Connecticut!

[Galinha]

As an update, the three hens I put in the coop with the heat lamp and all the rest of the pigeons died overnight. I contacted the CT State Vet and will be taking all the bodies up to the CT Vet Med Diagnostic Lab in Storrs later today. The two hens I had put in my basement earlier this week to break their broodiness continue to be fine.

Thanks, folks, for your input and I'll update the group when I hear back from the autopsies. I'm devastated. These were my first chickens and I had raised most since they were day old chicks so they were all unique little pets.

 

[backyardcelia]

condolences on your little pet friends... and thank you for sharing your story. i have my first little clutch this year and can't imagine the emotional loss! unfortunately from what i hear, it sounds like maybe we will get used to it if we continue to keep chickens (very very small consolation) and again, i appreciate your sharing so i will convince myself to be better prepared for whatevr (having the phone numbers, etc... i wouldn't know what to do... and i keep putting off thinking about it... but i would much rather think of it while not in emotional turmoil!)

 

[pmessner]

My heart is breaking for you... so awful to have such a catastrophic event. Please do keep us updated with the autopsy results. I don't have banties but I was musing how the smaller body size might make them more susceptable to cold. If it was the cold, then now you know. Take heart. Don't be too hard on yourself... it takes time to learn how to manage these things properly. The first step is always to find out what exactly happened so you know what to fix. You do have a lovely set up.

 

[ll]

Oh my Galinha - good luck with the remaining two!

Am very curious as to what happened to your flock,
did they say how long to get the results?

 

[celticgarden]

Sorry for your loss. It could happen to anyone. Yes, we all want to know any results you get and maybe learn something that could prevent a similar occurrence.

 

[TheNuttyChick]

So sorry for your loss, Galinha.

 

[Galinha]

Thanks to each of your for your concern over the loss of our wonderful little bantams. As we were gathering up the remaining bodies to take to the lab at UCONN, it became clear we were incorrect in our assessment that it couldn't have been the work of a predator. There in the back corner was a recently dug tunnel - through three feet of rock and another foot of sand - into the run. At the opening of the tunnel were three pigeons the animal tried to drag out.

As for how the three girls in the coop fell prey, we found two very small openings of less than 2" at the very top where one of the rafters connects into the coop. I have no idea how any animal other than a mouse could have fit through those openings but it did. Only one of the hens appeared injured as was the case with most of the the other birds. I'm guessing the majority of them died from the stress of the attack.

Anyway, we have learned a very painful lesson. We will be removing all the sand in our coop and putting in hardware cloth across the entire floor, every square inch, before our two remaining girls who have been safely tucked away in the basement waiting out some broodiness go back out.

 

[pmessner]

That is so sad... we had issues with racoon's for awhile... now I have an electric poultry wire and no racoon has penetrated since. Sounds like you are dealing with a weasel which is harder to deter. They are known to dig, squeeze thru small openings and also to mass kill every chicken within the enclosure.

 

[Galinha]

Our whole chicken run is done in 1" hardware cloth so it seemed pretty secure. We thought by putting in ~ 3' of heavy rock/stone fill underneath, we would be safe from any diggers but apparently not. We'll leave the rocks but top them with hardware cloth then cover the whole thing with sand again.

It was a difficult lesson but I think it's easier to deal with this kind of thing than if we had found out we had some kind of virus. At least I know my cochin and silkie girls are going to be safe.

Thanks again, everyone, for your concern and suggestions.

 

[Jakoda]

I'm so sorry for your loss and what a beautiful coop!

One of my speckled girls had a couple of black spots on her comb this morning, I'm thinking frostbite! Her comb felt rather stiff to me, so I lathered them all up with vaseline, they are locked in at night, but a couple of them choose not to get on the roost and tend to roost IN the pdz on the poop board..

Again sorry for your loss
Diane