Hi all. I lost my first chickie today 
. It was Duckie, my Australorpe who would have been a year old in April. She was fine in the morning (I didn’t see her myself because I leave before the girls are up, but I saw her leave the coop on our camera, and my husband said she was fine and eating treats before he went to work around 9 AM. I came home at 4 and found her dead in the middle of the run. No apparent trauma. I don’t believe she’s egg bound, ( I’ve not experienced that before, but I don’t feel an egg in her). Any thoughts what could cause a sudden death like this in an otherwise apparently healthy young hen? Am I wrong in thinking it’s odd that she was out in the open on the middle of the run (I guess I’m assuming that if a chicken feels bad it would hide in a corner or in the coop).
I see a lot of posts taking about necropsies. If I wanted to do that, how would I go about it and what is the approximate cost? My dogs’ vet isn’t an avian vet, and I don’t have a chicken vet.
Thanks for any responses.
Edited to add- Duckie did have worms (roundworms?). I’d seen them in her stool and wormed the flock about 3 weeks ago with Safegard. She’d been eating and didn’t feel underweight, but perhaps there could be a connection?
Edited again- I lost Duckie sometime between 9 AM and 4 PM. At 4, she was cold and slightly stiff. At 6:30, she was colder and stiffer, and I decided to do a more thorough visual exam of her to see if I could identify anything (I’m giving times because I don’t know how long it takes for things to begin happening post mortem). I made two observations. #1- her vent appears to be a little prolapsed. She does not have any poopy butt, and I’ve never noticed this before. Is this an indication that the cause of death may have been egg/reproductive related? #2- her body is stiff and yet her head moves freely. Is this normal? Is it possible she jumped/fell /flew into something and broke her neck? Would there be other signs of trauma if that were the case?
I’m so worried I’ve missed something and my other girls might be in danger.
. It was Duckie, my Australorpe who would have been a year old in April. She was fine in the morning (I didn’t see her myself because I leave before the girls are up, but I saw her leave the coop on our camera, and my husband said she was fine and eating treats before he went to work around 9 AM. I came home at 4 and found her dead in the middle of the run. No apparent trauma. I don’t believe she’s egg bound, ( I’ve not experienced that before, but I don’t feel an egg in her). Any thoughts what could cause a sudden death like this in an otherwise apparently healthy young hen? Am I wrong in thinking it’s odd that she was out in the open on the middle of the run (I guess I’m assuming that if a chicken feels bad it would hide in a corner or in the coop).I see a lot of posts taking about necropsies. If I wanted to do that, how would I go about it and what is the approximate cost? My dogs’ vet isn’t an avian vet, and I don’t have a chicken vet.
Thanks for any responses.
Edited to add- Duckie did have worms (roundworms?). I’d seen them in her stool and wormed the flock about 3 weeks ago with Safegard. She’d been eating and didn’t feel underweight, but perhaps there could be a connection?
Edited again- I lost Duckie sometime between 9 AM and 4 PM. At 4, she was cold and slightly stiff. At 6:30, she was colder and stiffer, and I decided to do a more thorough visual exam of her to see if I could identify anything (I’m giving times because I don’t know how long it takes for things to begin happening post mortem). I made two observations. #1- her vent appears to be a little prolapsed. She does not have any poopy butt, and I’ve never noticed this before. Is this an indication that the cause of death may have been egg/reproductive related? #2- her body is stiff and yet her head moves freely. Is this normal? Is it possible she jumped/fell /flew into something and broke her neck? Would there be other signs of trauma if that were the case?
I’m so worried I’ve missed something and my other girls might be in danger.
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So sorry for your loss, Hope someone on here will be able to help you!
