Waddlewoods
Chirping
- May 8, 2023
- 86
- 119
- 91
Hey!
So a bit of the back story. One of my 1 year old Welsh Harlequin Drakes died 1.5 weeks ago leaving behind his mate. He was a little slow and stumbly a bit one day and then the next morning I found him dead in the coop. I had him and his mate separated for breeding so when I found him dead I let her out with my runner flock so she wasn't alone. Quickly realized I should likely keep her separated in case Waffle does from something contagious, so I scooped her back up and separated her.
Since then she has been very agitated. Fluffed up, squawking constantly whenever we're around her but since she calms down when we leave and isn't showing any other symptoms I was considering letting her out yesterday as I was thinking she was maybe just really stressed when I noticed her have a giant runny-ish poop which concerned me. I also noticed the floor in her coop which was cleaned this past week is covered in a carpet of the same poop. I have been putting fresh bedding down each day but she keeps gathering it all up for her nest and has now exposed this giant poop layer. It seems like a ton of poop for such a short time. (See pic)
Now the other day when I let her out she hung back on her nest of 8 to 10 eggs. So now I'm wondering, is all this behaviour just her going broody? She doesn't spend any time during the day on her nest that I have noticed but I'm usually working inside.
I would love to let her out with the rest of the flock but obviously only if it's safe to do so. She seems to eat, drink, forage, her breathing is fine, eyes and nares clear, she has lots of energy... Everything normal asides from the fluffing up, squawking when we're around.
Any ideas?
So a bit of the back story. One of my 1 year old Welsh Harlequin Drakes died 1.5 weeks ago leaving behind his mate. He was a little slow and stumbly a bit one day and then the next morning I found him dead in the coop. I had him and his mate separated for breeding so when I found him dead I let her out with my runner flock so she wasn't alone. Quickly realized I should likely keep her separated in case Waffle does from something contagious, so I scooped her back up and separated her.
Since then she has been very agitated. Fluffed up, squawking constantly whenever we're around her but since she calms down when we leave and isn't showing any other symptoms I was considering letting her out yesterday as I was thinking she was maybe just really stressed when I noticed her have a giant runny-ish poop which concerned me. I also noticed the floor in her coop which was cleaned this past week is covered in a carpet of the same poop. I have been putting fresh bedding down each day but she keeps gathering it all up for her nest and has now exposed this giant poop layer. It seems like a ton of poop for such a short time. (See pic)
Now the other day when I let her out she hung back on her nest of 8 to 10 eggs. So now I'm wondering, is all this behaviour just her going broody? She doesn't spend any time during the day on her nest that I have noticed but I'm usually working inside.
I would love to let her out with the rest of the flock but obviously only if it's safe to do so. She seems to eat, drink, forage, her breathing is fine, eyes and nares clear, she has lots of energy... Everything normal asides from the fluffing up, squawking when we're around.
Any ideas?
