Lost my beautiful hen

[Themellowyellows]

She's gorgeous, totally reminds me of my Peanut Butter. Thank you for your kind words, I appreciate it.

 

[triciayoung]

With illnesses, there is probably more symtoms.

I asked my vet. She said choking was highly improbable.

 

[triciayoung]

With illnesses, there is probably more symtoms.

There are many illness's that do not have more symptoms, liver hemorrhage is one, a heart attack is another, etc...

 

[triciayoung]

Thank you. I looked into liver rupture/liver disease, sounds like a match. Apparently it's a common cause of sudden death for backyard chicken keepers. I'll have to look into their diet and supplementation.

Don't let anyone here or anywhere tell you that you could have prevented it with diet. This is not the case. The only ones to blame here are the greedy egg industry that bred these chickens to lay way too many eggs. Now, when a hen comes into lay, her liver restructures and not in a good way. However, you can give your laying hens (especially the ones working their livers 10 times harder than they should be working) some milk thistle. I open a capsule and sprinkle it on their feed or treats or whatever works.

 

[suzbo]

Hello everyone. I'm very puzzled as to what could have been the cause of death to my orphinton/australorp mix. She was 4 years old. She seemed perfectly healthy all day and when it came time to round up my girls into their coops she suddenly started to cough/sneeze and gasp for air. I let her cough out thinking it would be dangerous to interfere, but then she started to discharge this yellowish-green fluid out of her beak. I felt powerless because I had no idea what to do, but I knew for sure that she was dying. She didn't get a chance to gasp for air and she passed away. Before burying her I checked and she felt normal - no bumps, her crop was unusually empty, but everything else felt normal.

Any ideas as to what could have caused this sudden death? Any insights would be appreciated.

I am so very sorry for her suffering and your loss.

 

[Hay-Hay]

I am so sorry for you. I know chickens mean the world to people (or what they should be).

 

[Sammster]

I'm so sorry

 

[Themellowyellows]

There are many illness's that do not have more symptoms, liver hemorrhage is one, a heart attack is another, etc...

Fair point

 

[Themellowyellows]

Don't let anyone here or anywhere tell you that you could have prevented it with diet. This is not the case. The only ones to blame here are the greedy egg industry that bred these chickens to lay way too many eggs. Now, when a hen comes into lay, her liver restructures and not in a good way. However, you can give your laying hens (especially the ones working their livers 10 times harder than they should be working) some milk thistle. I open a capsule and sprinkle it on their feed or treats or whatever works.

How would this be the answer to her coughing and wheezing? She would probably stand like a penguin, have a impacted crop, etc..

 

[BabesDucks]

Hello everyone. I'm very puzzled as to what could have been the cause of death to my orphinton/australorp mix. She was 4 years old. She seemed perfectly healthy all day and when it came time to round up my girls into their coops she suddenly started to cough/sneeze and gasp for air. I let her cough out thinking it would be dangerous to interfere, but then she started to discharge this yellowish-green fluid out of her beak. I felt powerless because I had no idea what to do, but I knew for sure that she was dying. She didn't get a chance to gasp for air and she passed away. Before burying her I checked and she felt normal - no bumps, her crop was unusually empty, but everything else felt normal.

Any ideas as to what could have caused this sudden death? Any insights would be appreciated.

I’m reading the comments and I’m not sure I believe it was from choking on feed if her crop was empty. It may be she had not been eating for a few days? Was this in the morning when her crop should have been empty anyway?