Broken Neck in the middle of night

[Tervuren]

Went out this morning and only had 3 girls in the run. Poor Dora broke her neck somehow in the middle of the night.

I’m trying the figure out how this happened. They’re in a hoop coop that’s tall enough to walk into. The roost is maybe 3 feet or so from the ceiling at the highest point, right above their heads in others. Dora was in the middle of the coop so probably closer to 3 ft when she was on the roost. If something scared them in the middle of the night could she have flown up with enough force to break her neck? I can’t figure out what would’ve scared them so much. They don’t care about fireworks on the fourth or my dog trotting around the coop. I don’t think a sudden loud noise or a raccoon walking by would’ve made them freak out…Falling off the roost from dying in the middle of the night wouldn’t cause a broken neck, right?

Also, anyone have tips on digging a grave with frozen ground?

RIP Dora 4/6/21 to 11/30/22

 

[janiedoe]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

 

[KyCoop]

Aww she was so beautiful.

You can dig a grave in frozen ground. You can build a small fire over the spot first to melt the ground so you can dig.

 

[Jurassic_Bawk]

Very sad mystery. I'm sorry about your beautiful girl.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

RIP Dora!

My guess is that something else happened to her like a heart attack, and she broke the neck as she suddenly fell off the roost. So sorry for your loss She was so pretty.

 

[Sally PB]

My guess is that something else happened to her like a heart attack, and she broke the neck as she suddenly fell off the roost.

That would be my guess too. I suspect that is what happened to my rooster this last April. Was her comb bluish, by chance? That could indicate circulation problems, which might have led to a heart attack (or stroke?) and a fall.

Fly high and free, beautiful Dora!

 

[Tervuren]

That would be my guess too. I suspect that is what happened to my rooster this last April. Was her comb bluish, by chance? That could indicate circulation problems, which might have led to a heart attack (or stroke?) and a fall.

Fly high and free, beautiful Dora!

Her comb was shrunken and pink, I assume because she wasn't laying and was molting... I hadn't noticed any blueness but I also hadn't looked that closely at her in the last few days, so I can't rule it.

I think her molt had been pretty hard on her. A few weeks ago she didn't want to get off the roost I assumed because the blood feathers coming in hurt, so she was getting warm chicken mash inside the house in the evenings to get food in her. I've still been putting out warm mash for the girls in the AM and they've been preferring it to the point that their pellets aren't being eaten. Perhaps it isn't the molting that was affecting her appetite and she was sick with something? Still don't see how her neck would've broken falling onto pine shavings...

Also, my dad came by my place while I was at work and dug a grave for her. He's such a great dad. <3

 

[Aunt Angus]

Her comb was shrunken and pink, I assume because she wasn't laying and was molting... I hadn't noticed any blueness but I also hadn't looked that closely at her in the last few days, so I can't rule it.

I think her molt had been pretty hard on her. A few weeks ago she didn't want to get off the roost I assumed because the blood feathers coming in hurt, so she was getting warm chicken mash inside the house in the evenings to get food in her. I've still been putting out warm mash for the girls in the AM and they've been preferring it to the point that their pellets aren't being eaten. Perhaps it isn't the molting that was affecting her appetite and she was sick with something? Still don't see how her neck would've broken falling onto pine shavings...

Also, my dad came by my place while I was at work and dug a grave for her. He's such a great dad. <3

I'm so sorry. She was very beautiful. And what a great dad to do that for you.