Why is my chicken dead?

[oliviabannerman]

So I have a sweet small flock of 5 bantam chickens. 3 roosters and 2, well now 1, Hen. They all get along great. They have fresh water and food, a run and hutch with good ventilation they have mite treatment and there cage gets cleaned out frequently.This morning we went out to let them out (because for a few hours of the day they are free range but not all day because we have hawk problems) So I went in and my little chicken was laying on the floor of the hutch. There were no wounds, no nothing. The day before she seemed completely healthy. When I was putting them in for the night I had to shoo her out of a bush because she likes to lay her eggs there. But that wouldn't have stopped her from laying in the hutch would it? She and the other hen have both laid in the nesting box that is in there before. Please help! I don't want to lose another one.

 

[Stephanie739]

I don't know why but I'm sorry you lost your chicken.

 

[terryg]

I call this "SCD" for "Sudden Chicken Death." I've seen this in my own healthy flock. I do home necropsies (without lab work) and in one hen saw nothing obviously wrong. Chickens can die of heart disease, liver failure, impaction, etc. It can happen suddenly and there will be no obvious external clues to the reason. It's not contagious and it's probably not something you'll see again in a long while. It's shocking and upsetting, but part of having these animals in our lives. Also, chickens are prey animals and hide weakness, and they know that if they show weakness that the pecking order will be upset, so, sometimes you don't know they're ill until they are very, very sick. But, in this case, my guess is SCD.

 

[brownboi2012]

So sorry to hear about your hen.

 

[Chris09]

Since the chicken was of laying age I don't think it was Sudden Death Syndrome.
Sudden Death Syndrome affects chicks 1 to 8 weeks of age.

To the OP what are you feeding, are you feeding a lot treats?
It could be Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome.

Chris

 

[terryg]

Hi Chris09 - I didn't realize there really is a SDS. I'll have to read more about it, and I'll have to come up with a new name for when mature hens drop dead seemingly without any symptoms.