Roostworthy
In the Brooder
- Jun 16, 2024
- 19
- 23
- 31
Hello,
First, thank you to everyone on this page. You have supported and helped me throughout my chicken-keeping. I appreciate you all!
Now onto the hard part…
I had a bantam Cochin (undetermined age; I bought her from someone)who was recently broody. She had three eggs she was laying on; however, in my small flock, she was the lowest lady on the totem pole. Because of that, I kept her separate from the others to better her chances of hatching her first babies with me. She was inside the coop and the other birds were in the enclosed run. One day last week, I came to check on her and to give her vitamins, food, and fresh water. There was only one egg under her and the other two were nowhere to be seen. I looked everywhere for them and could not find even a single piece of an eggshell.
I assumed the eggs had cracked when she had gotten off of them and to keep her nest clean, she had eaten them.
Today, I go to do the same thing and she is not in her box. I looked around the coop and noticed her in the far right hand side face down. When I picked her up, her entire neck and head were drenched in a fluid of some sort. There was no blood or blood spatter and no obvious wounds. I have no idea what happened. I’m heartbroken but I’m also concerned for the rest of the flock.
Was this an illness I wasn’t aware of? She was always kind of sickly, so I wondered if being broody had debilitated her health and she moved away from her egg to die. Or, could a snake have gotten into the coop somehow (I have 1/4 inch hardware cloth on the windows with a locked door, none disturbed) and tried to eat her only to regurgitate? There are ventilation holes that are not covered that a snake could theoretically get into, but I’m just not sure.
I do have a picture but I won’t post without consent.
Essentially, I’m asking if it was a predator/illness so I can do extra things to ensure the flock’s safety and health.
Thank you guys so much.
First, thank you to everyone on this page. You have supported and helped me throughout my chicken-keeping. I appreciate you all!
Now onto the hard part…
I had a bantam Cochin (undetermined age; I bought her from someone)who was recently broody. She had three eggs she was laying on; however, in my small flock, she was the lowest lady on the totem pole. Because of that, I kept her separate from the others to better her chances of hatching her first babies with me. She was inside the coop and the other birds were in the enclosed run. One day last week, I came to check on her and to give her vitamins, food, and fresh water. There was only one egg under her and the other two were nowhere to be seen. I looked everywhere for them and could not find even a single piece of an eggshell.
I assumed the eggs had cracked when she had gotten off of them and to keep her nest clean, she had eaten them.
Today, I go to do the same thing and she is not in her box. I looked around the coop and noticed her in the far right hand side face down. When I picked her up, her entire neck and head were drenched in a fluid of some sort. There was no blood or blood spatter and no obvious wounds. I have no idea what happened. I’m heartbroken but I’m also concerned for the rest of the flock.
Was this an illness I wasn’t aware of? She was always kind of sickly, so I wondered if being broody had debilitated her health and she moved away from her egg to die. Or, could a snake have gotten into the coop somehow (I have 1/4 inch hardware cloth on the windows with a locked door, none disturbed) and tried to eat her only to regurgitate? There are ventilation holes that are not covered that a snake could theoretically get into, but I’m just not sure.
I do have a picture but I won’t post without consent.
Essentially, I’m asking if it was a predator/illness so I can do extra things to ensure the flock’s safety and health.
Thank you guys so much.
