Sudden Chicken Death: What Are the Causes?

Reader Contribution by Matt Kelly
Published on April 2, 2014

One day this winter I found a chicken dead in the coop.

I’ve lost birds before, because of a weasel attack and a pile-up as chicks. But this death was totally strange.

The night before, when I closed up the coop, all eight birds were roosting and looking fine. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The next morning, when I opened the coop for the day, all the hens were clucking away and bustling around like normal.

It was only later in the day when I brought the chickens back inside that I noticed the dead bird.

The hen was collapsed on her side on the floor at the back of the coop. Eyes closed. Body limp and floppy. She showed no obvious signs of trauma: no blood, no injury, nothing stuck in her mouth or throat. Her comb and wattles were cold and pale. But her abdomen was still slightly warm. There may have been a pulse when I checked under her wing; it may have been the pulse in my own fingers.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368