Dead or passed out?

[Lrrix13]

I’ve been lurking this site since I became a chicken newbie in January 2020. I got four hens in an established flock. Today I noticed that one of the hens had feces attached to her butt ( I think it was pasty butt) we caught her, which was pretty dramatic as she was the only one that was still untrusting of us. The others we hand feed and pick up. My husband had her upside down holding her to his body while I was cleaning around the vent and her butt. She gasped a couple times with no noise and when we put her right side up, she was unresponsive. We tried to wake her thinking she was sleeping (I had read that they can go to sleep when upside down) she would not rouse. We now have her in the brooder to keep warm. Are we out a chicken? Was is maybe a heart attack? Should I call the vet?
Thanks so much. Your expertise is invaluable.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My best bet is that you are out a chicken. Sorry. Let us know what happens.
Chickens do have heart attacks. Plus they can die from hundreds of other maladies.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I’ve been lurking this site since I became a chicken newbie in January 2020. I got four hens in an established flock. Today I noticed that one of the hens had feces attached to her butt ( I think it was pasty butt) we caught her, which was pretty dramatic as she was the only one that was still untrusting of us. The others we hand feed and pick up. My husband had her upside down holding her to his body while I was cleaning around the vent and her butt. She gasped a couple times with no noise and when we put her right side up, she was unresponsive. We tried to wake her thinking she was sleeping (I had read that they can go to sleep when upside down) she would not rouse. We now have her in the brooder to keep warm. Are we out a chicken? Was is maybe a heart attack? Should I call the vet?
Thanks so much. Your expertise is invaluable.

She could've had a heart attack.
Check if she's still breathing just in case.
I hardly ever hold any of my birds upside down, unless 100% necessary.

 

[Lrrix13]

My best bet is that you are out a chicken. Sorry. Let us know what happens.
Chickens do have heart attacks. Plus they can die from hundreds of other maladies.

Thanks, that’s what I’m thinking. It’s been about 20 minutes now and she is still out. I wasn’t too fond of her anyway, but surely didn’t want her dead. She did some producing.

 

[nao57]

Their breathing would be easier to watch than their heart, because they have to breathe multiple times faster than a person.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Pasty butt is a chick thing. Dirty butt on an adult can be caused by many ailments.

Was she acting odd before the cleaning?
If you have to clean any others I recommend using an 18 gallon tote with about 6 inches of warm not hot water. Have the helper on the front side of the chicken while the cleaner works on the backside. Blow dry the hen on the cool setting of the blowdryer.

 

[1muttsfan]

Since chickens don't have a diaphragm, all of their abdominal and chest organs are in the same cavity. If you hold them upside down or put too much pressure on their abdomen, you can prevent them from breathing. it could also very possibly have been a heart attack. But you do have to be very careful how you restrain birds. Very sorry to hear that she is not improving.

 

[Lrrix13]

thank you all, we must have held her too tight. Now I’m very sorry! Damn. Thank you for all the advice. I really appreciate and know that I’m Learning. Thanks!

 

[21hens-incharge]

thank you all, we must have held her too tight. Now I’m very sorry! Damn. Thank you for all the advice. I really appreciate and know that I’m Learning. Thanks!

Sometimes mistakes happen. Don't beat yourself up to badly.

 

[1muttsfan]

It's very easy to hold them a little too tight, but if it was a very short procedure it still shouldn't have caused her demise. She could very possibly have had some underlying health issue, which might have led to her messy rear end as well. I'm sure that you will feel bad about it, but it is another learning experience, and it was unintentional.

And welcome to BYC, I'm sorry it had to be a sad occasion but this is one of the best places to learn about chickens anywhere.