I found my chicken dead in the coop - what happened?

[lunkerchicken]

Hello all,
I am sad to say that my beloved 1 1/2 year old Easter Egger (Rusty) was found dead today in the chicken coop. I have no idea why? She has appeared in good health - I let them out daily and she has not shown signs of illness. I looked her over to see if any predators got to her but she seems untouched. Does anybody have any ideas as to what may have happened? She is one of 11 in that coop and none of the others seem ill. What to do??? Help!

 

[caspernc]

even I don't have an idea! Sometimes things happen like falling off the roast and breaking a neck? I saw a squril fall out of a tree one time. TOOOOfunny but it was fine and ran away.

 

[noodleroo]

Sometimes if a predator surprises them, they can fly or run into the wire or support beams in the coop and break their neck. Other than that I just don't know.

 

[Jeeper1540]

there are some cases of unknown death. some chickens just randomly pass away i guess. sorry for your loss

 

[chicksrcool]

Yep I've read blogs and other stories of random passings for no apparent reason. I'm so sorry that you lost Rusty

 

[ChickenLuva]

I've lost a couple of hens in this way also. One hen we found after she had passed, she showed no signs of illness or injury. We have no idea what happened. I found another while she was on the brink of death. I thought perhaps she was egg-bound and tried to check or clear it, but no. I ended up just holding her while she faded in and out of consciouness and then she just passed in my arms. The day before she was chasing me around the yard while I carried a bag of bird seed. Both hens were only a couple of years old. I'm so sorry, as I know how sad it is when it happens.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Sorry about Rusty.

i had a hen that just fell over dead for no apparent reason. She was perfectly healthy up to that point. Took her in for a necropsy and turns out her liver ruptured. Seems she had a very weak and fragile liver. Sometimes strange things happen like that. The only way to know for sure what happened is to get a necropsy. Barring that, just know that chickens can die for many reasons unrelated to their care, like cancer or a heart attack or stroke. Anyhow, so sorry again.

 

[pgondron]

I had my sweet hen Celeste fly off of a nest this morning and then she just began flopping around, it was horrible and I cried almost all morning, it sucks. RIP Celeste I hope chicken heaven is fun

 

[terrilhb]

I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[DelawareSilkie]

Chickens are susceptable to heart attacks and random causes of death. If Rusty was spooked during the night, she may have succumbed to a stroke. When you pick up her body, if the head is dislocated and can turn, then chances are she have broken her neck somehow. If she is in rigor mortis, then another subtle cause of death is the culprit here. I am sorry for your loss. We all know what it is like to loose a chicken we loved and cared for dearly.