Dying Chicken

[Redschickens]

Confinement in this instance also doesn't seem to be the issue.

ALL flocks... will take advantage of a failing bird to increase their standing in the pecking order.

I feed 20% protein NOT diminished by treats, have hundreds of square feet in coop space, 60+ feet of roost space, an acre of forage space and 21 birds. More and less at different times.

Though I agree that VERY OFTEN, space and nutrition are suspect... and breed dynamics have some impact (and yes reds will benefit form a little more protein). THIS appears to be the case of a bird failing and facing the harsh cruel reality... nature is brutal.

Thank you for your suggestion. My husband was able to help her expire and he said she very much appeared to be egg bound. I did not know this was a thing, and now I do and now I know what I can do next time. Thank you very much for your kind words. I am very sad. These girls are our pets and my children love them. I'm going to be sad to have to tell them when they come home from school one has gone to chicken heaven...

 

[chickens really]

This made me cry. Thank you for the beautiful, thoughtful response. My husband just help expire her. He said that she appeared to be egg bound. This is our frist go around so now we will know things to look for in the future. I am so incredibly sad and know I have some reading to do for the future. Thank you for being so supportive, I knew I would find help on BYC. <3

So sorry.......

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm going to be sad to have to tell them when they come home from school one has gone to chicken heaven...

Goose bumps, I've been there.

So very sorry for your loss. Even though I knew about egg binding I wasn't able to save my first hen. Chickens provide such a learning curve on that front.

The joy and silliness they bring though. The hours of entertainment and enrichment they bring into our lives and hearts. It far outweighs these pains most of the time. So glad that you have a family to share your chickeneering with and now we can be a part of that! Maybe your kids have a favorite pic or story they want to share with us in her memory? Sorry, ... I try to celebrate life instead of focusing on what I can't change. Thank you for sharing this journey (heartbreaking though it was) with us.

 

[rebrascora]

I'm so sorry but since you and your husband did not have the knowledge to help her, then ending her suffering was the best thing to do and sometimes when they are egg bound, even with knowledge and experience, it does not end well, so do not feel that you and your husband acted rashly. These are your pets and you clearly did what you felt was right with love in your hearts.

None of us came into poultry keeping with all the information and experience that we needed. It is acquired over time and dealing with sad incidents like this. There is no right or wrong way, just the best that you can do. Learning from each experience is the ultimate you can hope for, so that next time you might do better.

I know it may seem gross, but I like open up my chickens after they die to try to figure out what killed them. There are some facilities that do this professionally for a fee, but I feel that I learn more by looking myself, so that I can relate what I see inside, to symptoms that this or my other chickens may exhibit. I don't know if your husband did this and that is why he is saying that she may have been egg bound, but if so, good on him!
Sometimes they get a soft shelled or shell less egg stuck which is much less obvious than a normal egg and it can take them several days to try to push it out which really exhausts them. If you find this it is a good idea to ensure that your hens have access to crushed oyster shell in case their diet is deficient in calcium. Hens that get too many treats get obese like people and that can make passing a large egg impossible as the fat builds up and narrows the vent opening. In that situation, adjusting their diet and reducing the treats can be beneficial to the remaining flock.... these are just two examples of how you can learn from a necropsy..... and it can be really fascinating if you are not squeamish.... but I appreciate that it is not for everyone.

Anyway, I am so very sorry that you lost one of your girls and I hope that it is a very long time before you experience another horrific drama like this in your flock.

Very best wishes

Barbara

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm so sorry but since you and your husband did not have the knowledge to help her, then ending her suffering was the best thing to do and sometimes when they are egg bound, even with knowledge and experience, it does not end well, so do not feel that you and your husband acted rashly. These are your pets and you clearly did what you felt was right with love in your hearts.

None of us came into poultry keeping with all the information and experience that we needed. It is acquired over time and dealing with sad incidents like this. There is no right or wrong way, just the best that you can do. Learning from each experience is the ultimate you can hope for, so that next time you might do better.

I know it may seem gross, but I like open up my chickens after they die to try to figure out what killed them. There are some facilities that do this professionally for a fee, but I feel that I learn more by looking myself, so that I can relate what I see inside, to symptoms that this or my other chickens may exhibit. I don't know if your husband did this and that is why he is saying that she may have been egg bound, but if so, good on him!
Sometimes they get a soft shelled or shell less egg stuck which is much less obvious than a normal egg and it can take them several days to try to push it out which really exhausts them. If you find this it is a good idea to ensure that your hens have access to crushed oyster shell in case their diet is deficient in calcium. Hens that get too many treats get obese like people and that can make passing a large egg impossible as the fat builds up and narrows the vent opening. In that situation, adjusting their diet and reducing the treats can be beneficial to the remaining flock.... these are just two examples of how you can learn from a necropsy..... and it can be really fascinating if you are not squeamish.... but I appreciate that it is not for everyone.

Anyway, I am so very sorry that you lost one of your girls and I hope that it is a very long time before you experience another horrific drama like this in your flock.

Very best wishes

Barbara

I am sorry about your hen. In my opinion, you and your DH made the right decision as far as putting her out of her misery since you don't know for sure if she was egg bound or if it was something else. You just knew she was suffering and didn't want that to continue. I think that is one of the kindest acts we can do for our animals.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry for your loss.
It's heartbreaking to lose them.

When you have time to process all the information you have been given. If you would like to share more information and photos of your girls, coop/run, how you feed, etc. We would be happy to help you with any questions and make some suggestions if you like.