywhere. Besides being lonely, she is perfectly fine and healthy. I am getting more hens soon and hopefully Viper and them can get along so that she won't be so lonely.

 

[roostersandhens]