I don't know what happened????

[emjay]

Came home from work today to find the one roo baby, (that I decided to keep out of the 7 roo babies) dead.

Yesterday he was perfect. I held him, he was fine, flighty and friendly and fiesty and hungry.

Came home, did a head count, there he was , dead on the floor.

8 weeks old, he was huge though !!! a big guy, for his age. Beautiful too.

his neck tucked under him, one leg stretched right out, so I think he thrashed a bit, poor guy, lots of bright blood everywhere. I couldn't find any wounds. I think it's a freak accident due to human stupidity.

the coop he's in was used as a nursery this summer, had 3 broody pens in there. I dismantled the one, but, not completely, I had some chicken wire left rolled up. as well, I had some chicken wire up high stapled to the top of another broody pen. I had it folded down flat.
I am thinking he either got a foot stuck, thrashed a bit, fell off, and died a slow death this morning.
I am also wondering if he swallowed a staple. I used staples to keep the chicken wire on the brooder pen, I pulled them out, and tossed them, I remember losing two into the shavings. I did sweep it all up, but, may have missed one. Do you think he could have swallowed a staple and had it tear his insides.

I am leaning more to him getting stuck in some wire, breaking free , after doing some intense damage to himself, then dying. as the blood was not just where he died.

I had a chick with cocci this spring, she gave me lots of notice she was sick. This guy, was instantaneous.

was this just a freak thing, human stupidity. I feel terrible. ugh. I am so not getting more chickens after these all die of old age, I am so not a good farmer.

 

[roosters4sale]

Sorry for your loss emjay. An autopsy is the only way to know about the staple.

 

[OregonChickenGal]

Sorry for your loss, but don't beat yourself up over this. Freak accidents do happen.

 

[nnbreeder]

Even if you kept your critters in a padded room I think that they would find ways to hurt themselves.

Accepting loss and learning from it is part of raising any kind of critter.

 

[downstownlady]

I'm so sorry for your loss. It just plain out sucks when you lose one of your chickie babes.

 

[emjay]

thanks all.

I am slowly getting used to it. But, still hate it. I hate to see anything die unneccessarily etc.
It's the suffering I hate the most. If it was quick, but, I know it wasn't.

It just never seems to fail that it always happens to your favorites.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Don't beat yourself up when you really don't know what happened. He could have had a seizure, a defective heart, you don't know!! It's easy to blame ourselves because we think we have that much control over the situation when we actually don't. Sorry you lost your little guy.

 

[gryeyes]

I'm so sorry this happened, but I think I know how you feel. I came home from work one day to find one of my Welsummers dead, in an odd corner of the run where a curl of poultry fencing rolled back on itself. I think she got into that, but couldn't figure out how to get out of it, panicked, thrashed, and died of a heart attack.

Just senseless. And I felt horrible that I'd left that curl of fencing there, not ever thinking any of the chickens would push against it and then not know how to push back out of it.

Fixed it that night. But one of my beautiful girls had to die, because I'd been lazy and/or short-sighted.

Freak things happen we can't quite anticipate.

I'm sure we each learned from such experiences, and are better caretakers of our flocks for it.

 

[emjay]

thanks for the comments.

and it's true, that it's so easy to miss things that could harm something. but, like you say, they teach us lots, even when it is at their expense, sometimes in that death, they save others. so I guess you can always find something good to see out of a tragedy.

I hope this is the last one for awhile.

I 've lost 3 birds in about 2 months.

all from different things, all different ages. a favorite hen, a very large 2 year old roo and now this youngster.

I did lose some chicks on hatch day, but, that was kind of expected, seems to be somewhat of a norm with hatching.

thanks again everyone.

 

[jaimslee4u]

I unfortunatley only have one bird left out of my original flock of 6. I love my girls and I do everything I can to keep them safe and happy. I think that we learn as we go as to what to and what not to do in raising chickens.