Sudden death!?!?!?????

[honeynajar]

I went out to the coop/run with my three grandbabies last night about 6 to give the feathered babies some treats and check their water and such. They were all standing at attention as they tend to do when Mama has something in her hand (8 chickens; 8 guineas; 2 turkeys; 1 Roo). Everyone seemed quite fine. I heard an odd sound, turned my head slightly and one of the pied pearl grey guineas had fallen over on it's side, was shaking violently, then spun in 2 circles and died. All within seconds. To say I was shocked is putting it mildly. The entire crew had been free-ranged from noon on. The weather was hot last night... but only in the 80's. Both water jugs had plenty of water and the small swimming pool had plenty of water too. So it doesn't seem to me that it was due to the heat. I just don't understand it. Any thoughts. We are mourning big time. We've made buddies of the entire crew and losing one has been quite dreadful. All four of us were bawling.

 

[PeepsCA]

That is definitely a weird way to lose a bird, sounds like a seizure/heart attack almost. Other than that I have no idea what that could have been. So sorry for your loss... and that your grandbabies had to witness it too

If you lose another like that you may want to try to find a vet to get a necropsy (autopsy) done.

 

[JLeigh]

How horrible! Sorry for your loss. It's so hard when things go wrong. Hope you all feel better soon.

 

[honeynajar]

It totally reminded me of a central nervous system fit of some type.,, very seizure - like. But it was so sudden, and so quick. Almost a one second she was up and fine and two seconds later she was dead.

 

[CherryMeDarlin']

My poor roo, Beaudreaux, died suddenly this afternoon. I've kept him separated from my hens because he was scratching their feathers from their backs and there are 4 now with necked backs. Let the girls out, put him in the coop. Gave him fresh water and checked on him a couple of times and he was strutting back and forth, getting up on the perch. I looked out and didn't see him and went to check and he was dead. All within just a couple of hours. The temps have been in the 100's here in Alabama the past few days, so maybe he had a heat stroke? Can they die from a heat stroke so suddenly? Fine one minute and gone the next?

 

[PeepsCA]

Sorry for your loss

Was he panting? If you are talking about a Guinea roo, when they are over heated they pant like crazy... but they are from Africa and can handle pretty hot temps if they have shade and water. (If it was a chicken roo I don't have any idea what they do when they overheat, I don't own chickens). He may have been overly stressed from being separated, hard to say. Maybe he jumped up and hit his head on the roof... doesn't take much of a bonk on the head to kill a bird...

 

[CherryMeDarlin']

I'm sorry... I just saw this is a guinea thread. And he was a chicken roo. He was panting, as is every breathing thing here until the sun's been down for an hour. He couldn't have hit his head, but I'm wondering if his water could have had anything to do with it. I gave him fresh water because his was hot and the fresh was cold. I wonder if that could have been a shock to his overheated system.

 

[JLeigh]

I'm sorry... I just saw this is a guinea thread. And he was a chicken roo. He was panting, as is every breathing thing here until the sun's been down for an hour. He couldn't have hit his head, but I'm wondering if his water could have had anything to do with it. I gave him fresh water because his was hot and the fresh was cold. I wonder if that could have been a shock to his overheated system.

We love chickens, too. But I wonder if chickens/guineas can get heat stroke? It's a good topic you bring up, Cherry, with this heat wave we're in. I've put water in their favorite free-range spot, and think maybe I should put more water around the property. Obviously that can't hurt, but are there other things we can do to help protect our flocks?

How do the experienced fowl owners handle extreme heat?

 

[RingedTeal]

My giuinea pair won't leave my bantam oegb chicks alone so I turned the biddies loose and they are happy now

 

[FuzzyMugz]