What would cause this?

[markingchick]

Hi everyone. I am new here. I have had my 6 hens (no rooster) since April 2015. I relocated their run and coop to a new spot in the yard on Sunday. There were a couple of feathers scattered, but I hour hr nothing of it since I had moved all of them. I didn't notice any additional feathers after that. Today, when I got home, I had a dead hen. No puncture wounds or any signs of attacked. However, there were a few feathers on the ground. She has no visible bugs or worms, but her vent looks extremely wrong. What would cause this?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Welcome to BYC.

I'm sorry for your loss.

It's hard to tell why she may have died, but the vent looks a bit prolapsed. Did you feel inside the vent to see if there was an egg stuck - if she was egg bound this could have been the cause.

Just my best guess.


http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/prolapse-vent-causes-treatment-graphic.html

 

[markingchick]

The vent was bad. I did feel her sack and she was not egg bound.

I now have someone else not laying. I usually get an egg a day from everyone. I have been short one the past two days. I have checked everyone's vent and they look fine. I'm worried.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The vent was bad. I did feel her sack and she was not egg bound.

I now have someone else not laying. I usually get an egg a day from everyone. I have been short one the past two days. I have checked everyone's vent and they look fine. I'm worried.

Moving your coop and run to a new location-even when in the same "area" could have been enough to stress your girls into not laying for a few day. Chickens are funny that way sometimes.

Also this time of year some hens begin molting, so keep an eye out for that - they will start losing feathers and stop laying. Look for any signs of lice/mites or internal parasites like worms.

These are a few possibilities that could interrupt egg production.

If you see no sign of molt and after you think your girls have "settled in" to their new area and your production still hasn't improved, then you may want to investigate further.

Watch for signs of any signs lethargy, diarrhea with mucous or blood, going off feed, etc.
You have had them long enough, you know when your flock is off.

Let us know how they are doing.

 

[markingchick]

Thanks! They are definitely mite free. I check them for that all the time and they eat their feed like there's no tomorrow.

There are a few feathers on the ground, so molting may be the issue, as I don't see any signs of pecking within the flock. I hope they settle down and start to relax. I'm just sorry I missed any signs of harm and lost one.