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Did I just kill one of my chickens?

Distaff

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Had a droopy hen for the last two days. I brought her inside the house at night to keep warm. She would not eat, but did drink quite a bit. Yesterday, it seemed like she was a bit more lively.

Today seemed like a set back. While bringing her in for tonight, I noticed she had a bit of food in her crop. Old food? I'm not sure. I gently massaged it. She burped a couple times, and then just died.

:(
 

Cynthia & Percy

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i am so sorry for your loss only an avian vet can tell how your friend died
 

JLcribber

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:(
 

Distaff

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Thanks, guys. I know that, but thought....maybe there is something to massaging the crop that could make a hen aspirate the contents...or something. However, she didn't choke, or struggle. She burped and promptly died.

Just odd. I thought of cutting her open, but I'm not even sure where the problem would be found. I've butchered plenty, and know what a healthy one looks like inside. Didn't want to do it. Sentimental, I know.
 

expressmailtome

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I am very sorry for your loss.
 

Fritzgerald16

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Do you free range? Could she have eaten something that got stuck? I had a chicken do something similar once and when we cut her open she had been eating sand. The best I could figure is she wandered over to the kids sand box and was picking at things in there. None of my other chickens died so I assumed everyone else stayed out of the sand.
Sorry for your loss, hopefully it was a fluke thing and your other ladies stay healthy! :sadhug2:
 

WendyN

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:sorrow:
I am very sorry for your loss.
 

DQTimnehs

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I doubt massaging her gently would have killed her. She was obviously already quite ill if she wasn't eating. I'm sorry you lost her. :sadhug2:
 

Distaff

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I didn't feel anything unusual in the crop, just some grain. It wasn't full. They free range within the yard. I have an solar charged Electronet pen for them, but while that's always been sufficient to keep every other flock I've had in, this batch is flighty. I have to coax two or three back inside the fence every time I feed. They have gotten themselves into trouble. One hen found her way into a storage area and broke a glass bowl. That may have been the hen that died - maybe broken glass. They are all pretty much identical, so I don't know.

I've thought of clipping wings, but that could also make them more vulnerable. These are Silver Dorkings. They have a venerable history, and are very pretty birds. Nevertheless, I don't think I'll order that breed again.

Thanks again, everyone.
 

Aubrey

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So sorry :sorrow:
 

Featheredfuffs

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It was most likely sour crop, when a blockage in the crop leads to the hen not being able to eat or drink. Don't worry, it was not your fault and she would of died soon anyway:(

If this ever happens again, gently turn the chicken upside down and massage the crop, every day. The chicken will through up all the food she's eaten, and hopefully whatever's causing the blockage as well. Feeding yogurt also helps.

I once had a chicken with sour crop. She didn't survive either:( I'm so sorry for your loss:sad11:
 

hellen

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oh no i'm sorry to hear that, well you were very kind in taking care of her so nicely
 
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