Chicken Fatality/ Feeling Awful

[WingItRanch]

Thanks so much for the info,I have not noticed any of our hens squatting, nor have we received any eggs.

I truly appreciate everyone’s responses, I do not want to lose another chicken. I will make the appropriate accommodations and may consider rehoming our rooster. I will separate him from my flock for the time being.

I'm sorry you're going through the stress. Good luck with your flock!

 

[Backyardexplorer]

My 20 week olds include:
- 2 Easter Eggers (actually 22weeks)
Rooster is also Easter Egger from the same flock as the EE hens.
- 1 splash ameraucana- 20 weeks
- 1 lavender Orpington - 20 weeks
- 1 blue copper maran - 20 weeks

Younger 10 week olds:
- buff Orpington
- barred rock
- black astraulorp
- 2 Wyandottes

 

[tlcmurphy]

My 20 week olds include:
- 2 Easter Eggers (actually 22weeks)
Rooster is also Easter Egger from the same flock as the EE hens.
- 1 splash ameraucana- 20 weeks
- 1 lavender Orpington - 20 weeks
- 1 blue copper maran - 20 weeks

Younger 10 week olds:
- buff Orpington
- barred rock
- black astraulorp
- 2 Wyandottes

Your older girls ought to be getting ready to lay soon, or as we say in the south “Fixin’ to Lay”!
Mine all started by 26 weeks, although I only had 3 4 if you count the rooster

 

[WingItRanch]

Mine have been "fixin' to lay" for weeks .

I have 4 Barred Rock, 3 EEs, 2 OEs (or Welsummers?), 1 Ancona, and 1 Blue Australorp.

They're all 24 weeks and only one (the Blue Australorp) is laying.

I got excited when I caught one in the nest box but it was my cockerel! Hahaha I was like, what are you even doing? Maybe he was mansplaining to the girls on how to do it.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How do you know her neck was broken? It's easy to assume that when you find a dead chicken, as the neck will be very floppy shortly after death before rigor sets in.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Mine have been "fixin' to lay" for weeks .

I have 4 Barred Rock, 3 EEs, 2 OEs (or Welsummers?), 1 Ancona, and 1 Blue Australorp.

They're all 24 weeks and only one (the Blue Australorp) is laying.

I got excited when I caught one in the nest box but it was my cockerel! Hahaha I was like, what are you even doing? Maybe he was mansplaining to the girls on how to do it.

I lied (and corrected it), my girls started laying between 22-26 weeks.

 

[WingItRanch]

How do you know her neck was broken? It's easy to assume that when you find a dead chicken, as the neck will be very floppy shortly after death before rigor sets in.

@Backyardexplorer said they saw what looked like peck injuries around the ear.

It's so hard to tell the cause sometimes when there's no other clues. They're so good at hiding illness.

 

[Backyardexplorer]

How do you know her neck was broken? It's easy to assume that when you find a dead chicken, as the neck will be very floppy shortly after death before rigor sets in.

You are right, I don’t know for sure her neck was broken. I was only assuming by how it dangled when I picked her up.

 

[Backyardexplorer]

Update: Our rooster aggressively attacked the same chicken this evening by the neck. She fought to get away and I feared he injured her. The hen is okay, the rooster is now confined to his one pin where he will remain for several weeks. My husband and I are now heavily considering rehoming him. I now feel confident he killed our buff Orpington.

The only hen he is doing this to is a lavender Orpington, she is roughly 20/21 weeks old. I can’t help but wonder if he is attracted to her because she is the largest of our hens.