Sudden death of chicken

[coach723]

Thank you for the kind words.
We all started the same way pretty much, there is a beginning for us all. This is a wonderful forum where many generous people share their own experiences. I have been able to learn and help my own birds in enumerable ways based on things I learned here also.

 

[ILoveDaffy]

She looks possibly a bit bloated towards that bald patch. It could be ascites.

 

[PeterB94]

There are so many variables. How old was she? Do you know when she last laid? Any abdominal bloat? How was her weight? Any known diseases in your flock? Variables in feed, housing, etc. that we can't know from here. When a bird dies of an unknown cause, getting a necropsy is the best way to know for sure. You are correct, there are numerous possibilities.

Hi, She was 2 years old.
I don't know when she had last laid to be honest as there are similar egg colours amongst my flock.

By the time I found her she had sadly had started to develop maggots so no necropsy could be done & I wouldn't know where to start anyway.

 

[coach723]

I'm very sorry for your loss.
Maggots could have been there before she died and contributed, or could have happened after, hard to say. If they have reproductive issues sometimes dropping build up and stick around the vent, and those can attract flies who will lay eggs there. When they hatch the maggots feed on the live bird. And that is life threatening. Something to be aware of and watch for, particularly during season when flies are numerous.
Necropsy might still have provided information about whether she had some kind of reproductive problem, or other abnormality in organs.
I have some documents, with pictures, that show how to do your own informal necropsy, if you would like them for the future. Let me know, and I will post them if you are interested.