SamanthaPlease
In the Brooder
- May 22, 2020
- 7
- 20
- 24
I have six chickens all about a year old, three Delawares, three White Rocks. Yesterday when I left for work they were all roaming around doing chicken things just being normal chickens. When I got home from work, I noticed feathers all over the yard, and one of the fence boards between my and my neighbor’s house was pushed over. They have a new dog that has been moving it over and trying to get over here, and it’s a bird dog and new to civilized society. Naturally, I assumed he came over and killed one.
Despite piles of feathers (one big enough I thought it was the carcass), I could only find 5 of the girls. I kept looking and looking for the other one because I didn’t want a rotting body just hanging out.
I found her under a bush, sitting up and looking at me. I went over, picked her up, and found her to be lethargic and listless, which I chalked to trauma, but otherwise unharmed. Not missing a bunch of feathers. I held her while I checked the other chickens, and found another chicken missing feathers but running around scratching and clucking and being very chicken-like.
The one I was holding wouldn’t move from where I set her, wouldn’t eat or drink or make noise. I caught her trying to walk away from my fiance and she had a bad limp, and her butt looked like it was trying to lay an egg or poop or something, and it was really messy. There is no blood anywhere that I can find, on her, the others, or in the yard. Her feet look normal, her airway is clear. My vet was already closed so I planned to take her first thing this morning. I set her up away from the others with food and water. She died in the night some time.
The others still seem fine, even the one missing feathers. I assumed that something attacked the one that is dead, and that the one missing feathers protected her, but with the butt things I’m not sure what happened. I’m worried it’s more than a fight or something.
Despite piles of feathers (one big enough I thought it was the carcass), I could only find 5 of the girls. I kept looking and looking for the other one because I didn’t want a rotting body just hanging out.
I found her under a bush, sitting up and looking at me. I went over, picked her up, and found her to be lethargic and listless, which I chalked to trauma, but otherwise unharmed. Not missing a bunch of feathers. I held her while I checked the other chickens, and found another chicken missing feathers but running around scratching and clucking and being very chicken-like.
The one I was holding wouldn’t move from where I set her, wouldn’t eat or drink or make noise. I caught her trying to walk away from my fiance and she had a bad limp, and her butt looked like it was trying to lay an egg or poop or something, and it was really messy. There is no blood anywhere that I can find, on her, the others, or in the yard. Her feet look normal, her airway is clear. My vet was already closed so I planned to take her first thing this morning. I set her up away from the others with food and water. She died in the night some time.
The others still seem fine, even the one missing feathers. I assumed that something attacked the one that is dead, and that the one missing feathers protected her, but with the butt things I’m not sure what happened. I’m worried it’s more than a fight or something.
