chicken passed away randomly

[Maybelline_Goode]

I have a flock of 8, now 7 chickens. I have had them for 3 years and not one of them has died until a short while ago. It has been pretty cold here but not unbearable. It's been around 10-25 degrees Fahrenheit for the last couple days. My Chicken, Lady Floofington, (lady) a Jubilee orpington, 3 years old, passed away for seemingly no reason. My flock has been very healthy since I first got them in 2021. I've only had to deal with disease 3 times, 2 of which were easily cured sour crop infections, and the other was an egg bound hen who has since recovered.

I do have a heater in my coop, it's the Sweeter Heater. At first I thought the heater went out and the chickens got too cold but it was still on and working fine. I found her dead in the nesting boxes. I thought maybe egg bound but I couldn't feel anything. Physically she looks fine, she was up and active a few hours earlier, and I haven't seen any abnormal poops.

I was hoping someone could tell me what happened. I've never had a chicken die before so I'm quite devastated. I was told maybe @Eggcessive or @Wyorp Rock might know. thanks in advance.

 

[GodLovesU]

If she was an Orpington I doubt it was the cold.Sorry for your loss.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have a flock of 8, now 7 chickens. I have had them for 3 years and not one of them has died until a short while ago. It has been pretty cold here but not unbearable. It's been around 10-25 degrees Fahrenheit for the last couple days. My Chicken, Lady Floofington, (lady) a Jubilee orpington, 3 years old, passed away for seemingly no reason. My flock has been very healthy since I first got them in 2021. I've only had to deal with disease 3 times, 2 of which were easily cured sour crop infections, and the other was an egg bound hen who has since recovered.

I do have a heater in my coop, it's the Sweeter Heater. At first I thought the heater went out and the chickens got too cold but it was still on and working fine. I found her dead in the nesting boxes. I thought maybe egg bound but I couldn't feel anything. Physically she looks fine, she was up and active a few hours earlier, and I haven't seen any abnormal poops.

I was hoping someone could tell me what happened. I've never had a chicken die before so I'm quite devastated. I was told maybe @Eggcessive or @Wyorp Rock might know. thanks in advance.

I'm sorry to hear about Lady Floofington.

It would be hard to know why she died so quickly without a necropsy. If you still have the body, then if possible, refrigerate it and send it to your state lab for analysis, they will send you a report of their findings. Or If you feel up to it, you could investigate further and do your own informal necropsy at home, looking at the internal organs, reproductive system, etc. Sometimes you may find something that will give a clue.

Speculation on my part, with a 3yr old hen that died quickly, being found in the nesting box, I would suspect something reproductive, but it's only guess.

I'm sorry

https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...PKTgKr7Ld2ddZSasXfgeUOYGM1ARSxNG6NguZeLuCFBJH