1 yr old hen just died

[dr2202]

we have 3 (now 2)

sex links- nugget was always the smaller of the 3... i dont think she was ever laying- but someone started laying a week ago- i never know which one it is- 3 hens only 1 egg.
my son noticed that nugget was pale around her eye(the skin was a little paler than the other 2)- she never stopped eating, was a good weight and did not look sick at all..
he went out to feed and water the next day and she had died overnight...should i be worried about the other 2? who also look healthy?
today there were 2 eggs-
and i would like to know if anybody on here is from long island, ny
where can i find crushed oyster shells? tu in advance

 

[thebritt]

Did you already burry her or can you do an exam (necropsy) on her? She may have been eggbound, but no way to tell w/out an exam. So sorry for your loss. If you're feeling brave, you can look at "Spook"'s post from 1:50 today.

 

[dr2202]

[my son would not hear of it- (he is nine)- he wanted to bury her.
sad to say but i was hoping that she was egg bound, and it was not something that was contagious to the other 2.
i did look at the other post- thank-you.
i guess it is not as abnormal for them to die that quickly as i had thought, as other people seem to have had the same thing happen.
my next question is how to introduce a nother hen to them- should i start young, with a chick, wait till it is old enough to join them, or get an older hen about their same age?
i just dont want to see anything getting pecked all over which i know they will do

 

[Ellie_NY_chick]

I'm sorry you lost your hen. It's true - sometimes they just die, and we never find out why. Keep an eye on your other birds and watch for signs of illness.

You can get oyster shell at Agway or Tractor Supply, or whatever farm supply store is near you. It's easy to find.

As for integrating another hen, there are lots of theories out there. I think it works best if they're closer in age. Be really careful with whatever birds you bring home. It would be terrible to bring home a diseased bird that kills the ones you have left. be sure to quarantine for a period of time before you try to mix them. I quarantine for a month.

I have a divided hen house - chicken wire down the middle. I start with them on separate side so they can see each other, then I open the door and watch to see if they get along. I start with a couple of hours a day and gradually extend that until I can just leave it open. I'm mixing my babies that were hatched in December with the "big kids" right now. The door is open full time but the little ones are still scared of the big ones.

Good luck -

 

[vermontgal]

Sorry to hear about your chicken. I had one die unexpectedly, too. I am now at 3, down from 4.

If you have space to do so, you could introduce two together (who already know each other). You could use this as an opportunity to try a different breed, if that is of interest.

I am hoping to be strong enough to resist getting more chickens until next year or the year after. I would like to have a mixed-age flock, since chickens lay less as they get older.

 

[Renee]

Sorry about your chicken.

They die so quickly, and rarely give you any warning that they are sick. I guess it's an evolutionary adaptation: since they are so vulnerable to predation if they look sick, they just don't look sick until they are mostly dead.