Suddent Death Syndrome? I'm so sad :-(

[LaSere]

HI everybody

I'm very very sad and shocked. At the end of may I adopted 2 fantastic silkies (in Italy we call them Moroseta).. I wrote in the forum to understand if the white was m or f (at the and he is a roo ).

After only 2 weeks my sweety grey hen died. I can't explain or understand: she looked healty, happy, full of life just five minute before gone. I was with her in the garden, she came to eat sunflowers beans in my hands, she played with Nando (the roo) and runned around the garden. In few words she was absolutely healty and fine.
I entered in home for maximum 15 minutes and when out I found her dead in her back, no signs of trauma, blood or other, she simply seemed sleeping. I could not believe it, it was a true shock.

Do you think it could be CSDS? Now I adopted other two babies because Nando was so desperate...and I'm really afraid it can happen again. It sounds like you can know if your hen is healty or not and it's so terrible.
My gorgoeus baby was only 4 months old. I miss her.

I hope someone can help me to understand, it's my first experience with chickens and I'm very discourage.

Many many thanks

Serena

 

[Teila]

Hey LaSere welcome to BYC and I wish it was under better circumstances that you join us.

I am so sorry to read of your loss

I lost a Silkie at just over 5 months old. (S)he snuggled up with her sister at bed time one night, in the nest box, same as always, no signs of anything amiss or any illness. When I went out to say good morning and to feed them the next morning she could not lift her head out of the nest box and passed away only a couple of hours later.

I have no idea what happened. I think she must have eaten something she shouldn’t have or was bitten by something.

Is it possible your girl may have been bitten by something?
How long between the sunflower beans and her passing? Any chance she may have choked on one?
Was it a hot day? She may have overheated.

These featheries of ours are very good at concealing illness so as not to show signs of weakness.

I wish I had an answer for you and understand how upset you are right now

 

[LaSere]

Hallo Teila and thanks for your kind answers. This forum is great and full of fantastic persons.

I try to answer to your questions:

- In Italy we had a very hot week (35 humid degrees) but the garden where my flock live is totally shady for the main part of the day and full of plants. The hen house moreover is never under direct sunlight. I'm not sure but I think that she was not overhead...in fact they all breathed whit closed beak and normally (no dispnea).

- About something bittened her I didn't find evident signs in her body (perhaps I have not found yet). We have not snackes or rats but only bees and wasps and mosquitos as in all garden in the world I suppose...they can be dangerous?

- She ate sunflowers and flax beans just before I entered the house (moreover they eat ALWAYS). Her beck was closed...no sign of liquid around it. Eyes closed.

I thought that they could have eaten some dangerous plants: I have lilies and mughetto (I don't know the name in english, sorry). They ate all my lilies in this 2 weeks but Nando is OK....so....and in this case I suppose she should show some signs... diarrhea or something else...nothing, everythig normal.

Reading the forum and internet I find this syndrome...and in effect it could be...sincerely I hope it otherwise if my sweety died for a bitten, hot weather, suffocated or for something she eated...all my chicken can die in the same way. I can't think it, it's terrible.

I though also an heart attack...it was too sudden....and in chiken I read is quite common.

My sweet miss me so much but now the important is that my other babies are OK. I'm afraid I will find them dead.

Thanks very much!

 

[LaSere]

The english name for the plant my chickens ate is calla lily. I read is poisoning for hen but they both ate it (all, they destroied the entire plant) and Nando is still fine... Moreover they ate the plant as soon as they arrived, so for 2 weeks...Is it possible that my baby died after all this time and without any symptoms?

I'm very concerned.

Thanks all

 

[LaSere]

I hope someone can give me an opinion... At the moment the roo and two pullets seem fine...

 

[kath123]

I'm so sorry about your lost hen. I've recently lost a couple to a coon, but this morning went out and a seemingly healthy hen was dead on the ground. I just hate it. Now the last remaining one will be lonely. It's so hard to lose them.

 

[LaSere]

Hi Kath123

I'm so sorry for your lost. It's very sad when an animal pass away...but worse when you don't know the cause. The terrible fact is that my baby looked healty and very happy and a minute later she was dead.
I thought that the chicken were robust and resistant but evidently I was wrong.

So even your baby seemed ok? I think it could be better if you adopt an other pullet...an alone hen become sad....