Two of my hens died last night.  Neither of them seemed unwell so it is just one of those things.  One was my white Silkie bantam and she must have been pushing 10 years old so she simply died of old age.  The other was my white hen from my middleaged flock.  Her eggs were pure white so I know that she hadn't laid since about March.  It was probably just that her time was up.  I only had the two white hens and they both died on the same night - now what are the odds of that.  The white hen was not a friendly one.  In the winter when I had to collect the eggs after they had gone up to roost, she would peck your hand off if she happened to be the nearest to the nestbox. 

But I'm still sad to have lost them.  The white Silkie bantam lived with another black Silkie bantam of the same age and I can't see the black one going on long on her own.  Of course, she may prove me wrong but her death would really be the end of an era for me.  Ah well.