White Girl found unable to stand, having difficulty breathing and died in my hands

[Crane Hill Farm]

this morning when I went in to the coop to bring fresh, warmed water and food, and then to let them out into their yard, I found one of the White Girls (half bearded silky banty and half black sex-link) lying in the bedding unable to stand up and seeming as if she couldnt get air, I held her, checked for lumps that might indicate being egg bound, her crop was full but not excessively bigger, within a few minutes she died in my hands. It seemed as if she was suffocating. the others seem OK today and this evening. Does anybody have any idea what happened to her?

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC - sorry for the circumstances. Is there any possibility that she might have choked on something? Heart attack - symptoms are similar with a purplish/maroon flushing of the head and comb. but with her breeding that might be hard to observe.

 

[tomhoogstra]

this morning when I went in to the coop to bring fresh, warmed water and food, and then to let them out into their yard, I found one of the White Girls (half bearded silky banty and half black sex-link) lying in the bedding unable to stand up and seeming as if she couldnt get air, I held her, checked for lumps that might indicate being egg bound, her crop was full but not excessively bigger, within a few minutes she died in my hands. It seemed as if she was suffocating. the others seem OK today and this evening. Does anybody have any idea what happened to her?

I'm sorry for your loss, sadly hens usually (not always, I helped a sick hen recover) seems to show illness basically when its to late to help them without a vets assistance.
It could of been anything, how old was the hen, could it be mareks?

 

[Crane Hill Farm]

She was 13 months old. We had just started adding free choice baked and crushed egg shells and I wondered if the pieces were too big for her. What is mareks? Yes, I have a lump in my heart, she was one of our second generation....raised from an egg.
Thanks for your responses!