[timtheenchanteruk]

Went out to let the chucks out, collect eggs as usual this morning, and one of my ladies has popped it, no warning at all, must say Im a little down about it.

No warning signs of anything wrong, as lively as usual, laying fine, just laid there, dead this morning.

I have cleaned and disinfected the hutch, is there anything I need to look for/do for my other 2?

[kegs]

How old was your chicken?

[geebee]

 One of mine died like that a few weeks ago. She was a rescue hen but doing well - fully feathered up and laying again - so it was a shock to find her. Though she seemed okay when I let her out in the morning by lunchtime she was back in the coop and when my husband went to check a couple of hours later she was dead. The others rescued with her are all still doing well.

[timtheenchanteruk]

She was about 9 months, we have had her, and our other 2 from 18 weeks.

[Helenaj]

Sometimes it does happen - if you can't feel anything wrong with the hen, then possibly her heart gave out. Rescue hens have a hell of a life and it does take it's toll and they die at a far earlier age than the same breed that has been free range all of it's life.

At least she had a chance to eat the grass and look at the sky.

[Aunt Sally]

Birds naturally have a very high blood pressure.  Strokes and heart attacks are not unusual.

[chickee]

We have one ex-bat left (we had two to start with - not big poultry keepers)!  Throughout the year they were on the whole very healthy but went through periods of quietness, lethargy and just looking generally huddled and unwell.  Sadly one died during the summer and we bought 2 non ex-bats to keep the surviving one company and as she was looking unwell, we thought we would soon be losing her.

I then decided to stop giving them kitchen scraps, ESPECIALLY BREAD!  They have chicken pellets, mash, corn and dried porridge oats - lots of fresh water is left out for them and occasionally cooked rice and vegetables.  They are fairly free range and can scratch around for insects and worms - the old girl is as healthy now as the new ones.  She improved within 48 hours and has never looked back, sh has even  started to start lay again.

I don't know if it is coincidence but I will not be giving them kitchen scraps ESPECIALLY BREAD again.

[hillfooter]

We have one ex-bat left (we had two to start with - not big poultry keepers)!  Throughout the year they were on the whole very healthy but went through periods of quietness, lethargy and just looking generally huddled and unwell.  Sadly one died during the summer and we bought 2 non ex-bats to keep the surviving one company and as she was looking unwell, we thought we would soon be losing her.

I then decided to stop giving them kitchen scraps, ESPECIALLY BREAD!  They have chicken pellets, mash, corn and dried porridge oats - lots of fresh water is left out for them and occasionally cooked rice and vegetables.  They are fairly free range and can scratch around for insects and worms - the old girl is as healthy now as the new ones.  She improved within 48 hours and has never looked back, sh has even  started to start lay again.

I don't know if it is coincidence but I will not be giving them kitchen scraps ESPECIALLY BREAD again.

Well certainly bread in anything other than very small amounts ocassionally can cause problems with things like sour crop.  Particularly if the bread is old or yeasty.  Any kitchen scraps  which are anything other than wholesome shouldn't be given and again only small amounts ocassionally. 

Incidentally it's also illegal to feed chx anything which has been prepared in a kitchen used for human food preparation if you intend to sell or give away any chicken produce.

Sticking with a good make of compound feed as a staple such as layers pellets with a handful of mixed corn in an evening is absolutely the best diet.  The very ocassional treat in moderation won't hurt provided it is just that.

It's very possible that the scraps you were giving might have been responsible for the health problems.
HF

[hillfooter]

re the sudden unexplained deaths.  there is a well known syndrome called Sudden Death Syndrome when an apparently healthy individual will suddenly go into a spasm and drop down dead.  I've seen it happen on a couple of ocassions.  The first was a light sussex which one moment I was hand feeding corn to, I turned round and back again to see it on it's back going through it's death throws.  It's usually put down to a heart attack.
best of luck
HF