What might have happened to our Silkie pullet?

[LPOHHomestead]

Yesterday when we got home from work I noticed a rooster on a black hen that didn't get up after he was "done" with her. I went to investigate. She didn't get up because she was dead. She didn't appear to have any external injuries - no blood, all limbs and head intact, but she was laying on her side and was flattened. If that sounds strange, it's because it was. She was the smallest Silkie pullet we have. Could the roosters have injured her and ultimately killed her by trying to mate with her? The only roosters we have that are chasing the pullets are the Silkie roosters so they aren't really large, but are still a good bit larger than the little dead pullet. Any ideas on what might have happened to her?

Thanks.

 

[chicmom]

Oh, so sorry to hear that. These things happen and sometimes you never figure out what went wrong. Chickens can even have strokes and heart attacks and just die very quickly. I can't even begin to guess what actually happened.

 

[emmak]

I'm so sorry you lost your little one. My little white silkie was the first chicken I ever had die. I opened up the coop one morning and she was just laying there. Never did know what happened. Like the previous poster said, sometimes it just happens.

 

[LPOHHomestead]

Thanks for the replies. I guess they're more fragile than I thought. I sure hope whatever it was doesn't strike anyone else in our flock.

This was our 1st loss and it's just unsettling.

AND, I had to change my signature to now read 10 Silkies.