What could have happened to my hen?

First for a little history. I have had the worst luck with my chickens this year. We had a nice little flock of 12 barred rocks, 2 light Brahma's and a rooster at one time. But we think weasels got into the hen house(now fixed) and killed them all except the rooster. So, a friend gave me a white leghorn to keep him company, but that same day, the rooster went sick and died the next day. He had some comb injury, but otherwise seemed to be fine. sigh July 3rd, we got 2 Barred rock and 2 light Brahma hens that were about 3 months old each. They have all been doing great all this time.

Yesterday I had been out there checking on them about 3:30 in the afternoon. They have a house, and a large pen to run. About 5:30, my hubby says that one of the brahma's seems to have got stung or bitten by something and isn't moving much. She had been fine! :-( So I go out there and she has a little swelling around her eye, just a little and it looks faintly purple. That's all I can see. Then by dark, she is still sitting there acting sick but can get to her feet. I move her in the hen house for the night thinking maybe she will recover overnight. By this morning she is almost dead. I pick her up and a few minutes later she died in my hands. What on earth could have done this? I am worried for my other hens.

There are a few wasps in the hen house and we do have an occasional copperhead. Could a sting from a wasp have killed her? if it was a copperhead, wouldn't it have swelled more? I am just trying to figure out what could have done this. I am so tired of losing my chickens. :-( Very heartbreaking and discouraging. Hubby is planning on getting a lot more chickens and I would like for a few of them to survive. :p He is planning on eating them after they stop laying which is going to be hard. lol I am an old softie!

Any ideas though? Thanks! Here was my 2 little Brahma's. The one who died was the shorter one.

they are so adorable! i really feel for you, and hope somebody can figure this out. meanwhile, if you can make a temp chicken tractor and locate it somewhere else..... if it is a wasp, there must be a nest nearby...

;-(
tf

If your baby was stung on the head, it could have killed her.
The head/neck is the worst possible place to be stung.
I feel for your loss.

I lost one of my old gals yesterday.
It's sad to lose them )-;

If you have a way to hatch eggs, I could send you a few fertile to help ..if you would want.
Alice

Well, I do know there was a nest in their house, but my hubby did get it out. However, there has been more wasps in there. So a wasp sting CAN kill them? :o I had no idea! Now I am worried about the rest of them. sigh I have a phobia to wasps and will have to have my husband go and try to get them out. :-( For some reason I thought chickens weren't bothered by them much. Shows how much I know. Never had this problem before. :-(

Thanks so much Abutilon for the offer. But we do plan on getting some more chicks soon from a hatchery near us. First though, we need to get rid of the wasps. :-(

Abutilon, I am so sorry for your loss too. :-( ((hugs!))

What a shame , sorry for your loss.

I would get rid of the wasp immediatly. Also we keep our chics in a closed 1/2 in.wire at night . They go right to it when they get ready to sleep. We don't even have to put them in anymore. But we found out their best potection is our dog who keeps all animals away.She has adopted the ducks and chics .She is a bird dog part blue tic hound .We have coons, snakes,owls 'that killed my 18 lb. cat ',fox ,hawks , bobcats ,bears and panthers here.

Any dog that can be with poultry and act as a guard without harming them is worth several times more than a an identical dog that might kill your poultry. My neighbor has a really nice dog. He hangs around but won't do anything to the poultry. The predators give him a wide berth and thus his poultry are safe. Kelly in Moxee

Kelly, you state that any dog that can be around poultry without harming them and acting as a guard would keep predators away? Have you ever seen what a pack of coyotes can do to a dog in that capacity? Not a pretty sight. Some predators may give such a dog a wide berth, but not all.

GG

Well, this wasn't a mammal that did this. My hubby thinks it was a copperhead rather than a wasp. Who knows.

gee whiz! either way, birng those chicks in to the garage while hubby moves the henhouse or builds a new one...

Creekwalker, how are your birds doing? Have you seen anymore snakes? I think it probably was a copperhead--unless you poor bird had an allergy to wasp venom.

They are doing fine. Thanks for asking. It probably was a copperhead as my husband has found a few nearby.

creekwalker so sorry to read about your hen.

MollyD

Oh gosh I just hate them copperheads. Any snake for that matter. Glad to hear the others are doing good.

Well, I lost my surviving Brahma. She just disappeared one evening. I think a raccoon got her before my husband went out to close them up for the night. sigh Both are gone now. But my Barred rocks are doing great. Maybe I wasn't meant to have Brahma's. :p

oh, please don't feel that way. i lost 3 roos and 10 baby ducks to a coon. got more baby ducks plus the four survivors, who it looks like maybe two males and two females.... anyhow, my point is, don't give up! and did you see where we are getting tohgether in your state? Jacobs Cave may be near enough to you