I'm new to the world of chickens. Saturday, I purchased 2 one year old hens at the flea market, from seperate sellers. When I get them home and in the coop, one is very active and eating while the other is not. I thought they were just establishing a pecking order. I did notice the one hen still did not eat or scratch the ground, she did drink. the other hen remained active and eating well. On the third day I went out to check on them. My active hen would not come out of the coop. i shoed her out, she took a few steps, clucked then stumbled like she was drunk, fell to the ground seemed to cough once, flapped her wings a few times and died. The only physical thing I noticed on her was that her rear was red and bulging. The other chicken still does not eat and has not come out of the coop this morning, she is just sitting on the floor. I also had gotten two eggs, don't know which hen layed them, but the shells were Very thin, almost paper like. I would appreciate any help or feedback. Thank you- alchicks
She probably was older and suffering from egg yolk peritonitis, common among older laying hens, especially hatchery stock. Honestly, I think the scariest place to get a chicken is a flea market, especially if you're brand new to chickens. Please read up here on chicken diseases and how to tell an old hen from a younger one. I'm sure there are some BYC folks in your area who can start you over with better stock.
