One afternoon, you are out with your chickens enjoying the sunlight together when you notice one of your chickens appears to be napping in the coop. This behavior is unusual, as this particular chicken is usually very lively with the rest of the flock. When you check on her, you notice she isn’t breathing.
There are no outward signs of injury, and she seemed fine the day before. Unfortunately, it appears that you have lost a bird to sudden chicken death syndrome.
At Freedom Ranger Hatchery and our family of hatcheries, we have lots of experience helping fellow chicken enthusiasts through their chicken illnesses of all kinds. Please feel free to contact us if you are having problems with your chickens or if you notice that more of them are getting sick.
Finding one of your chickens dead without warning can be shocking and disheartening for any backyard flock owner. One day they seem perfectly healthy, and the next they’re gone. But sudden death in chickens is not uncommon, and being aware of the possible reasons can help you protect the rest of your flock.
Overview of Sudden Chicken Death
Sudden death refers to an apparently healthy chicken dying abruptly without prior signs of illness. While not always preventable, understanding the common culprits behind these losses is the first step in keeping your remaining birds safe.
Potential causes include:
- Infectious diseases
- Heart attacks
- Organ failure
- Egg binding
- Predator attacks
- Toxins or poisoning
- Extreme weather
By investigating the circumstances around sudden chicken deaths and being vigilant for any warning signs in your flock, you can often identify risks and take action before losing more chickens.
Most Common Causes of Sudden Chicken Death
Here are some of the main reasons why chickens in your backyard can die suddenly, along with tips on how to keep this from happening.
1. Infectious Diseases
A chicken’s sudden death is often caused by an illness that hasn’t been found. Highly contagious diseases in chickens can quickly spread through flocks, and the symptoms aren’t always obvious. These include:
- Newcastle disease – Affects respiratory and nervous system; causes diarrhea
- Infectious bronchitis – Respiratory virus leading to sneezing, coughing
- Marek’s disease – Causes tumors and paralysis
Prevention Quarantine new birds limit exposure to wild birds disinfect coop. consult vet on vaccinations
2. Heart Attacks
Fast-growing chicken breeds like Cornish crosses are prone to fatal heart attacks, especially if obese. Stress, heat, and genetic factors can also contribute.
Prevention: Avoid overfeeding, provide shade on hot days, choose slower-growing breeds
3. Organ Failure
If you don’t catch an illness or disease, it can eventually kill you by organ failure. Nutritional deficiencies also tax the body.
Prevention: Balanced diet, regular health checks for subtle signs of sickness
4. Egg Binding
When a hen can’t pass an egg, the stress can kill her quickly. Causes include malnutrition, stress, oversized eggs.
Prevention: Proper diet with calcium, providing nest boxes, examining hens for symptoms
5. Predators and Accidents
Attacks from predators like dogs, hawks and raccoons can lead to deadly wounds. Chickens can also suffer internal injuries or broken bones from falls or trauma that later prove fatal.
Prevention: Fortify coops, limit free-ranging when predators are active, handle chickens gently
6. Toxins and Poisoning
Ingesting chemicals, tainted water, moldy feed, or toxic plants can kill birds rapidly.
Prevention: Ensure access to clean water, store chemicals away from birds, remove poisonous vegetation
Steps to Prevent Sudden Chicken Losses
While some causes of sudden death cannot always be anticipated, many can be avoided with proper flock management:
- Provide a balanced diet free of moldy feed
- Ensure fresh, clean water at all times
- Disinfect coops/runs regularly
- Quarantine and check new birds for illness before integrating
- Isolate and treat sick birds promptly
- Limit stressors and overcrowding
- Discourage predators and pests
- Vaccinate for common deadly poultry diseases
- Avoid introducing chemicals/toxins into chicken areas
What to Do if You Find a Chicken Dead
- Remove the body right away and bury or dispose of properly
- Try to determine the cause – were there wounds, signs of illness?
- Quarantine the flock and monitor for any symptoms
- Submit the body for necropsy (animal autopsy) if needed
- Report contagious poultry diseases to veterinarian
- Disinfect habitat and equipment to prevent spread
- Review management practices to identify any risks
Though losing chickens suddenly is always difficult, taking proactive measures to boost flock health and biosecurity can significantly reduce losses. Being vigilant for subtle signs of illness and addressing problems early is key to keeping your remaining birds safe. With proper care and prevention, sudden death does not have to be a common or unsolved occurrence in the average backyard flock.
What Are the Signs of Sudden Chicken Death Syndrome?
Unfortunately, sudden chicken death syndrome signs happen just seconds before the chicken dies. You may notice the bird flaps its wings intensely, have convulsions, or randomly let out a loud squawk. After the symptoms appear, the bird will suddenly pass away within the next 60 seconds to two minutes.
They will often die lying on their backs with their wings outstretched. You may find this happens in about 2% of your broiler chickens, as that is the typical incidence rate. If your bird exhibits any of the symptoms of sudden chicken death syndrome, it is unlikely that you will be able to do anything for them.
What Causes Sudden Chicken Death Syndrome?
If a chicken died suddenly under your care, you are probably curious about the cause. Sudden chicken death syndrome is most common in fast-growing broiler breeds. It happens more frequently in male chicken populations, but it can also happen to female birds.
Evidence suggests that the disease has metabolic origins, but the environment, genetics, and nutrition can also play a role in a chicken’s fate. Some things that may cause this syndrome in birds include:
- The food that birds raised for food often contains a lot of glucose, which makes them gain weight and grow faster. Birds’ bodies can get tired and break down quickly if they don’t eat well and gain weight quickly. Feed your chickens food that is good for their health as a whole.
- Lighting—The amount of light a chicken is exposed to can affect how much they lay eggs. It is common for commercial broiler chickens to be exposed to more natural and artificial light than they would normally get in the wild. Businesses that raise chickens add light to help them grow or lay eggs. But this stimulation can make their bodies work too hard, which could lead to this syndrome.
- Lack of Exercise—Chickens need movement to encourage good heart health. So that their hearts stay healthy and their sudden chicken death syndrome doesn’t happen, your chickens need to exercise.
This list is not comprehensive, as some chickens are eating correctly, getting the appropriate amount of light, and having an average, healthy amount of exercise. So, there’s also the consideration of natural chicken health issues that may cause sudden death.
In female chickens, being egg-bound means she cannot pass an egg. She may have a decreased appetite, look sickly, or walk like a penguin, signaling to you that her body is in distress. This painful condition is also life-threatening for the affected chicken because she may die if she cannot pass the egg. If your chicken is egg bound, you can help her get the egg out by massaging her or giving her calcium to help her contract.
For some chickens, sudden death comes after an injury. Typically, you will see a much larger bird has trampled the smaller flock members for power or out of having no room due to overcrowding. When a smaller bird has suffered from sudden chicken death syndrome, trampling might have been the cause.
In male chickens especially, heart issues can cause sudden, unexplained deaths. As mentioned previously, keeping their diet and exercise in check can help prevent heart issues in your chickens.
20 Signs That Your Chicken Is Sick. You Need To Know Them ALL!
FAQ
What causes sudden chicken deaths?
One of the most common culprits behind sudden chicken deaths is disease. Poultry are susceptible to a range of illnesses, including respiratory infections, parasites, and viral outbreaks. Even without obvious symptoms, a sick chicken may succumb quickly to an underlying condition.
What causes sudden death in poultry?
Studies(1) show that these are the most common reasons why chickens die suddenly: a hen may be egg-bound without it being obvious Of course, this couldn’t be a problem for Charlie, who was definitely a boy! Another chicken may have stepped on a bird and hurt it inside. This is possible, but unlikely.
What happens if a chicken dies suddenly?
Sudden chicken death, or the phenomenon where a chicken dies suddenly, can be a confusing and upsetting experience for poultry keepers. Seeing this happen can raise many questions and concerns. Chickens lead complicated lives, and a number of things, including environmental factors and health issues, can contribute to their unexpected deaths.
How do you know if a chicken died from sudden death syndrome?
To be able to confirm Sudden Death Syndrome as the specific cause of death, the chicken would be seen to have had convulsions and extreme wing-flapping for just a few seconds before s/he died. Charlie died before I was in the coop, so I can’t say for sure if that was the case with him.
Should you be concerned about sudden death in chickens?
If you are into raising chickens for business purposes or for your personal use, it is good to be aware of causes of sudden death in chickens. This way, you will have the means to prevent this from happening or guide a friend who is into raising chickens about preventing chickens from being killed this way.
Are sudden chicken deaths preventable?
While sudden chicken deaths can be alarming, many causes are preventable with proper care. Regular health checks, good nutrition, clean living conditions, and vigilant monitoring for signs of disease or distress are essential for keeping your flock healthy. Tamara is the creator behind Homestead How-To.
What causes sudden death of chickens?
The cause of sudden death syndrome of broiler chickens is poorly understood; however, it is thought to be a metabolic disease in which nutrition, genetics, and environment are contributing factors. Sudden death syndrome of broiler chickens is linked to cardiac arrhythmias.
How does a chicken act before it dies?
The bird may shake its head and have discharge from its eyes or nose, and its wings may look dirty. Sick chickens tend to wipe their nostrils on their wings. Its face or wattles may be swollen, or it may have a bluish cast to its face. Any of these can indicate that the bird has a respiratory infection.
How do you determine the cause of death of a chicken?
A necropsy is the only answer. I’m general, if there were no signs or symptoms of anything wrong prior to death it’s almost always a heart problem. Chickens are very prone to cardiovascular issues.
What is the number one cause of death in chickens?
The most common causes for Pastured Poultry mortalities are Ascites, Air Quality, Temperature Control, Coccidiosis, Enteritis, Heart Attacks, Curly Toe, and Spraddle Leg. Ascites (Water Belly, Pulmonary Hypertension) is the #1 cause for broiler mortality in Commercial and Pastured Poultry production.