What would cause two seemingly healthy hens to suddenly die?

[1chip2chicks3cheeks]

Hello BYC, today is filled with much sorrow here at Chicken Crossing. This morning I went out to the coop for the chicken morning service, just like every morning. Opening the gate, expecting to be greeted once again by all my lovely chickens with happy clucks and morning crows. Only, this time I am greeted with silence. I look over and see one of my hens lying flat on the ground underneath the perch, while the rest of the chickens are still up there. Feeling my heart sink into my stomach I rush over to find my beautiful girl, Speedy, dead and stiff. I am heartbroken and have no idea what could have happened to her. Back sometime around January, the same thing happened to our hen-roo, Henrietta. Found fallen off the perch, dead. Henrietta thought she was a rooster, crowed, tried to mate with hens and never layer eggs. We got her from someone else who said she was a great layer (yeah right) and that she was only a year or two old. She was very mellow though, so we thought she may have actually been much older. She started keeping to herself more toward the end and began to peck at us wanting attention more often. Speedy also had been acting the same way before her passing. Much more distant from the flock. Aside from that, these two sweet hens hadn’t showed any signs of illness or injury and seemed overall healthy. We got speedy and 7 others as chicks from a friend only about 2 years ago, so Speedy was definitely nowhere near her time. Does anyone have any ideas what could cause such sudden death?

Henrietta

Speedy (the girl in front)

 

[Farmlife16]

All I can think of is old age. So sorry about your chickens!

 

[1chip2chicks3cheeks]

All I can think of is old age. So sorry about your chickens!

I didn’t think 2 years old was old?

 

[Farmlife16]

I didn’t think 2 years old was old?

Yeah, 2 years is kind of young. It's really weird. Sometimes agriculture labs will take animals and do autopsies, but I'm not sure if they would do chickens. Might be something to look into if it is important enough for you to find out why they died.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Sorry for your loss.
If they had been production hens, 2 yrs can be the average lifespan.
It sounds like Henrietta might have been older than you were told. If she was acting like a rooster and not laying eggs, she obviously had ovary issues.
As far as Speedy, sometimes these things happen. It could be anything - heart issues come to mind when they die unexpectedly.
If it happens again in a short time frame, I would suggest sending it off for a necropsy.