Wondering how worried I should be. I have a mixed group of 19 (now 18) hens & pullets and one rooster. Hens are are about 13 months old - pullets about 6 months old. They are in a run of adequate size during the day and free range in the evenings for 4 or 5 hours when I'm home plus all day on the weekends. So I'm doing the roost count on Saturday night and keep coming up one short. A quick tally of breeds shows I'm missing one of my two anconas. I do a search for her, thinking maybe she is setting somewhere. I find here actually under the hen house (there is room and they go under there for shade at times.) She is stiff as a board but no other marks. She or her sister ancona had bumblefoot in the spring but I thought it was under control. An exam of her feet didn't show swelling or redness.
So, could she have harbored an infection? Could a predator gotten to her but she got away? (I found no marks on her).
Could she have been just a defective bird? I will note that my only white egg layers are the anconas - and I have only been getting one white a day for a few weeks now. I think one of the two - presumably the dead one - hasn't been laying for some time now.
The rest of the flock looks good. One fear I have is that I have never wormed them. Could this be something that could have done in her in? I saw no signs of illness or distress up until finding her dead.
Any help is appreciated!! Thanks!
So, could she have harbored an infection? Could a predator gotten to her but she got away? (I found no marks on her).
Could she have been just a defective bird? I will note that my only white egg layers are the anconas - and I have only been getting one white a day for a few weeks now. I think one of the two - presumably the dead one - hasn't been laying for some time now.
The rest of the flock looks good. One fear I have is that I have never wormed them. Could this be something that could have done in her in? I saw no signs of illness or distress up until finding her dead.
Any help is appreciated!! Thanks!
