Found a chicken dead this morning - help!

[birdinthegarden]

We are first time chicken owners and have a flock of now 14 (13 hens and 1 rooster). We went out this morning and found one of our hens dead. They will be 1 year old in August. It has been in the high 80s (Alabama) and humid lately but we have hardy breeds (this was a Welsummer). They are currently kept in a Carolina coops style coop that has a 10x30 run. They have a dust bath, water (we added ice and electrolytes just now) and we just gave them some frozen berries to try to help with heat. They all have pale combs (except the rooster) but are acting normal other than hot (wings out and mouths open). They are still laying and the shells are nice and solid. All of their run is shade all day. I checked her over and didn't see anything out of the ordinary but I don't know what I'm looking for either. Should I treat for parasites just in case? What would you do or what would you look for? It's all of them so I don't think it's anything that would be more individual but you let me know experts!

 

[nuthatched]

I'm sorry to hear that.
What's your birds diet? Stop the ice and frozen treats. Have you ever wormed them?

 

[birdinthegarden]

I'm sorry to hear that.
What's your birds diet? Stop the ice and frozen treats. Have you ever wormed them?

Thank you I will. No I have never wormed them. What should I use? Can I put it in their water or do I need to give it to them each individually? Normally I use scratch and peck brand organic layer mash but I just ran out and my next pick up doesn't come until tomorrow so I grabbed an organic pellet from rural king. Could that be it? They do also get meal worms daily so I can distract my mean rooster and go in to feed and water them.

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you I will. No I have never wormed them. What should I use? Can I put it in their water or do I need to give it to them each individually? Normally I use scratch and peck brand organic layer mash but I just ran out and my next pick up doesn't come until tomorrow so I grabbed an organic pellet from rural king. Could that be it? They do also get meal worms daily so I can distract my mean rooster and go in to feed and water them.

If the rooster is mean, get rid of him or make him soup. He's a liability and chicken keeping is so much more peaceful without dealing with a turd. Your hens don't need him and aggression is often a genetic trait.
Valbazen goat wormer is what most people use, you dose it individually.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...s-for-poultry-waterfowl-and-game-birds.75490/
I'd also check for mites and lice.

 

[birdinthegarden]

If the rooster is mean, get rid of him or make him soup. He's a liability and chicken keeping is so much more peaceful without dealing with a turd. Your hens don't need him and aggression is often a genetic trait.
Valbazen goat wormer is what most people use, you dose it individually.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...s-for-poultry-waterfowl-and-game-birds.75490/
I'd also check for mites and lice.

Yes, I would like to get rid of him. I don't see any signs of lice or mites but again I don't know what to look for. I've been looking at their skin around their necks and at the base of those feathers and around the vent. I don't see any raised leg scales either. I'll look up some pictures to see if I can get what they look like. I'll go now and get wormer and start that just in case that's whats going on. Thank you for your help!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We are first time chicken owners and have a flock of now 14 (13 hens and 1 rooster). We went out this morning and found one of our hens dead. They will be 1 year old in August. It has been in the high 80s (Alabama) and humid lately but we have hardy breeds (this was a Welsummer). They are currently kept in a Carolina coops style coop that has a 10x30 run. They have a dust bath, water (we added ice and electrolytes just now) and we just gave them some frozen berries to try to help with heat. They all have pale combs (except the rooster) but are acting normal other than hot (wings out and mouths open). They are still laying and the shells are nice and solid. All of their run is shade all day. I checked her over and didn't see anything out of the ordinary but I don't know what I'm looking for either. Should I treat for parasites just in case? What would you do or what would you look for? It's all of them so I don't think it's anything that would be more individual but you let me know experts!

Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry about your hen.

Unfortunately, without a necropsy it would be hard to know why she died. If you still have the body, refrigerate it and send it to your state lab for analysis or if you are up to it, do an informal investigation yourself looking at the organs (liver/heart) in the abdomen and at the reproductive organs.
You can find your lab here:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Heat stress can come quickly so giving a small amount of cool treats in the afternoon after they have been eating their normal feed should be fine. You can provide electrolytes in one water station on hot days but do make plain fresh water available as well.

Deworming may be in order, it's always a good idea to get a fecal float to see if it's necessary.

Sadly, sometimes hens just die. Often, it's something reproductive, but without taking a look inside it's hard to know.

 

[birdinthegarden]

Welcome To BYC

I'm sorry about your hen.

Unfortunately, without a necropsy it would be hard to know why she died. If you still have the body, refrigerate it and send it to your state lab for analysis or if you are up to it, do an informal investigation yourself looking at the organs (liver/heart) in the abdomen and at the reproductive organs.
You can find your lab here:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry-labs.html

Heat stress can come quickly so giving a small amount of cool treats in the afternoon after they have been eating their normal feed should be fine. You can provide electrolytes in one water station on hot days but do make plain fresh water available as well.

Deworming may be in order, it's always a good idea to get a fecal float to see if it's necessary.

Sadly, sometimes hens just die. Often, it's something reproductive, but without taking a look inside it's hard to know.

Thank you, my children were devastated and there is no way they would have emotionally been able to handle further investigation. We had a funeral and dug a grave. We’ve given the rest of the flock dewormer in case and they did look a little better in the combs after they had some electrolytes. We’ll keep a close eye on everyone and hopefully try to catch anything if it happens.