How Many Eggs Did You Get Today?

[Renee572]

Got our first egg yesterday and 2 today! I'm so proud of my chickens!

congrats. Beautiful eggs!

 

[Renee572]

My count will be down from now on. Yesterday I had 11/11. This morning my Pearly-girl, one of my most dependable hens as well as being friendly and gorgeous, died. This stinks.

awww, I'm so sorry Blooie. I'm still getting used to my Twilight being gone and she's been gone since Wednesday. Do you know what happened to her?

 

[sunshinechick83]

I'm sorry blooie, that does stink.

Thank you Renee572!

 

[Koniucha]

Got two yesterday <3

 

[Blooie]

awww, I'm so sorry Blooie. I'm still getting used to my Twilight being gone and she's been gone since Wednesday. Do you know what happened to her?

I really don't, Renee, and I'm sorry you're going through a loss too. She's been sounding like a squeaky toy for several days but there was no runny nose, no chest rasping, nothing in her throat that I could feel or stuck in the back of her mouth that I could see. When she got excited she really sounded like a squeaky toy, and then sometimes when she'd breathe I'd hear the same sound only much much softer. We'd tossed the grass clippings from the yard into the run, so everyone I talked to said it sounded like she had a grass blade stuck, and if you've ever blown through a grass blade that was similar to the sound she made. She didn't act sick - ate great, dived after treats like the others, ran after bugs, pooped, drank, and laid eggs well. She just sounded funny. So the consensus was to toss some bread in there for her to see if we could get whatever was lodged to move. Lo and behold, for 4 whole days the sound was gone! Then today I noticed it again when I was out there getting eggs and doing chores. I picked her up, checked her over with the same results I've had every time I'd checked her- couldn't see or feel a thing. I tossed another ripped up hot dog bun in there and came back in. Ten minutes later Ken went out to drain our swamp cooler and he came back in saying she was gone. I have no idea what happened, but none of the other girls are exhibiting that sound. Weird. Sometimes chickens just start having some off-the-wall issues and die.....I don't like it but it happens.

 

[Renee572]

Ya this was my first casualty... first experience with any pet dying for that matter. It's sad but I guess if I'm going to keep chickens I just need to realize things will happen and I will lose some along the way. I am glad I found her and not any of the kids when they went to do chores. I'm not ready for them to experience that. Sorry you didn't know what was wrong with her. Glad your other girls look good.

 

[sunshinechick83]

Got two yesterday QUOTE] Love the pic!

 

[Blooie]

I really don't, Renee, and I'm sorry you're going through a loss too. She's been sounding like a squeaky toy for several days but there was no runny nose, no chest rasping, nothing in her throat that I could feel or stuck in the back of her mouth that I could see. When she got excited she really sounded like a squeaky toy, and then sometimes when she'd breathe I'd hear the same sound only much much softer. We'd tossed the grass clippings from the yard into the run, so everyone I talked to said it sounded like she had a grass blade stuck, and if you've ever blown through a grass blade that was similar to the sound she made. She didn't act sick - ate great, dived after treats like the others, ran after bugs, pooped, drank, and laid eggs well. She just sounded funny. So the consensus was to toss some bread in there for her to see if we could get whatever was lodged to move. Lo and behold, for 4 whole days the sound was gone! Then today I noticed it again when I was out there getting eggs and doing chores. I picked her up, checked her over with the same results I've had every time I'd checked her- couldn't see or feel a thing. I tossed another ripped up hot dog bun in there and came back in. Ten minutes later Ken went out to drain our swamp cooler and he came back in saying she was gone. I have no idea what happened, but none of the other girls are exhibiting that sound. Weird. Sometimes chickens just start having some off-the-wall issues and die.....I don't like it but it happens.

We found out today what the problem was. We found a tiny bit of thin wire about halfway down her gullet. She must have found it free-ranging, either deep in the grass where we couldn't see it or in the orchard. That would explain the squeaky noises when she breathed and why it almost stopped after the bread - the bread must have pushed it further down. Still don't know why she wasn't bleeding anywhere, including where the wire was, but at least I can stop worrying that the other girls will catch it from her.

 

[Renee572]

We found out today what the problem was.  We found a tiny bit of thin wire about halfway down her gullet.  She must have found it free-ranging, either deep in the grass where we couldn't see it or in the orchard.  That would explain the squeaky noises when she breathed and why it almost stopped after the bread - the bread must have pushed it further down.  Still don't know why she wasn't bleeding anywhere, including where the wire was, but at least I can stop worrying that the other girls will catch it from her.

I'm glad you figured out what happened to her, it stinks not knowing and worrying if you could have done something more. I am guessing my girl got sour crop and i didnt catch it in time. Although I wonder if I could have done more than I was. I wasn't brave enough to open her up and determine for sure what happened to her so I'll never know for sure. But knowing that makes me want to go out and really clean up the area that my girls free range in. Chickens seem to be so curious and they seem like little babies who put everything in their mouth just to try it out!

 

[Blooie]

I'm glad you figured out what happened to her, it stinks not knowing and worrying if you could have done something more. I am guessing my girl got sour crop and i didnt catch it in time. Although I wonder if I could have done more than I was. I wasn't brave enough to open her up and determine for sure what happened to her so I'll never know for sure. But knowing that makes me want to go out and really clean up the area that my girls free range in. Chickens seem to be so curious and they seem like little babies who put everything in their mouth just to try it out!

This piece of wire was so tiny we almost missed finding it today. It had to be buried pretty deeply in the grass, but it was so small that even if it had been right on top we wouldn't have spotted it. I didn't want to open her up either but Ken aske me if I wanted to start losing the girls one by one or find what the cause was and treat them if we needed to. He was right. <sigh> I hate it when that happens.

We got 8/10 today, and of those 2 were x-large and 4 were large! We may be pulling out of the pullet sized egg stage! The other 2 were small - I swear that's all my Buff Orpington knows how to lay - small and peewee. Haven't even had a medium out of her and she's been laying since July.