Sudden death

[bigibeeg]

Sadly two days ago I found my favorite hen Speckled Sussex Ziggy dead in the morning. She seemed fine the day before and I had seen her lay an egg. Her crop was still full when I found her and I felt around to see if she was egg bound and there was no sign of that. She was under her perch she liked to sleep on and rigor mortis had already set in. She was not quite a year old yet. These is my first flock and am hoping someone has some insight for me. What could have happened? There was also nothing in her throat and no signs of external injuries. I am grieving our loss.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is very hard to know what killed her without getting your state vet to do a necropsy after death. Bodies must be kept cold not frozen and taken to the state lab soon after death. Young hens can die of heart problems, fatty liver disease, and reproductive disorders. Crops should be empty first thing in the morning, so if she died with a full crop, it is hard to know if she had a crop disorder or she died early in the night bedore her crop emptied. Sorry for your loss.

 

[AldrichP]

Sadly two days ago I found my favorite hen Speckled Sussex Ziggy dead in the morning. She seemed fine the day before and I had seen her lay an egg. Her crop was still full when I found her and I felt around to see if she was egg bound and there was no sign of that. She was under her perch she liked to sleep on and rigor mortis had already set in. She was not quite a year old yet. These is my first flock and am hoping someone has some insight for me. What could have happened? There was also nothing in her throat and no signs of external injuries. I am grieving our loss.

Exactly the same just happened les than an hour ago to my silver laced wyandotte

 

[maryhbrock]

Exactly the same just happened les than an hour ago to my silver laced wyandotte

Oh my god...same thing last evening to my silver laced wyandotte. So sorry...I'm devastated