I suspect foul play

Princess Buttercup (AKA: Brittney the "big breasted chicken")

April 2006 - July 2009

The Heavens seem to be calling quite a few home...
The King of Pop, Farrah and now Princess Buttercup. I guess even in Heaven there needs to be poultry. Why not? But for us, it was a hugemungous shock! Buttercup was our "prized bird". She was healthy. She layed regularly. Her feathers were as healthy and shiny as a new penny! Just yesterday she played in the yard while we tilled her up some dirt to cool off in. But there was a mysterious moment when she came dashing across the yard yelping! We all just looked at each other. Well, today we found her face down. Very sad indeed. Bailey cried. Nate buried her under the boy's window. Very touching.
In an effort to figure out what might have gone wrong I searched the Internet doctor. It was quite astonishing what I found. Who would have thunk that "chicken death" was such a HOT topic? After all, don't we eat chicken more frequently than we consider them pets around these parts? I just thought I was strange for liking them more than my own brothers.

After typing in "chicken death" in google this is what I found...
I give you my favorites:

#1) "Ok, so I have a flock of Buffs with 2 (well 1 now) roosters. They are about 15 weeks old. They're happy, well-fed, and seem healthy, even this one I'm telling you about. The wife went out to feed them today, and all were fine, when she turned around one of the roosters was laying on the ground deader than a doornail. I went out, no wounds, no indication of blood anywhere (I checked well), no foam at the mouth that may have indicated choking (no jokes please.). Any idea what I'm looking at here? Not really into performing autopsies, but would like to know what would make a chicken drop dead instantly."

Now let it be known that there was a whole page of serious comments from concerned chicken owners who responded with grievances and concern over this owner's loss. And I would have loved to add my woe but if I might point out one thing that held me back... "the wife" part of that little clipping disturbed me some. What the heck red neck says "the wife went out..." C'mon! And then POOF! Just like that "the wife" turned around and the rooster dies? "deader than a doornail". Very nicely put, I think.

#2) "I've had 2 hens for a year now. 1 Rhode island red and 1 black australorp. Yesterday the Australorp just died. No warning. No signs of foul play. Not a ruffled feather. They free range in the daytime when I'm home and I went out early evening and she was just lying in a sandy spot, dead. She'd layed an egg in the morning, did her usual clucking and running around the yard when I let her into the yard late in the morning...Any advice on introducing a new hen to our remaining RI Red? She seems SO lonely without her lifelong companion."

but that isn't even the best part... The best part was the response this owner got...

A.) "Eureka,What state are you in? Some states will do a free necropsy for backyard flocks. If I were you, I'd take a fecal sample in to the vet for a float to see if your flock has worms. Did you notice anything strange about the two who died? Stumbling, depression, weight loss, anything?"

Ummm.. a "free necropsy"? What the???!!! Better yet, "I'd take a fecal sample in to the vet for a float..." I don't think so! Bury the darn bird and let her R.I.P! She done her duty! I loved Buttercup, but I till her fecal samples into my garden... I don't pick them up and study them.

Did you know Chickens stumble, get depressed and have weight fluctuation? It's like we're talking about grandma!

But my personal favorite was definitely this:

#3) "you can do a home autopsy, I have done this for a number of my birds and it helps give me a narrower range of things to read up on (usually) there is a link here - this site gives you step by step instructions and also a list of possibilities based on your findings at the end. It can be hard to do on a bird that's been well loved but it can really help with either reassurance or information (or both)"

That is just wrong! So I just have to know what you think... When these folks were buying a house Did they have as a part of their criteria: "3 bedroom, 2 bath and office with an autopsy suite off to the side for the chickens"? Does it make you wonder if they also neuter their own hound dog and felines?

And last but certainly not least, there is a place in cyberspace for 'Chicken obituaries".

#4)" Chicken Obituaries
June 23, 2009
Such a tragic event happened today. “A date that will live in infamy”. Our first chicken died, it was poor California, such a sweet great little chicken. It died of natural causes underneath the hanging food bowl. These are the types of events that make you ask the Question,” are there chickens in heaven”?"

I would be lying if I said that I was NOT sad that Buttercup died today. Deader than a doornail! She really was one of my favorites. I baby these beauties. But you won't find me with a scalpel performing chicken autopsies or gathering fecal samples to cart into the vet. None of that will change her escape from the heat of summer for free range grazing time in the heavens. That being said, you are more than welcome to consider this as a chicken obituary! And to answer #4, I do believe there are chickens in heaven...