unexpected death

[lcwmt]

Yesterday all was well with all 7 pullets. They were out and about scratching in favorite spots, dust bathing, just doing chicken stuff.
They have a ready supply of 18% all flock, clean water including in a heated dog dish, DLM with a nice cushy top layer of straw.
Their coop is large enough as is the attached run. At 7:30 a.m. they are out to free range as desired.
Last night Iris slept in her usual spot with her usual companion - both Buff Orpingtons, April chicks.
This morning the other pullet got up, Iris did not.

At 2:00 I went out to check for afternoon eggs, Iris was still "down". And cold. Head tucked in, wings tucked in, feet parallel to her body.
No masses or wounds, no injuries, no weight loss, still glossy.

She had been laying 3-4 times a week but as with some of the others, took a break when we had a sudden very cold spell at the beginning of November. (a foot of snow, single digits temps. I'd quit putting out that energy too!)

The rest of the flock (3 other buffs, 2 EE, 1 Banty), all the same age, seem quite ok. Nobody seems upset, nervous, draggy.
I'm chalking this up to "one of those things" but will be watching closely.
If anyone has suggestions, I'm open.
I did check about state necropsy: they test from tissue samples and have stringent packaging requirements - not really set up for a small flock tender it seems. Plus it's a holiday weekend.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Unfortunately some just drop dead from no apparent cause. They are fine one day and dead the next. I suspect heart attacks.

 

[lcwmt]

Unfortunately some just drop dead from no apparent cause. They are fine one day and dead the next. I suspect heart attacks.

That makes as much sense as anything, even in a young bird....

 

[Mrs. K]

Sometimes I think there is an internal genetic defect, that does not bother bird too much when small, but as the bird gets bigger, it cannot keep up. It is not real common, but an unexpected death like that is not uncommon either. Several years ago, I went through a rather horrible spell where I lost one a month in about 12 weeks... when I found the third one, I was pretty upset, but did not have another for years.

 

[lcwmt]

Sometimes I think there is an internal genetic defect, that does not bother bird too much when small, but as the bird gets bigger, it cannot keep up. It is not real common, but an unexpected death like that is not uncommon either. Several years ago, I went through a rather horrible spell where I lost one a month in about 12 weeks... when I found the third one, I was pretty upset, but did not have another for years.

thanks. that's what Jeff said - maybe there was something wrong to begin with, it just did not show up. No weight loss, no evidence of mites, parasites, no visible issues.
What is positive, is the flock dynamics are already changing. Our 'special needs" Olivia is now sleeping with Iris's former nest-mate, Dolly. Who knew. It is a good thing for Olivia, IMO.

 

[chickens really]

Stress from temp drops can kill Chickens..Chickens carry diseases they are immune too and times of stress they get symptoms and die.....My Flock are respiratory carriers so I heat my Coop all winter...I lost one in September to a reoccurring bought of respiratory issues...My Son culled her for me...

 

[lcwmt]

Stress from temp drops can kill Chickens..Chickens carry diseases they are immune too and times of stress they get symptoms and die.....My Flock are respiratory carriers so I heat my Coop all winter...I lost one in September to a reoccurring bought of respiratory issues...My Son culled her for me...

so sorry about that.
These birds are apparently healthy. The bird that died had no obvious issues. She was robust and energetic.
Our temps stayed down for a week, it's been mild since then. As we speak, at 5:46 a.m. it is 49 above. Next week will be different of course.
I will not heat my coop for a number of reasons, including that these chickens need to adapt to the radical temperature swings we get here. The breeds were selected partly for cold hardiness, the heat of August seemed more a challenge than the cold weather.

 

[chickens really]

My Coop is not at a balmy temp..The water will ice over...It just never gets -25C...Its about -5C in the coop during our coolest winter days...They still go out daily...Its just a way I manage them or all would be dead by now...Chickens are great at hiding illness until they succumb to it...

 

[Zoomie]

If it makes you feel better I've had that happen too... young, apparently healthy birds that suddenly drop dead for no reason that I can see.

This can happen to people too. Even young people can have a stroke or heart attack. They can be born with heart defects and other issues that don't seem to bother them at first but then they get old enough and BAM that heart or whatever simply stops.

I had a cockerel die during the day, I let him out and he ran out with the others and was going after scratch and bugs and just being a chicken, 4 hours later he was dead. A cockerel I really liked a lot and had big plans for, dead. No idea why. All I can say is, if you have livestock, sooner or later you will have deadstock. It's just how it works. If it looks like disease or something then of course you should try and discover the cause, but there are times when you have to accept that you will never know why. Ah well. Adds to the mystery of life, I guess.

 

[Grenadianexpat]

Chickens keeling over for no apparent reason seems to happen, although sometimes they may take a little time for the actual departure. Presumably organ failure. Whether caused by stress from rambunctious Cocks or disease.

I had one the other day where I walked out past the main coop with everyone looking fine and contented. I spent a couple of minutes in the secondary coop where some of the Hens lay, doling out some feed for the chicks I am bringing on minus their mothers, where they are more bird brained than usual, plus the Layer chicks.

When I strolled back, there keeled over and gone to chicken heaven was one of the older girls. Still warm, with no rigour, and not a mark on her. Probably a heart attack I guess.