My 5 month old Game Bantam x Silkie pullet, Persephone, had been missing when I did a head count of the upstairs coop before bed. There were ten, when there was supposed to be eleven. All the eggs from the upstairs and downstairs coops were missing for the day, so I figured I had another broody. I took a flashlight and looked all around the property, under all the junk and in all the barns. She was no where I could see. I figured I would look for her in the morning. It was 6 pm.
The next day I looked everywhere I expected a broody to hang out. I looked in all the pastures and under every leaf. I was starting to get really worried. Later that day, I decided to put the blue and buff splash Silkie chicks outside to play around a bit before we would get snow. As I set the tractor up at the tree line in the shade, I glanced over for some reason at the compost bin. "Persephone!" I yelled in excitement, for there she was, curled up with her back facing me beside one of the compost bins. I ran over to pick her up, and noticed something was wrong. Her eyes were closed.
I turned her over, and lo and behold, she was rigamortis-stiff and ice cold. I jumped back in horror. She was just sitting there like she was at a picnic, leaning against the bin in a natural position. The only red flag was a small bead of blood at the corner of her beak. As ill as it made me, I plucked her neck feathers to look for a bite or something. There were no bites, no bruises. It was maybe 100 feet from a road, but would there not be bruises? I do not think it was my puppy either, because she the wrung the two chicks' necks and left bites when she killed. Could it have been a predator? I found no wounds at all.
My partridge bantam Cochin, Isolde, was sneezing a few days age, but she only did that wet day, and I never saw Persephone do it at all. What is up with the blood? I have no pictures because she was fed to my mother's German shepherd against better judgement.
Has anyone had a similar situation? I am getting medicine for their water from the vet, not sure what it is. Help?
The next day I looked everywhere I expected a broody to hang out. I looked in all the pastures and under every leaf. I was starting to get really worried. Later that day, I decided to put the blue and buff splash Silkie chicks outside to play around a bit before we would get snow. As I set the tractor up at the tree line in the shade, I glanced over for some reason at the compost bin. "Persephone!" I yelled in excitement, for there she was, curled up with her back facing me beside one of the compost bins. I ran over to pick her up, and noticed something was wrong. Her eyes were closed.
I turned her over, and lo and behold, she was rigamortis-stiff and ice cold. I jumped back in horror. She was just sitting there like she was at a picnic, leaning against the bin in a natural position. The only red flag was a small bead of blood at the corner of her beak. As ill as it made me, I plucked her neck feathers to look for a bite or something. There were no bites, no bruises. It was maybe 100 feet from a road, but would there not be bruises? I do not think it was my puppy either, because she the wrung the two chicks' necks and left bites when she killed. Could it have been a predator? I found no wounds at all.
My partridge bantam Cochin, Isolde, was sneezing a few days age, but she only did that wet day, and I never saw Persephone do it at all. What is up with the blood? I have no pictures because she was fed to my mother's German shepherd against better judgement.
Has anyone had a similar situation? I am getting medicine for their water from the vet, not sure what it is. Help?
