LastMinuteLizzee
In the Brooder
- Sep 5, 2022
- 10
- 20
- 44
Hi. I'm heartbroken. I found Trixie, one of my Rhode Island Reds, dead in her nesting box this morning when I went to let them out of their coop. She had been acting normal but yesterday began acting lethargic, walking gingerly, not running when I offered food. While watching her I saw her pecking around. She didn't eat the seeds and the yogurt I offered, but she did eat a worm I unearthed and a little cauliflower, and I saw her drinking some water. She also pooped but I was in the house when I saw her and didn't go inspect it.
I did find very thin empty egg (like a bag) in the coop yesterday or possibly the day before but I wasn't sure it was her until I saw her acting weird. There was also a very runny light yellow poop in one of the nesting boxes and this morning when I picked her up there was a tiny bit of yellow runny poo and some liquid.
Other observations: My 4 chickens are about a year and a half old and for as long as I've had them (since January) they've laid 4 eggs almost every day. Like only once a week would I get 3. But lately it was happening more often that I would get 3 eggs but never knew who was "holding out on me".
Also, when we first got the chickens my dog got a hold of her but never was able to do more than carry her a few feet before I stopped her. That was in January and she seemed to be fully recovered and as I said was laying consistently.
My questions now are: what could have caused this, and could it be contagious? I don't have the money to have an autopsy so now I need to focus on protecting the rest of my flock.
** I just edited the age of my chickens because they were probably almost a year old when I got them in January.
I did find very thin empty egg (like a bag) in the coop yesterday or possibly the day before but I wasn't sure it was her until I saw her acting weird. There was also a very runny light yellow poop in one of the nesting boxes and this morning when I picked her up there was a tiny bit of yellow runny poo and some liquid.
Other observations: My 4 chickens are about a year and a half old and for as long as I've had them (since January) they've laid 4 eggs almost every day. Like only once a week would I get 3. But lately it was happening more often that I would get 3 eggs but never knew who was "holding out on me".
Also, when we first got the chickens my dog got a hold of her but never was able to do more than carry her a few feet before I stopped her. That was in January and she seemed to be fully recovered and as I said was laying consistently.
My questions now are: what could have caused this, and could it be contagious? I don't have the money to have an autopsy so now I need to focus on protecting the rest of my flock.
** I just edited the age of my chickens because they were probably almost a year old when I got them in January.
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