Page 1 of 1

Mysterious death

Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 2:55 pm
by Farrier1987
I set a hen a couple weeks ago. A Wheaten Marans, on 9 eggs. I have a sort of closet thing in the coop, 6 ft long x 18 in wide, 18 high, slats on it for light and a door. I have probably set 15 broods in there and had no problem. Food water and grit with them, and they set and the other ones don't bother them. Cardboard box 6 in high with hay in it for a nest.

Everything just fine, proceeding as usual. Last night when I checked her water, she was off the nest, just on the edge, but it had been warm and some times they do that. Doing chores this morning, she is dead. On her side off the nest. No blood. No sign of a struggle. She and the eggs were cold. Pitched the eggs, they were all there.

I did have a fox snake get a hen a couple years ago, but there were signs of squeezing and broken missing eggs. That is why I wont set them on the floor any more.

I put her out on the edge of the bush a mile away, my belief in recycling. I did not cut her open. Just thinking about it now, I did not feel her crop either and I should have.

Anyone have any idea? Parasites? No sign of mites or anything, no distress or going down hill that I could notice, but might have missed it as she was sitting. Oh, and my wife said she had given her a piece of fruit four days ago, which I don't do as a rule, gave some to another setting hen which seems fine.

Re: Mysterious death

Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 3:13 pm
by windwalkingwolf
Ouch. Sorry, Farrier. Only hen I've had go suddenly like that, just suddenly get tired, lay over and die, was an aneurysm. Her belly was full of blood and clots and one of the big vessels near her kidneys was swollen and leaky. Not saying that's what it was, but it's a possibility.

Re: Mysterious death

Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 4:05 pm
by Killerbunny
Oh sorry, sometimes the stress of broody is just too much for them.

Re: Mysterious death

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 4:49 am
by WLLady
How old was she? It does sound like a gone in her sleep kind of thing. Heart or stroke or similar....sorry to hear.

Re: Mysterious death

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 6:05 am
by Happy
Sorry about your girl and her eggs. My girls eat fruit all the time so I doubt that had anything to do with it.

Re: Mysterious death

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 7:08 am
by Farrier1987
WLLady wrote:
Fri May 18, 2018 4:49 am
How old was she? It does sound like a gone in her sleep kind of thing. Heart or stroke or similar....sorry to hear.
I think she was a hatch here from some eggs I got from you either two or three years ago.

And now that I think of it, I should probably be suing you for supplying sub standard product, and for emotional distress. If you hadn't given me that egg, this would have never happened. Oh, I am seeing the whole thing now and you are definitely culpable. I feel so much better now I have found someone to blame.

Re: Mysterious death

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 9:10 am
by Shnookie
I had a 5 year old hen die this year from heart failure, and two 5 year old roosters too. The bodies are just limp, and have no signs of damage or distress. The hen's mouth was open a little.

Re: Mysterious death

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 9:26 am
by Killerbunny
Often if there is heart failure the comb may be purplish.

Re: Mysterious death

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 9:38 am
by WLLady
Well...hm...okay....for the record she was a free egg.....so....um....

Re: Mysterious death

Posted: Fri May 18, 2018 2:53 pm
by Kbr42
Very sorry. I've come to the coop a couple of mornings to find as dead hen. No reason. It's very odd when they just up and die. Especially, when they are a young bird.