Hi!!

[dmtm1956]

I'm Debbie from NW San Antonio (near Helotes). I have been a chicken owner for 2 years now and love it. got the girls for eggs and the experience. I have not been disappointed at all and have learned so much about chickens (like: avian pox, silly/weird behaviors of chickens). Glad to be a part of BYC.

 

[chickenweirdo1]

Great to have another poultry lover!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi Debbie and welcome to BYC - glad that you have joined us.

You may wish to consider joining your state thread as it will put you in touch with other BYC members in your area - https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/26/where-am-i-where-are-you

All the best
CT

 

[uncertainty]

Hi Debbie; Glad you have joined BYC. You are much further along the learning curve than me - my first flock is just ready to come out of the brooder. This is such a great community; the members are really generous with their advice.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Yes, the flock sure will teach you a lot through health, sickness and of course all the joy they can bring into your life. Chicken keeping is so rewarding.

So glad you could join our community! Make yourself at home here and ask any questions you may have.

Welcome to our roost!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[drumstick diva]

Glad to have you join us. Welcome to Backyard chickens

 

[dmtm1956]

Thanks for the welcome. Trying to figure out how to start a thread. Please help.

 

[uncertainty]

Hi Debbie; can you see a "Start a New Thread" button below the last post in the current thread? That is what I use.

 

[dmtm1956]

Not sure what to do or to think. Last week one of our partridge cochins died. She had been working pretty hard and became lethargic and wouldn't eat or drink. I gave her some scrambled eggs that seemed to help but she wouldn't even eat mealworms. She just separated herself from the others and would just sit. When out in the evening day I thought she was just sitting in the opening of her house but she was dead. No life no mites. I have no idea what happened. That was last week. Yesterday I go out to check on the remaining three chickens and notice that one is not on the roost and is sitting in the nesting box. She was breathing very slowly and her eyes were closed. No lies no mites no injuries. She is the one chicken that does not like to be picked up so it was difficult to tell that she had lost some weight at that time. When I brought it in I had noticed that she was a little thinner. She was so lethargic I was able to pick her up without a problem and carry her into the house. Abdomen was soft and she wasn't much of an egg later anyway. Went out this morning to let the girls out and she was dead. I checked her over again no signs of any problem injury lice or mites. That's two chickens in two weeks. The weather here in San Antonio was very rainy last week plus the temperature has dropped down into the mid to low 40s in the last couple of days. Don't know if that would have anything to do with it or not. Second chicken to die to me always seemed depressed. I don't know if that's possible or not. She was the lowest on the pecking order. The first chicken to die was the second lowest on the pecking order. We have 2 left and they hang out together all the time and sleep right next to each other on the roost. They're eating drinking running and looking for bugs and acting very normal. I just cleaned out their hen house and was looking for any indication of any kind of parasite and still nothing. Does anyone have any idea as to why two chickens may have died in two weeks? I'm very baffled. This is my first go-around with chickens. We got them at 1 month old in June 2015. As I said the 1st and I was a partridge Cochin and the second was an Easter Egger. The Easter Egger was our very first chicken to lay eggs at 7 months old.