- Dec 10, 2012
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I'm a backyard chicken farmer. 2 dogs have the run of our backyard and, as such, we don't have a varmint issues. Also, there's a cat that roams the grounds - so no mouse/rat population to speak of (anymore). The occasional gopher will wander in, but not too often.
My chickens free range the yard and coexist - albeit at a distance - with the other animals.
In the last 6 months we've lost 2 birds. In both cases, the chicken was found stretched out on her back - literally 'stretched out' from the tip of their talons to the the tip of their beak; talons Southbound while upturned beak Northbound. One died out in the yard and the other inside the chicken house itself.
Upon inspection neither of them had sign of "exterior damage". Absolutely no damage to the bodies anywhere could be found. I went to far as to pluck most of the second bird to verify this.
Nothing. Nada. El zippo.
When the first bird died (a fat little bantam named Ms. Fluffermen) I looked to a local "chicken expert" who led me to believe that the breed was prone to strokes. I questioned the comment, but wrote the death off as such anyway.
However, now... Well, now a second bird is dead (a.k.a. "Mrs. White"). She was a production red star and ruler of the roost; not exactly a fat little bantam afraid of its own shadow. Both birds ended up in the same death position: stretched out from the tip of their talons to the the tip of their beak.
Any ideas what could be happening? Inquiring minds...
My chickens free range the yard and coexist - albeit at a distance - with the other animals.
In the last 6 months we've lost 2 birds. In both cases, the chicken was found stretched out on her back - literally 'stretched out' from the tip of their talons to the the tip of their beak; talons Southbound while upturned beak Northbound. One died out in the yard and the other inside the chicken house itself.
Upon inspection neither of them had sign of "exterior damage". Absolutely no damage to the bodies anywhere could be found. I went to far as to pluck most of the second bird to verify this.
Nothing. Nada. El zippo.
When the first bird died (a fat little bantam named Ms. Fluffermen) I looked to a local "chicken expert" who led me to believe that the breed was prone to strokes. I questioned the comment, but wrote the death off as such anyway.
However, now... Well, now a second bird is dead (a.k.a. "Mrs. White"). She was a production red star and ruler of the roost; not exactly a fat little bantam afraid of its own shadow. Both birds ended up in the same death position: stretched out from the tip of their talons to the the tip of their beak.
Any ideas what could be happening? Inquiring minds...
