A Journey Through a Different Way - Funny Story Pg. 69

[ruth]

SAD UPDATE - my broody buff orp just fell down dead. She had given up on the nest a day ago and had gotten on roost - way up in hen house rafters. This morning she was still there but was hanging over, head down, kind of doubled over the roost bar with eyes closed. I kept talking to her but she showed no movement and wouldn't open her eyes. I finally gave her a little nudge and she opened her eyes and fell all the way down the ladder to the ground where she was dead.

Now I don't know if there was something else wrong with her but I know that for a week she did not eat or drink. I tried catching her when she would take short breaks from nest and to get her to eat cooked eggs or to drink but she never would. Her poo was just green/yellow watery. I finally got her to eat a few bites of scrambled egg day before yesterday when she got off the nest, never to return. But never saw her drink or eat anything else - just got on roost and stayed there till she fell off dead. Her comb is almost nonexisted it had shrunk so much and it's really a dark bruise looking color.

Did she just let herself die from not taking care of herself? If this is what happens when they go broody I don't think I want anymore broodies. The last/first one got herself killed running back to abandoned barn to sit on her nest. At least this one was in coop and I thought would be o.k. She was only 8 months old.

 

[speckledhen]

That's terrible news, Monique. That is not normal for a broody, just for the length of time she's been broody. I think something else had been going on with her when she became broody and her body couldn't take the strain of setting. I'm so sorry!!!

 

[kodiakchicken]

I'm so sorry! What a rough time you've been having. :aww

There must have been something else wrong with her. It's hard though, thinking maybe you should have known so you could help. You did the best you could. Hang in there.

 

[ruth]

She has been broody since April 8th (one month) and would sometimes get off the nest for a day but then go back again. In all this time I haven't seen her eat or drink despite my efforts. DH was just examining her and found small black rotted/mushy looking area under one wing - maybe an injury?

 

[WillsMama93]

I'm so sorry.. the wound you are describing sounds like a pressure ulcer.. one like people get from laying in bed too long, sometimes called a bedsore. Maybe she had something under her wing that irritated the area, and due to her broody state, her body was just too taxed to heal itself? I'm new to chickens, so I'm just guessing here.

The way you raise your animals, she had a wonderful life of freedom and comfort while she was here. You do a great job.

 

[ruth]

Today's updates are both good and bad. Life and death.

The good news - I have one lone Blue Orp hatchling from Speckledhen's eggs that were under the broody Orp that died. I think it's a he - notice his little comb. He was a fast hatcher - about 20 minutes from pip to hatch. Saw a tiny pin size pip this morning, went to feed chickens, came back and he was out already. His mama was Speckledhen's "Velvet". He's the darker and smaller one.

His friend is a three week old Blue Ameracauna (seen just after hatching in May 1st update) from one of Lisa's "Dipsy" eggs that she sent me to put under the other Miss Broody that got killed in barn. Of those eggs only two hatched and were playmates.

The sad update is that one of the two Blue Ameracaunas was found floating dead in duck pool this morning. I still can't figure out what happened and how.

Last night when I was putting everyone up I found the one in the picture outside the fenced run. It and it's playmate had gotten out once before from a small hole that I had repaired so not sure how they had gotten out this time but could not find it's friend. I put everyone away and the last ones to go in are the ducks. I chased them out of their pool and locked up coop. I looked until well past dark for the missing chick. This morning I found it floating in duck pool. At first thought it was a dead duck but all nine of the smaller ducks were accounted for and the 5 baby ducks are being kept in a pen because the slightly older ducks keep picking on them. They had also been picking on these two lone chicks so I was keeping the lone chicks in pen with the one week old ducks. I can't figure out how or when the chick could have drowned. The water in blow up pool is only one inch deep because I have young ducks and there are bricks in pool that stick up above water so they can easily get in or out. I'm really thinking it must have gotten in pool when all the ducks were in there and it got trapped under them and drowned.

So today I put the lone Ameracauna in with the lone Blue Orp and they hit it off grand. The new baby follows the other around and does everything it does - eats and drinks at same time - looks like a little shadow. I'm hoping it is a male and I'm pretty sure the other is a female - which by the way I think is the prettiest chick I've ever had. She has the most amazing big eyes and beautiful soft silver coat.

Well those are our updates. As I said life and death.

 

[speckledhen]

That's wonderful, Monique. I'm so happy that you got one beautiful little baby out of those eggs, at least, with all the troubles you've had recently. And it's great that he has a pal, too!

 

[tink]

Thanks so much for this posting. I just found it and have read through the whole thing....cant sleep!
I was looking for when I could let my 10 week old girls roam free, can't remember form the first batch what I did last year! I appreciate your letting them be natural like they used to be so long ago. I made a comment once on here to the same effect (letting them raise themselves like in the olden days) and I felt "poo pooed". Chickens have been alive forever and I know they all didn't have heat lamps back then!! I am all for letting nature take it's course. We are trying to have an organic natural happy farm....love that we have others trying to do the same. I will be reading your future posts ......Thanks again Tink

 

[ruth]

Here's some updated pics of RIRs from 3/12 post on page 1; and Rouen ducks from 4/7 post on page 1.

We have many more ducks now - the 9 hubby bought the day after some were killed and my daughter brought me 6 more baby mallards as a Mothers Day present.

Also from page 1 - one of the Ameraucana's hatched Valentine's Day - I think it's a roo.

And one of the Valentine's day hatches that I call "Cousin It". A barred rock with muff and beard.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Hey Ruth glad to see a update here. Hope all is well and happy at your end. Nice mother's day present. My kids always combine my mother's day with my b-day as it is the 4th of June. This year I made sure they all new that I wanted cash to build my coop with LOL. My youngest daughter gave me $30 and looks like my two oldest daughters planned on getting me a $150 set of pans so I am going to have a really good start on my coop. This is my first year with chickens. I have 23 Designer Chicks (some call them mutts). My blue orps are hatching as we speak 4 hatched 1 pip and 6 hanging in the bator driving me nuts. I also have 15 silver dorking eggs, 12 old english and ameracana banties, and 18 buff orps, bluff orps/ bared rock mixes all due June 1, my b-day present to me LOL. Then I will be filling the 4 bators one more time as everyone wants me to sell them chicks instead of sending for them. I don't mind but they will be going as day olds LOL.

I had all intentions of free ranging and I will when I can be there to watch but total free ranging is out thanks to neighbors with loose dogs (at least 8) and the raptor rescue neighbor who is turning his recued birds loose in our back yard instead of where they were found. I now have about 15 birds of prey hanging out in my trees. I have 5 1/2 acres but it isn't much good when neighbors birds and dogs think it is the local buffet.

I do have a ? where would I find info on baby chicks as far as pics of breeds and how and when to tell if a roo or a hen. I have tried to search but everything but what I am searching for comes up LOL. I am search challenged LOL. Thanks

Please keep sharing and thanks for the updates and knowledge.