Sudden Death

[Anapsid]

Morning all. I found my 2 year old bantam hen dead this morning in her run and am trying to figure out what happened. As I only have (had) 2 hens left from my original flock its not hard to monitor them for strange behaviors or symptoms of disease. As of last night she was active and eating well. No runny eyes, discharge around nares or pale comb and wattles. She laid a beautiful egg yesterday and another this morning.

I did notice some white poop (not gleet type discharge) on her bum last week and had sent out a fecal to check for worms (still waiting for results). Both girls' droppings on the dropping board have looked normal...no blood, worms or froth.

After finding her dead I collected every piece of poo from her sleeping spot and methodically went through it. I found what looked like black string or very this plastic strands in her poop. I also checked every corner of the coop and run for anything that looked odd and did find some watery discharge around back (had almost no fecal matter in it). without a necropsy its impossible to say what killed her, but do you think she had an impaction in her gut?

Anyways, any ideas would be welcomed. If it is worms is there anything I can give the remaining hen until I get the fecal results back?

Thanks guys

 

[OF65]

If she swallowed plastic strings they could have cut off circulation of air, blood or intestinal flow. Netopsy would prove or disprove this.