First death of the year😞

[My2butterflies]

I am so sorry, My2butterflies!!!! I really hate losing my birds too!!! From your description, it kind of sounded like he was stuck, but I guess that wasn’t the case? There are so many random things that could have killed him... My state diagnostic lab will do free necropsies for chickens but not guineas, so I’ve been reluctant to necropsy. I did submit one hen last year, and she ended up having a reproductive problem. Did your guys keel feel thin? That would indicate a health problem of at least a week, I would think. He might also have eaten a string or other foreign body, since it sounds like you have new stuff exposed outside from melting snow?

It is so sad
The was he was laying he could have easily gotten up. So not stuck.
His body condition seemed normal. Not fat, but not thin either.
Ingesting something is possible. I’ve been picking up so many random bits of plastic and chewed up dog toys

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

It is so sad
The was he was laying he could have easily gotten up. So not stuck.
His body condition seemed normal. Not fat, but not thin either.
Ingesting something is possible. I’ve been picking up so many random bits of plastic and chewed up dog toys

I’m finding lots of string from feed bags and from broken bungee cords, as the wind has been whipping my tarps. I also have nails everywhere from work being done on our house. So many foreign bodies for an unwary bird to eat! You could open him up to look for a foreign body or other evidence of disease...

 

[Emmytheduckgirl]

I’m really hoping whatever killed him was just a one time/bird thing.
So far everyone else has been good. The flock was very active yesterday exploring farther out then they have since last fall.
Its still dark and rainy out, so I haven’t check the flock yet today. I won’t lie it makes me scared to open the door thinking I might find another dead bird

I’m so so sorry! I just had my ducks killed by coyotes so now whenever I go out to feed my animals I’m terrified to go near the cage.

 

[My2butterflies]

I’m finding lots of string from feed bags and from broken bungee cords, as the wind has been whipping my tarps. I also have nails everywhere from work being done on our house. So many foreign bodies for an unwary bird to eat! You could open him up to look for a foreign body or other evidence of disease...

I’ve been debating it. I haven’t tossed his body yet. Just not sure I have the stomach for it yet

 

[My2butterflies]

I’m so so sorry! I just had my ducks killed by coyotes so now whenever I go out to feed my animals I’m terrified to go near the cage.

I’m sorry to hear that

 

[Sydney65]

I’m finding lots of string from feed bags and from broken bungee cords, as the wind has been whipping my tarps. I also have nails everywhere from work being done on our house. So many foreign bodies for an unwary bird to eat! You could open him up to look for a foreign body or other evidence of disease...

That has been my biggest beef. Why do contractors think it perfectly normal to throw material, bottles, cans & cigarette butts on the property? When we had a septic system installed decide decades ago, I swore the tank was insulated with soda cans.
Dropped nails are understandable, not that I loke it. The grans job is is to sweep the yard with a rolling magnet routinely, bc there's always something going on that leads to stray nails.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

That has been my biggest beef. Why do contractors think it perfectly normal to throw material, bottles, cans & cigarette butts on the property? When we had a septic system installed decide decades ago, I swore the tank was insulated with soda cans.
Dropped nails are understandable, not that I loke it. The grans job is is to sweep the yard with a rolling magnet routinely, bc there's always something going on that leads to stray nails.

Ya, and this company is kind of on my sh% list today anyway because I’ve already paid them for siding work, but the guy who was going to do the work has taken the check and disappeared. Like, no one, his family included, knows where he went. They did the roof too and told me multiple times that they would bring a magnet and pick up the nails. Nope, never happened!

 

[My2butterflies]

Ya, and this company is kind of on my sh% list today anyway because I’ve already paid them for siding work, but the guy who was going to do the work has taken the check and disappeared. Like, no one, his family included, knows where he went. They did the roof too and told me multiple times that they would bring a magnet and pick up the nails. Nope, never happened!

Wow that’s horrible!

We had our roof done and that left a good bit of nails around the yard. Plus I found a straight blade in my pond I’m just glad I didn’t step on it and my fish didn’t try eating it.
They made me really worry that the yard was going to be a bigger mess. Cans, bottles, bags, and just trash was everywhere! They used some kinda trash roller to pick it all up. So it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

And then the septic.... I swear it sits over a foot too low. Water seeps in and keeps the pump running when the water table is high. ugh.

 

[Sydney65]

If there's a Har

Ya, and this company is kind of on my sh% list today anyway because I’ve already paid them for siding work, but the guy who was going to do the work has taken the check and disappeared. Like, no one, his family included, knows where he went. They did the roof too and told me multiple times that they would bring a magnet and pick up the nails. Nope, never happened!

If there's a Harbor Freight near you, they sell them cheap. Otherwise, they sell at Amazon. It's on basically a broom handle and rolls like a paint roller. And yeah, we had one of those guys once working on drywall. After that, I learned how to do drywall.