Sick chicken?

[JWolfy]

So i'm new to chickens, we have not even had these guys one year.

The other day I went outside and one of my chickens who has always eaten, and had enough to drink and she's always out we were holding her walking around normally. I left for about an hour came back and she was just dead.

So this has set me off a little bit but I now have a chicken making more throaty noises.

They are inside right now just because we had such a cold.Snap, but they're going back outside tomorrow.

They eat normal feed, mealworms, sometimes, but mostly feed and spinach. Occasinally oyster shells.

Just starting to worry, this is going to spread amongst all of them. I could just be paranoid and overthinking the sounds. I feel like a couple of them sound congested. Otherwise I would segregate them.

I also got them vitamins for their water a few days ago, so they've been having that as well.

Wondering if there is any tips?

has anyone just lost a bird with no warning. I've always had a lot of indoor animals, but chickens are new, and this is throwing me through a loop.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi, and welcome to BYC!

I'm sorry about the loss of your hen. Losing one isn't easy on most of us, but it happens.

Chickens, like people, can just die, and sometimes, we don't know why and may never know. If there is a worry they have a disease or illness, the body can be triple bagged and put in the fridge while arrangements to get a necropsy (autopsy) done to find out the cause. Usually, in most cases, if it's just one chicken, then it's left a mystery. Your chicken may have had a heart, liver, kidney, etc., problem.

As for the ones sounding congested, getting vitamins for their water was a great idea. It helps them fight off whatever they've got. I'd keep those ones inside though and separate from the others.

If they aren't better in a few days or are getting drastically worse, you'll need to get an antibiotic for them. You can get one if you have a vet, or also there's a couple of online places. If it comes to that, let us know.

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss. What symptoms are you seeing from your sick ones? Do you see any watery/bubbly eye, mucus from the beak or nostrils with heading shaking, sneezing, or gasping? While unusual, I have lost a hen unexpectedly who seemed healthy. But there may be symptoms if you notice them. With their poofy feathers, they can appear normal weight, while losing weight. It helps to handle them once in awhile to just become familiar with them. Look them over for lice or mites. Feel the crop early morning before they eat or drink to make sure that it is empty, while checking them in late afternoon, to make sure they have food in it. Your state vet can usually do a necropsy on a chicken to give you a diagnosis, if you take or send the body into them. Here is a list of them to contact:
https://www.metzerfarms.com/poultry...7IOlHOhP-eD8qMtZ70RNq6BMO9kVUn3x6so7q0Z_JgEr8