Author Topic: Dead hen (Read 2689 times)

Dans · « **on:** February 15, 2017, 12:14:41 pm »

Checked the hen house today to find a dead hen.

She was on her back in poop trays under the perches. She was stone cold and had been pooped on so I imagine she died in the night.

I checked her over and there are no wounds and no blue skin or swollen head. She was fit and healthy yesterday, bright red comb and face and bright eyes. She was oureally top hen until her daughter joined the flock and claimed that spot.

Any idea what could have caused her death?

They were wormed at the start of the new year (with flubenvet) and I have 3 chickens of her breed. We found some eggs of that breed in January (about 3 spaced out over the month) but none in Feb. Could she have been egg bound?

Dans

Rosemary · « **Reply #1 on:** February 15, 2017, 12:45:28 pm »

You don't say how old she was, but could just be heart failure. Like folk. You could always open her up and see if there's anything obvious.

Dans · « **Reply #2 on:** February 15, 2017, 12:47:59 pm »

D'oh I meant to say. She was bought as POL on valentines day last year. So about 18 months?

I did think about opening her up but would have no idea what I wold be looking for.

Dans

Womble · « **Reply #3 on:** February 15, 2017, 12:53:16 pm »

Just anything unusual really.....

landroverroy · « **Reply #4 on:** February 15, 2017, 01:49:49 pm »

Personally, in the current climate, I'd just bury her and keep quiet. If she was eggbound you should be able to feel the unlaid egg inside her. But as she was fit and healthy only hours previously, then it seems unlikely. It doesn't kill them that fast. You would have noticed her looking uncomfortable first.
Like with all animals - where there's livestock there's deadstock. It's sad in a young animal or bird, but it happens.

Penninehillbilly · « **Reply #5 on:** February 15, 2017, 03:19:42 pm »

Maybe that advice would have been better in a pm LRR

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Dans, I think you would have heard any respiratory problems? Seen any discomfort/distress?
I would presume with AI they would be feeling a bit miserable and hunched up, in a corner rather than perch? Sounds like she just died and fell off perch, heart attack?

PK · « **Reply #6 on:** February 15, 2017, 03:55:09 pm »

Dans, I've had two dead hens on two separate occasions since the initial avian flu outbreak. Both were ex-commercial hybrids about 3 years old. I just put this down to the usual attrition that happens from time to time. The only precaution I took was to bag it up for a day in case I found several others the next day, in which case it would have been worth notifying and having investigated. As rest of the flock looked fine and dandy I proceeded to bury them.

BrimwoodFarm · « **Reply #7 on:** February 15, 2017, 05:14:58 pm »

I've had the same as PK - one dead hen since the outbreak. She was hunched up, weak and scrawny. Kept the body for a couple of days in a bag just in case, but everyone else was fine so proceeded to bury her.

Sorry you lost one; never nice, especially when they're young and haven't noticeably been ill.

Dans · « **Reply #8 on:** February 15, 2017, 05:42:07 pm »

Thanks guys.

I had a good sit down my little girl yesterday as she was watching them in the pen, they were all fine, all very interested in the corn before bed. I guess I put it down to one of those things. Had a good look at the remaining 8 today and they all look fine. I've noticed a couple lying down in the run, but that has been at the front in the one spot the sun shines and when the sun has been out so I think they were just enjoying the warmth.

We've kept the body (Double bagged) in a metal bin and will see how the others do. If no one else goes down then we'll dispose of the body (likely burning). Such a shame as she was a character of a hen, a good broody and a good mother to her chicks.

Dans

farmers wife · « **Reply #9 on:** February 15, 2017, 08:40:35 pm »

you always get a few random deaths. Could have some organ failure its part of chicken keeping like keeping sheep. At 18m could be middle aged and in hybrid terms at the end of their laying career. A hybrid is generally knackered at this age. I wouldnt be worried at all. Even a pure hen will decide to keel over in the night.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #10 on:** February 16, 2017, 11:18:44 am »

With heart problems you sometimes see the bird looking quiet with a slightly blue comb in the days before it dies, then half-an-hour later it's fine, but quite often you miss the warning signs. Blue comb is a heart/circulation problem. If she was a hybrid and had only laid intermittently in recent weeks I, too, would suspect she was just clapped out. Did she feel a good weight and did you check for lice?

Dans · « **Reply #11 on:** February 16, 2017, 03:14:23 pm »

She was a pure breed (Brown Marsh Daisy) but wasn't breeding standard. She's been off lay since she went broody back in summer, she stayed with her chicks until they joined the flock.

I didn't notice any blue tinge to the comb but with them being tucked away under cover I see them a lot less during the day. I'll keep an eye on the others.

She was very hefty when I picked her up and didn't feel meaty. I didn't see any signs of life but with her being so cold they may have already scarpered.

Dans