Death from a Branch in the Coop

Grace11

Songster
9 Years
May 5, 2011
177
84
166
My little plucky pullet finally grew up, laid her first egg 2 weeks ago. 2 days after, I entered the coop to find her hanging upside down from a crotch in the branch I had in there as a temporary ramp for the chickens to get up to the roost. It was about 2 inches in diameter and had 3 branchoffs at the skinnier end. I had that branched end braced at the roost pole. She had gotten her leg caught in one of the forks and hung there who knows how long until she died over night. I did not hurt myself chucking the thing out the door after I unhung her.
Moral: if you use a branch for roosting or ramp pole, make sure any branched ends point down where a chicken could get get her leg out of it just from gravity. Or better yet no tightly branched areas at all.
Sigh.
And to make matters worse I had to kill my rooster after he attacked me in the coop just a few days after. I still have 2 holes in my arm from him spurring me, I had to kick him 3 times before I could get out of the coop-went and planned his demise. He was tasty except the drumsticks were inedible-the cat got those. I liked him, he was a beautiful bird, but I figured it was a matter of time before he tried to get me. I hope I can find another one sometime that wont be human aggressive. It was good I saw him coming at me out of the corner of my eye and flung my arm out or he would have gotten me in the head/face. It felt like being hit with a 2X4 on my arm.
Oh well.
 
How sad to lose 2 in a few short days.

When I lost one of my RIR's (20 some years ago) it broke my heart to know that I contributed to her death by having a light on 24 hours a day for 3 days to keep them from freezing (didn't have a heat lamp then).

I have leared from that sadness. Perhpas the next pullet and cockerell will be more aware of you and you have a positive coop in the future.
 
so sorry Grace. If you're anywhere near Southeastern PA I have some extra Roos that are going to freezer camp. I'd be happy to donate one to your cause. Otherwise, you could look at the 'free' section here.
 

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