Unknown Cause of death

[AldrichP]

Today my silver laced wyandotte was acting completely normal, later towards evening I went to put them back in their pen because I was going to go inside for a while and I’ve lost 2 to a hawk and have been very cautious. As I was putting them up I found her lying under a bush and didn’t think anything of it, I use a long stick to coax them into the pen and she seemed a bit reluctant to go in at first but did. Later when I went to close their coop door all my others had already jumped up as usual and were on their perches but she was once again laying under a bush on the ground. I thought it was weird but she gets bullied sometimes and will sleep somewhere else if the others bother her too mutch. So I picked her up held her for a bit and put her up with the others. Now at like 10:30 I go back there to check on them and pet them like I sometimes do and she wasn’t on her perch. I found her dead in the nest box still warm. Anyone have any idea what could have caused this. I inspected her, no visual injuries/physical signs of illness.

 

[AldrichP]

I’m not sure if this is true or not but I would expect that an egg bound chicken would not squat for me and she did so I don’t think that was the cause either, and the fact they she was running around as her normal energetic self not 5 hours before I found her.

 

[Iveta]

Today my silver laced wyandotte was acting completely normal, later towards evening I went to put them back in their pen because I was going to go inside for a while and I’ve lost 2 to a hawk and have been very cautious. As I was putting them up I found her lying under a bush and didn’t think anything of it, I use a long stick to coax them into the pen and she seemed a bit reluctant to go in at first but did. Later when I went to close their coop door all my others had already jumped up as usual and were on their perches but she was once again laying under a bush on the ground. I thought it was weird but she gets bullied sometimes and will sleep somewhere else if the others bother her too mutch. So I picked her up held her for a bit and put her up with the others. Now at like 10:30 I go back there to check on them and pet them like I sometimes do and she wasn’t on her perch. I found her dead in the nest box still warm. Anyone have any idea what could have caused this. I inspected her, no visual injuries/physical signs of illness.

Touches me as I am reading this; I had adorable lavender Orpington and still a chick .. I couldn’t tell if it was because she was still at her needy chirping stage or perhaps some organ underdeveloped, but would constantly seek to be protected; under the other chicks - not much older than her ; for which I thought they were getting bullied;she would just sneak under them and then feel left out if they don’t want to shield her; so she didn’t eat and grow as quick and I kept her separate at one point with extra fluffy blanket, warmer place in the winter ... hoping she will catch up; instead one morning she didn’t wake up. I would never know either; did I do too much or too little of this and that / was I too late to feed; was there enough water and air.. did you do the right thing separating her you are probably going through the same thoughts; but sometimes some chicks just don’t make it - imagine how many eggs get hatched ; not all under same best breed and conditions; we tend too love the little Gentle needy ones - but that sometimes is a bad indicator...

 

[AldrichP]

Touches me as I am reading this; I had adorable lavender Orpington and still a chick .. I couldn’t tell if it was because she was still at her needy chirping stage or perhaps some organ underdeveloped, but would constantly seek to be protected; under the other chicks - not much older than her ; for which I thought they were getting bullied;she would just sneak under them and then feel left out if they don’t want to shield her; so she didn’t eat and grow as quick and I kept her separate at one point with extra fluffy blanket, warmer place in the winter ... hoping she will catch up; instead one morning she didn’t wake up. I would never know either; did I do too much or too little of this and that / was I too late to feed; was there enough water and air.. did you do the right thing separating her you are probably going through the same thoughts; but sometimes some chicks just don’t make it - imagine how many eggs get hatched ; not all under same best breed and conditions; we tend too love the little Gentle needy ones - but that sometimes is a bad indicator...

Yup that’s the problem with chickens, they are definitely one of the best pets to have but they have a tendency to just keel over when you least expect it. You just always need to give them the best possible life, keep them happy, spend time with them, let them roam the yard ..., and they thank you with the best eggs imaginable.

 

[Iveta]

Yup that’s the problem with chickens, they are definitely one of the best pets to have but they have a tendency to just keel over when you least expect it. You just always need to give them the best possible life, keep them happy, spend time with them, let them roam the yard ..., and they thank you with the best eggs imaginable.

Yes, I have loved them as pets as a child too can’t remember losing them this way however, but we had many in a large indoor and outdoor area, and I would be allowed to sneak in a favorite few to pet them for taking care of their habitat So I wouldn’t say they were not spoiled to individual attention pet level with the soft blankets, and indoors areas were kept for the new chicks and separate Coops for newborns with mother hen. It is harder when you are around them tho - because it was winter and I spent time with those chicks indoors they have made me part of their flock- I suddenly recognized ; and that was only days before the passing of lavender . The night before she passed away I got up and heard her chirping but decided not to bother her actually waking her up; she didn’t sound alarmed. In the morning she has passed laying sideways- body still warm; since I go check on the chicks every time at night, give water (only to wake them up and get them to spill it ) .. and when I have taken a nap on my couch - I find them all laying at the couch’s feet and end table, while surrounding me and facing me like dogs - obviously waiting for me to wake up lol; maybe they were even concerned since it’s not very usual occurrence I lay down - those chicken keep me busy! Btw they also follow me around and respond by name like dogs - the difference of having small size pet -like flock, with the eggs benefits

 

[canne50]

Maybe she was attacked, but not killed outright. A hawk can hit hard.

 

[AldrichP]

Maybe she was attacked, but not killed outright. A hawk can hit hard.

I stay outside with them when I let them in the yard and when I went inside I put them up because I have already lost 2 to a hawk. And I enclosed their entire pen with netting so I don’t think it was a hawk.

 

[coach723]

They are very good at hiding symptoms of illness, so she may have had something going on internally longer than you realized. Without a necropsy there is no way to know for sure what happened. Sick or weak birds will often be attacked or bullied by flock mates, so it's often a clue that something may be going on that is not obvious to humans.

 

[AldrichP]

They are very good at hiding symptoms of illness, so she may have had something going on internally longer than you realized. Without a necropsy there is no way to know for sure what happened. Sick or weak birds will often be attacked or bullied by flock mates, so it's often a clue that something may be going on that is not obvious to humans.

She has always been at the bottom of the pecking order and look absolutely normal during the day, running around squatting for me, jumping onto my arm when I hold it horizontally ...