Sudden Death

[MrChickenGuy]

I woke up this morning to my Silver Laced Wyandotte dead in the coop. She was barely a year old. Up until finding her dead she seemed very healthy, like a normal chicken. She had laid an egg the day before. I just want to make sure that this isn't a sign of anything that could pose a threat to my other chickens. I don't want to start finding chickens dead all over the place. Are there any signs of disease that I could check the body for? Anything I could do?

Down to 7 Chickens now.

I've considered that it might have been a heart attack or something of that nature.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There is no way to tell without lab work.
There are about 15 diseases that can cause sudden death in chickens.
My recommendation is to not guess and send the bird for a necropsy so you know how to deal with your remaining flock.

There's a lab at Murray State and one at U of K.

Breathitt Veterinary Center
Murray State University
715 North Drive
Hopkinsville, Kentucky 42240
Phone: 270-886-3959 Fax 270-886-4295

University of Kentucky, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
1490 Bull Lea Rd
Lexington, Kentucky 40511
Phone: 859-257-7489 Fax 859-255-1624