And then there were 16......

Date sort Score sort
matthewr73

matthewr73

Hatching
May 20, 2015
8
2
9
So I live out in the black hills of South Dakota and have a small flock of production reds that free range in a 5 acre pasture. I thought I bought 15 hens and 2 roosters, but after a year I think I have 17 hens and no roosters. The peace and quiet and no crowing should have gave it away. About a month ago I had two hens go broody. So I thought I'd let the girls sit on a clutch of eggs for three weeks. Well I candled them and none were fertile. Anyway now for the main part of the story..... I noticed today one of my broody hens was sitting in the yard acting lethargic. So I went over and picked her up. She kept closing her eyes, but looked normal. No discharge, eyes clear. I tried to feel if she was egg bound, but couldn't feel any signs of eggs. And she hadn't acted stressed or strained, like she was trying to pass an egg. I had to run to town so I set her down and decided to check on her when I got back.

When I got back, I found her in the same spot I had set her down. She had her head tucked under her wing and she had passed away, going to the big coop in the sky. I don't think she was egg bound, but I didn't open her up either.

I'm just surprised lose a hen at a year old. The Avian Bird Flu is on the other side of the state so that concerns me too. So I'll keep a close eye on the rest of my girls.
 
First off....
welcome-byc.gif


Secondly...I know this may seem strange, but if you dont have roosters you do know that the eggs wont hatch...right? Im not trying to be a smart *****, but no matter how long they sit on the eggs, nothing will develop without a rooster to fertilize the eggs.

Thirdly...It is fairly common to lose chickens for unknown reasons. Just keep a lookout for the rest of your flock to see if there are any changes to their normal behavior. I wouldnt jump to the bird flu thing immediately.
 
Hi, welcome to BYC!

I'm sorry your lost your girl. That's always unfortunate, no matter the reason. If your other birds are acting ok, you may just have to chalk it up to "one of those things".

If you would like to chat with other members in your state, you can use the Search box at the top left side of your screen to find them (just type in South Dakota). Sometimes it's helpful to talk with members familiar with your part of the country. I've visited the Black Hills several times, it's a beautiful area.

Good luck to you and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
 
Welcome to BYC. So sorry about your loss, it is so hard to lose one especially with all the questions you must have about the cause. I understand not doing necropsy, I recently lost one of mine and could not do that to a pet I loved. Hopefully this was just random and all the others will be ok.
 
Last edited:
My "roosters" we're ordered in the mail along with the girls. They had there heads marked. They don't crow, but do display other rooster behavior, and their combs are larger then the other girls. But after the great egg experiment, I think my guys are girls.
 
matthewr73 said:
So I live out in the black hills of South Dakota and have a small flock of production reds that free range in a 5 acre pasture. I thought I bought 15 hens and 2 roosters, but after a year I think I have 17 hens and no roosters. The peace and quiet and no crowing should have gave it away. About a month ago I had two hens go broody. So I thought I'd let the girls sit on a clutch of eggs for three weeks. Well I candled them and none were fertile. Anyway now for the main part of the story..... I noticed today one of my broody hens was sitting in the yard acting lethargic. So I went over and picked her up. She kept closing her eyes, but looked normal. No discharge, eyes clear. I tried to feel if she was egg bound, but couldn't feel any signs of eggs. And she hadn't acted stressed or strained, like she was trying to pass an egg. I had to run to town so I set her down and decided to check on her when I got back.

When I got back, I found her in the same spot I had set her down. She had her head tucked under her wing and she had passed away, going to the big coop in the sky. I don't think she was egg bound, but I didn't open her up either.

I'm just surprised lose a hen at a year old. The Avian Bird Flu is on the other side of the state so that concerns me too. So I'll keep a close eye on the rest of my girls.
Click to expand...
Welcome to BYC!! Glad you joined the flock! I am a fellow South Dakotan as well, Sioux Falls, actually. I have heard a lot about the bird flu. Sorry for your loss. If you have any questions, feel free to ask around or just ask me!

-Turkenstein25
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom