# I guess you shouldn't get attached to the runt in chickens either. :|



## WeeLittleChicken

Today was a strange day. I went out to check on the girls and one of my 7 month old Brahmas was dead as a doornail. No real reason I could see. It was 9 degrees out last night but its been colder in the past few weeks. The coop is heated as well as their water bowl and this bird was one of the larger birds out there.

I can't say I'm surprised though - it was PeeWee... the chick that took FOREVER to grow. I got them all as day old chicks and everyone grew very fast except for PeeWee. She was never lethargic or unhealthy but she was very small for a long time - even getting feathers a full month after her sisters did. I have no idea what could have caused this but I suppose there could have been something wrong with her the whole time. Anyone else had this happen? This is a photo of her next to her sister. They were hatched the same day.










Last photo I got of her a couple weeks ago - she did grow up and was almost the size of her sisters. SIGH.


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## toybarons

Sorry to hear about your hen. I've had runts just pass away. I just chalk it up to slow development means something might not be right.

Just curious. Did she begin laying eggs yet?
Sometimes the way you find a bird dead can tell you something. Where her legs stretched out the back of her, no offence, like a dead rubber chicken? If she was, she might have died from being egg bound. Sometimes it can happen with no warning. 
There is a very simple way to find out. If you still have the body, take your finger and insert it up inside the vent. You should be able to feel the egg. You might be able to part the opening and actually feel the egg shell with yor finger. If you can put pressure on the shell and it breaks easily, that's what likely caused the death. She was unable to pass the egg. It can happen in young layers.


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## 7chicks

Yes I have had this happen. Sweetpea was as healthy as the rest. Even have pictures of her just hours before she died. No signs of what was wrong. Nothing had gotten into their coop. Just dead on the floor the next morning. It was awful and it broke my heart because there were no answers. Its happened to many of us and sometimes there just simply is no answers. She was a week away from her 1 year birthday. I'm so sorry you had this experience too. =(


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## WeeLittleChicken

I did check to see if she was egg bound but really she just looks like she fell asleep and didn't wake up. She was cuddled in a corner of the coop on the floor, her head lying gently on the wall, half backwards like they do when they curl up for the night. If that's the case I guess I'm just glad her death wasn't painful. I'd hate for that to be the case. Although I am happy to hear some of you have also had this experience. I just wasn't sure if it was something I could have done or not done... but I really do think there was something just not right.


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## TerryQui

I have some babies and one didn't grow like the rest and after a few months, she finally just died. I don't think she was right to stay that little all the time.


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## WolfSchwallie

Our Wyandotte, Buttercup, passed away in the same manner 2 weeks ago. She was a healthy bird just under a year old and our #3 lady in the pecking order. It was cold but had warmed the night she died. We found her on the coop floor like she was sleeping. It could have been shock, but she had no outward signs of being sick and we had gotten an egg from her the day before.

Sometimes it just goes like that. So sorry to hear about your hen.


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## toybarons

WeeLittleChicken said:


> I did check to see if she was egg bound but really she just looks like she fell asleep and didn't wake up. She was cuddled in a corner of the coop on the floor, her head lying gently on the wall, half backwards like they do when they curl up for the night. If that's the case I guess I'm just glad her death wasn't painful. I'd hate for that to be the case. Although I am happy to hear some of you have also had this experience. I just wasn't sure if it was something I could have done or not done... but I really do think there was something just not right.


Awwww! *tearing up* Been there. That's how I found my Margie. She wasn't even a year old. She was fine at night. In the morning she looked like she was sleeping so I didn't even know she had died. It was only later on when I went to check in on the coop, I saw she was still in the sme position. Picked her up and just as you said. She looked so peaceful  Still hurts. Sorry.


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## studlydudly

I had a chicken die today this morning to


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## WeeLittleChicken

Awe, I'm sorry studlydudly. That's really sad.


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## 7chicks

studlydudly said:


> I had a chicken die today this morning to


 So sorry. =( Hugs.


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## Energyvet

Sorry for your loss. I lost one Wed. I was very very sad.


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## WeeLittleChicken

Yeah, it always so much harder when its a surprise. Older animals and ones you know have problems are a bit easier... Oh well. I hope not to have any more losses this winter. Two chickens and a bossy old Siamese were quite enough! I'll cross my fingers for the rest of you too!


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## soccerchicken12

I got in love with a runt chicken 1s she died with a hart problem.


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## piglett

i had 8 silkie youngsters in their own coop
1 day 1 was acting funny
the next day it was dead
it would eat/drink a little but not much
sometimes they just die
i guess that is why hens have such large cluches
they understand that not all of them will make it 
even if we don't/can't undersand


piglett


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## GoatHollow

Oddly enough, I just had a hen die this morning as well. As I read through some of the posts, I realized she died more than likely from a stuck egg. I have been worried all day that maybe there was an illness going around in my flock. My little hen wasn't a year old yet so it was quite the shock. Plus, I really don't deal well with death (having to remove dead animals from areas) and my b/f if away on vacation. Thanks for giving out advice! It's very helpful!!


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## Mamachickof14

Guess its just something to expect when you have chickens?! I lost one too this winter during that warm spell we had (so it couldn't have been the cold.) Not sure what caused it? Makes you feel bad when you do everything you can to make them warm and happy! Jen


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## piglett

GoatHollow said:


> Oddly enough, I just had a hen die this morning as well. As I read through some of the posts, I realized she died more than likely from a stuck egg. I have been worried all day that maybe there was an illness going around in my flock. My little hen wasn't a year old yet so it was quite the shock. Plus, I really don't deal well with death (having to remove dead animals from areas) and my b/f if away on vacation. Thanks for giving out advice! It's very helpful!!


 i had 1 of my imported english orpington hens fall over dead too
it's been really cold so maybe she got sick.

welcome to the world of poultry


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## WaterFowl209

wow she was really small in that one picture compared to the other one, i'm sure she probably had some kind of internal problem that was hard to detect but atleast she lived for the time she had


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## Westelle

Death is often a sad event.....especially for a loved pet....I am so sorry for the loss of your chickens...I had a beautiful Black Bantam Cochin Cockerel...He had his neck wrung by we think...a racoon..we got home later than normal...and hadn't put the birds away before we left...they were scattered...when we arrived home...ducks...chickens...and geese...one of or girl geese was actually in the pond...we had our headlights on from our vehicles to try and locate them...just my MEANIE...oh he wasn't mean...not to me...use to come jump up snd sit on my lap...that was a sad night.


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