thought hen was broody, now she's gone

[mamagardener]

My EE hen is almost 1 year old. The last couple of days she was kind of hanging around the coop, she was free ranging with the other birds, but seemed off. She looked fine, and was walking around but her heart really wasn't in it.
Yesterday she was just sitting on the roost, then on the floor. We put her in the nestbox and she stayed there. She got out to drink some water late yesterday afternoon, and ate a handful of pellets out of my hand. She seemed fine, her eyes were bright , and she didn't seem to be in any distress. There was an egg in the nestbox, that I am 99.9 percent sure was hers, because no one has ever laid an egg in that nestbox. So I really don't think she is eggbound.
Today when I went to feed and water them, she is still in nestbox, her eyes are closed, she is breathing but that is it. When I touched her and patted her she did not even respond. Help what is wrong with her? Am I too late to do anything for her? My other girls are acting fine, scratching, eating,laying and squawking. Should I worry about them too?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

If she was my hen – here is what I would do:

Bring her into the house – easier to monitor exactly how much she is eating/drinking and also what her poo looks like. Being in the house, she will be less stressed (birds will pick on the sick of the flock) and if it is cold/cool in your area – she will have an easier time keeping herself warm.

Give her some high energy foods – scrambled eggs, meat, salmon, cooked oatmeal, whatever she may/might like – mixed frozen veggies (run under hot water to thaw quick) can also tempt a sickly chicken.

Check her over really good for lice/mites. Lice like to hang around under the wing, around the head and around the vent (they move very quickly when light hits them and are tiny). Around the vent, you might see what looks like poo clumps – those can be (some say tend to be) lice eggs. Lice and mites will suck the life right out of the bird. Dust her or bathe her (Dawn Dish soap works great) – just in case.

Poly Vi Sol vitamins – without iron- I would dribble two or three drops along her beak for a couple days.

for her and you

 

[mamagardener]

Thanks for the advice, but it was too late. She went down so fast, I am not sure I could have done anything to save her. Very sad children in this house today.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I am so sorry.

 

[77horses]

I'm so sorry. I think something similar happened to one of our Buff Orpington hens, whom was almost 1 1/2 years old. I wasn't there at the time (but my dad was) and he said he found her dead in her nest box. No signs of injury, and she had been acting normal the last time I had seen her.

I think for yours and mine, it probably was for some internal reason. Sometimes they just die for no reason, especially at that age. I don't know why. Sometimes egg bound, sometimes heart attack, or it can be a number of other internal reasons. You can only find out with an autopsy.

 

[mamagardener]

Thank you, I already buried her so I can't do an autopsy. I probably should have tried to at least take a look and see if I could figure out what happened, but I am a little too squemish for stuff like that. Plus DH is at work and I am alone with 3 kids, so I don't think it would have worked out.
She was a sweet bird, and it's obvious the other chickens are a little confused and looking for her.