Sudden death in chickens?

[lehouseofdog]

I have a sussex hen (I purchased her as a sussex hen but she in appearance is an extra large production cross). She's over 10 lbs and just gigantic. We called her Jurassic chicken as she was as large as a rooster. Today she just dropped dead. This morning she was bullying the others for cantaloupe and when I got home today she was no where to be found. She was under a bush when I finally found her. Looked like she was sleeping but then I noticed she was listed to one side. I pulled her out and her comb/waddles/face were a reddish purply color. She has had great activity, stools, eating, laying eggs, no signs of illness up until I just found her dead. No signs of a struggle, no wounds, just a dead bird lying under a bush.

I'm stumped. Anyone else experience this? She was probably 3-4 years old

 

[Kiki]

I am sorry for your loss.

Can you either open her up yourself or send her to your state lab for a necropsy?


You mention she was huge.
Huge could mean fat.
Fat could mean sudden death from fatty liver disease.


ETA. Your state lab's information is listed here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/necropsy-and-disease-testing-lab-info.1236884/

 

[lehouseofdog]

She was huge as in a very large bird. I don't think she was fat but it's possible. I've only had her since February

 

[lehouseofdog]

She's next to a normal sized hen.