Dead hen

[plucky]

My husband and I came home yesterday to find one of our young hens dead on the coop floor, a blood-streaked egg beside her. Her rear was bloody, but we couldn't really tell if any "innards" were out, or had been out...it just looked bloody. Was this a prolapse?

I feel horrible, but I couldn't have been home to help her. My flock (of now 10) is just over 6 months old and have just started laying.

I've been scanning other entries on prolapse and egg-bound conditions so maybe I'll know what to look for if it anything happens to another hen and I'm home.

 

[onthespot]

I am VERY sorry for your loss. Sounds like you couldn't have done anything if you were there. Please don't be hard on yourself. I think your other hens will be okay. Maybe this one wasn't built quite right on her insides and you had no way of knowing until now... so sorry.
Patty

 

[chick4chicks]

I am so sorry for the loss of your hen. Sending best wishes for the rest of your flock

 

[tx_dane_mom]

I agree w/onthespot. EVen if you had been home you wouldn't have been able to do much. I too have had bloody eggd a couple times but thankfully the girls must have worked themselves out. I did have one hen just steadily dropweight and now that I think about she could have been the one laying the bloody egg all along. (This was about a year ago.) It really, more than likely, is an issue internally. Even if it was a prolapse, you *may* have been able to repair it afterwords, but it would have continued to happen over her life until it was irrepairable. I am sorry for your loss

 

[plucky]

Thanks for the kind words all. I don't fee quite so bad, though I really hate losing one of the girls. I grew up on a farm and even though I truly understand that sometimes things just happen when you have animals, it's still tough not to waller around in guilt when it does. And on top of that, I've grown unexpectedly attached to my chickens!

 

[Mahonri]

Shucks. Sorry for your loss.

I keep reading posts like this and pray that I don't loose any of mine, but I imagine I'd better get used to the idea that it can happen.