I am relatively new to chickens... and loving it. We got 2 NHR last May; we don't know how old they are, but they were laying just fine. Over the year, we've dealt with red mites and lice (yuk.) Other than that, they seemed happy and healthy. They stopped laying in the late fall as the days grew shorter. About 3 weeks ago, I went out in the afternoon and found Cutie dead in her nesting box. I didn't know our local Extension would do autopsies, so for the sake of closure for my 8 and 5 year old daughters, we buried her that day. My husband put a light inside a bucket to provide Louise some warmth, as we assumed she'd be missing her buddy. The light was on all night, but it was more of a night light - it wasn't really bright. Since Cutie died, she has become sad, not coming out and eating or drinking. I started spending more time with her, encouraging her to eat and drink. I then noticed that it seemed like she couldn't see, missing her favorite sunflower seeds from my hand, not walking around, etc. As we spend more time with her, she seems to be coming out of her sadness, but still stepping tentatively when she does walk around. We stopped the light about a week ago. I didn't know whether she could have lost her sight due to grief or the light on all night? She has no unusual symptoms around her eyes, nor does she have any other bodily symptoms. We did get 4 week old chicks, who are not in with her permanently yet, although they have "interacted" a few times. Thank you in advance for sharing your experience with these wonderful creatures!
Regina
Regina
we now do have 3 5 week-old chicks we are introducing. She hasn't shown any interest to mother them, so we will have playdates until it's warm enough to put them in the coop with her.
