Sudden death of EE (easter egger) hen

[Mrs. K]

@ AArt - it is ALWAYS the favorite. Dang it.

 

[Thechickentrainer1999]

my oldest chicken was 7 or 8 years but alot die around 3 years

It's just weird though how one who was so full of energy, no appearance of health problems, broken bones, etc, just died after what started as a regular morning. Wouldn't a hen that dies of old age start slowing down, quit laying and showing health problems?

 

[aart]

Wouldn't a hen that dies of old age start slowing down, quit laying and showing health problems?

But she may not have died of 'old age'.
Freak accident.

 

[bayareapilot]

Reports of occasional long lived birds, is not indicative of a realistic expectation.

I think you have a great deal of sensibilities, and if you are still mourning a bird that dies 2 years ago, this might not be a good hobby for you.

Personally, I keep a flock. Birds come and go into my flock. If I lose a bird that I like real well, often times I will get another bird of that breed. If I get a long lived bird, I celebrate, but am realistic enough, the older she gets, the more apt she is to die. However, I love to add new chicks, and me and mine just keep this as the circle of life.

You may want to consider another animal to keep as a pet, if you are so distressed by a natural fact of life.

Mrs K

Jeez, what a post - I checked to make sure it wasn't written by Ebenezer Scrooge.

Lives should matter and one should be affected by the loss of an animal friend. I would worry more about a person who wasn't.

"If you pluck one blade of grass, 10,000 worlds will come with it" old Taoist quotation.

 

[bayareapilot]

It's just weird though how one who was so full of energy, no appearance of health problems, broken bones, etc, just died after what started as a regular morning. Wouldn't a hen that dies of old age start slowing down, quit laying and showing health problems?

Obviously I can't speak to what led to the demise of this obviously treasured hen - but we certainly with humans have situations where they have some congenital defect where out of the blue ,say at 20 years old, they just drop dead because of some unknown congenital heart defect for example. Perhaps a heart defect in the hen?

 

[Paula321]

My first chicken just reached almost 4 years old and died today. She was my favorite and I’m definitely grieving. Im comforted that she lived an amazing life. As the oldest of a 27 hen flock, she was one of the top hens but never bullied. Her name was Roostie since she waited until 12 months old before laying her first teal blue egg. I know I’ll have to grieve less as I lose more and more but I cried all day today. My average flock age is about 3 years so it’s going to happen. I’m taking comfort that my girls live an incredible life here. She died with me hold her since she seemed pretty slow this morning. I brought her inside for a scrambled egg and she died before eating it. I’m so glad it happened that way so I know it was likely just her getting old and not a predator.

I’m sorry for your loss too.

 

[Kanekoded]

Once we become attached, no amount of time ever seems long enough. So sorry for your loss.

 

[bayareapilot]

My first chicken just reached almost 4 years old and died today. She was my favorite and I’m definitely grieving. Im comforted that she lived an amazing life. As the oldest of a 27 hen flock, she was one of the top hens but never bullied. Her name was Roostie since she waited until 12 months old before laying her first teal blue egg. I know I’ll have to grieve less as I lose more and more but I cried all day today. My average flock age is about 3 years so it’s going to happen. I’m taking comfort that my girls live an incredible life here. She died with me hold her since she seemed pretty slow this morning. I brought her inside for a scrambled egg and she died before eating it. I’m so glad it happened that way so I know it was likely just her getting old and not a predator.

I’m sorry for your loss too.

So very sorry to hear about The loss of your feathered friend.

I had one of my EE's die last year and she was just a little over a 3 years old no egg issue no apparent parasite issue she just slowed down and gradually died. :-(. I know what you mean how it's a much better situation where you can actually be there as they pass as opposed to something more surprising and horrific like death from an attack by a predator.

Take care and good healing