Found 1 of my 6 chickens dead

[Terri12868]

She was sitting on floor of coop this am. No idea why it was cold but had heater going.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

She was sitting on floor of coop this am. No idea why it was cold but had heater going.

So sorry for your loss.
A little more information may shed some light on possible causes. How old was this bird and how long had you had her? What breed was the bird? What were you using as a heat source and what temperature was it maintaining in the coop? Was there any visible discharge from any part of her body when you found her? Was she laying sprawled out or nested down? Unless this was an already compromised bird (by age, illness or serious molt leaving her uninsulated by good feathers) or a particularly delicate breed it is unlikely that the cold was the cause as healthy, feathered birds come through temperatures below zero without batting an eye and are more likely to succumb to heat related issues than cold related issues.

 

[mortie]

. ^this

 

[Terri12868]

I do not know what kind of chickens I have but I got them from neighbor who has large flock. She was just sitting nesting with her eyes shut.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I do not know what kind of chickens I have but I got them from neighbor who has large flock. She was just sitting nesting with her eyes shut.

That's understandable - answering the other questions posed will give us more information to work with in helping you sort this out.

 

[Terri12868]

I have 4 Wyondotte 2 gold/2 silver that are 5 months old. I went to speak to the neighbor who gave them to me. He said I should be getting eggs now but I have not got any eggs. I have another chicken at least nine months old and still no eggs. He said posibly they may be too cold? I put the heat light on a timer now from 530-8am. I really have not used it much yet. What am I doing wrong? As far as the one that died she was sitting sleeping/nesting with the heat light on that night so she did not freeze.

 

[justplainbatty]

I have 4 Wyondotte 2 gold/2 silver that are 5 months old. I went to speak to the neighbor who gave them to me. He said I should be getting eggs now but I have not got any eggs. I have another chicken at least nine months old and still no eggs. He said posibly they may be too cold? I put the heat light on a timer now from 530-8am. I really have not used it much yet. What am I doing wrong? As far as the one that died she was sitting sleeping/nesting with the heat light on that night so she did not freeze.

Ole Grey Mare is right, it's probably not the cold that got her, she had her feather parka on.Coccidiosis is still possible at her age.And, they are just on the cusp of laying. It may take another month for that.
sorry for your loss <( . Someone on this site should have the answer...

 

[ochochicas]

If you want to know for sure why she died, you could send her for a necropsy and a veterinarian could determine what happened to her. The weather in addition to the stress of moving could delay their laying. Give them a couple of months to get started on laying. The days will be longer then and hopefully it will be warmer, too.

 

[DaveOmak]

Are you free feeding quality feed like Purina Layena and granite grit and oyster shells.... clean water with some Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar at around 2%.....
I just started raising chickens and read up on them for over a year on this forum....

 

[mortie]

Just to clarify one thing - the cold weather doesn't affect laying as much as the shorter days. After they get over the stress of the move and the days are a little longer, I'm sure they'll start laying.

It is extremely rare for a chicken to freeze to death as long as you have a coop to keep them out of the wind. I'd ditch the heat lamp personally. It's not needed. Where I live it's waaaaay below zero and I've even got one molting and they're fine. They really don't need it, I can assure you. She may have been otherwise ill or compromised, a healthy chicken doesn't mind the cold. Heat is much harder on them. If weakened by disease or a heavy parasite load then maybe, sure.

If you want to use ACV, as suggested by Dave, I'd read up on that some more, and don't do it if you have a metal waterer, it'll rust. Some folks use it, some don't. I don't.

I'm sorry for your loss, and I hope for smooth sailing for you and your chickens from here on out!