Unknown cause of death

[TinyRaptorDodos]

I’m still out of state so I can’t check her but my brother informed me my pullet Elephant, my blue sapphire gem, died, she was stiff and laying flat, no signs of bullying or frost bite, im thinking the other hens wouldn’t let her eat but can’t chickens last 10 days without food? I got her at around 5 months alone and she ended up bonding with my rabbit before integrating with the flock so the flock may have not accepted her but she seemed to be on the mid pecking order, over my silkies. Any ideas? She could have been egg bound but I don’t think it was her who started laying

These photos are a few months old

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry to hear about Elephant

Without necropsy, it would be hard to know the cause of death. If you still have the body, keep it cold (not frozen) and think about sending it to your state lab.
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Unfortunately, chickens do need food each day. They can last around 4-5 days without food. If you have a bullying issue within your flock, provide more feeders or reduce the number of birds housed in one space.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

I'm sorry to hear about Elephant

Without necropsy, it would be hard to know the cause of death. If you still have the body, keep it cold (not frozen) and think about sending it to your state lab.
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Unfortunately, chickens do need food each day. They can last around 4-5 days without food. If you have a bullying issue within your flock, provide more feeders or reduce the number of birds housed in one space.

None of my chickens show any agression is the thing. If they show any I get rid of them, they’ve been in the coop since it got below a week ago freezing but I’m not sure if that would push them to actually not allowing her to eat. I’ve had 14 chickens in a coop throughout winter before (they had the choice to leave) and there were no issues like this other then Saffron dying but she was a weaker chicken, hatches with splay leg and didn’t get at all big. I try to not give them multiple feeders because it will take up too much space in the coop.

I don’t think I can do that lab thing since we are in Alaska. Shipping would take too long

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Just went out to the coop and ends up elephant is fine, it was actually Babs my 3-4 months Pavlovskaya who died

 

[Wyorp Rock]

My goodness! I bet that was a surprise.

Still doesn't make it any easier to lose one. I'm sorry about Babs

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

My goodness! I bet that was a surprise.

Still doesn't make it any easier to lose one. I'm sorry about Babs

I also think the cause was starvation, they were super hungry and clean out of food so it looks like people thought filling it once would be enough

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I also think the cause was starvation, they were super hungry and clean out of food so it looks like people thought filling it once would be enough

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that

Could it have been a misunderstanding or miscommunication? Them thinking the feeder held more than what it actually did?

It also may be time to consider finding someone else to look after your chickies if you are going to be away for a while.
Larger feeders and water stations that will hold more feed/water may be something to look into as well.

 

[DickMidnight]

Just went out to the coop and ends up elephant is fine, it was actually Babs my 3-4 months Pavlovskaya who died

was the dead chicken left in the coop this whole time?

if so, then i absolutely agree that this job needs to be assigned to someone else.

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

was the dead chicken left in the coop this whole time?

if so, then i absolutely agree that this job needs to be assigned to someone else.

It was mainly siblings.

My brother found her and put her in the trash can since I wasn’t there to take her to the dump and the grounds too frozen to dig

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that

Could it have been a misunderstanding or miscommunication? Them thinking the feeder held more than what it actually did?

It also may be time to consider finding someone else to look after your chickies if you are going to be away for a while.
Larger feeders and water stations that will hold more feed/water may be something to look into as well.

They did refill it but I think the people I had watching them before my brother got back in state didn’t know he wouldn’t be able to move the feeder due to an injury. The water was fine thankfully, I have a very large feeder but they eat a lot when it gets cold since they need to keep their body temperature up