Frozen hen

[terri9630]

It's 8 degrees here with a windchill of -7. I just found one of my RIR's frozen in the nest box. The dumb hen always insisted on sleeping in there instead of with the others. Poor thing. I've lost a few to the heat but this is the first to the cold. I really HATE winter.

 

[FireTigeris]

Sorry to hear of your loss, maybe she didn't sleep with other because there was something wrong with her.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

oh poo that's to bad!

 

[terri9630]

She hasn't slept with the others for ages. She didn't have a problem getting up or down from the roost, wasn't picked on, she just didn't like sleeping there. I've tried putting her on the roost after dark, blocking the nest box and it didn't matter. She would hop down or sleep on top of "her nest". She always slept in the same one.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My guess is that something was wrong with her to weaken her. If she was not in a breeze, 8 degrees fahrenheit should not have bothered her that much in a cosy nest box. If she is not in a breeze, wind chill does not mean anything. It could have been many things so anything I guess is a wild guess. I do suggest checking after dark for roost mites. They live in cracks and only come out at night. In that weather you would think they would be pretty inactive, but I'm not sure. I had a University Ag professor who raised chickens for show tell me that roost mites kill more broodies than anything else, just by weakening them. Her being in a nest may have made her more susceptible.

With her actions, it does sound like she was at the bottom of the pecking order. That makes me think something was wrong with her. It is not your fault.

I'm not saying it is definately roost mites. It could be many different thigns, but I suggest checking as a precaution to protect the others.

I am sorry this happened to you. It is rough.

 

[Cass]

Sorry for you loss. Hope this is the only one you lose before spring. (Ground hog says spring is just around the corner....but wasn't specific as to *which* corner

)

 

[kuntrygirl]

So sorry for you loss. I'm always sad to hear when someone loses animal.

 

[terri9630]

I hate to loose any of them but at least she was one of the older ones we were thinking of eating soon anyway. My youngest daughter is trying to make me feel guilty for not bringing the chickens and horses in like I did the rabbits and dogs. She thinks we ought to make some chicken and dumplings out of the hen.

 

[SteveH]

I'm sorry for your loss . I agree with those that said she must have been weak in someway , nature tends to eliminate those that are not best suited to reproduce .

 

[WriterofWords]

I lost one of my older hens the same way last night. She';s only 4 but refused to go with the others and I couldn't find her until this morning. She looked like she just fell asleep and froze.