I Hate Losing One for No Apparent Reason

[bigoakhunter]

Was around the farm all day, chickens all acting fine. Had water and feed. I had given them some partially ripe tomatoes for a treat. Left home about 3pm. The birds in this coop were all in the enclosed, roofed run. It has 1x2 welded wire fencing. Went to visit step-mother who just got out of hospital, then wife and I had dinner. Got home 4 hours later. One golden Comet dead on floor of run. She was 24 weeks old. Had been laying about 4 weeks. No sign of egg bound or crop problem or bleeding or injury or pecking. It was not hot out. They had food and water.

I never understand this. I know it occasionally happens, but is not ever good.

 

[purpletree23]

I'm so sorry your Comet died. I know it just happens but it doesn't make it any easier.

You sound like a knowledgeable chicken owner and I'm sure it wasn't something you did. Chickens are complex creatures like us and anything could have gone wrong. Could have had a heart attack, stroke or something else in her body didn't develop correctly and finally gave out. I like to think that it is natural selection at work so the strongest can live on.

I can tell you a story about one of my chickens that died. I can laugh about it now. I did everything right.....food, water, treats veggies from the garden etc. One day one of my most beautiful chickens was just dead. I couldn't believe it. I was curious to try and find out what happened and did a necropsy. Her body look perfect and pink and well fleshed out. THEN I cut open her crop. She had every piece of junk in there that you could imagine. Small pieces of ribbon, tiny pieces of fabric, a few staples and screws and part of a clam shell and part of a planter that had dried out from the sun and had started to chip.

I've always been very good about looking at the ground when I'm walking to make sure I pick up little pieces of stuff but I guess I missed some. To this day I can't figure out where the fabric came from but they do free range in the woods.

Again I'm sorry for your loss. Take care of yourself.

 

[mrsp523]

Sorry big, loss is never easy. And purple, alls I can say is "wow" staples and screws? I can remember when mine were younger one of them had something about 2 inches long in their mouth and the others were chasing her trying to get it. Hunk of squash??...no.....finally caught up to her and is was a piece of rubber!

 

[callen]

same thing happed to me

but mine had a full crop and the stuff in side was soft like mash

it was as i found out in the end that it was a frog