Kung Pao, one of my two male Black Langshans from the Idea Dozen was found dead this evening just before dinner -- his body was no longer warmer than ambient and rigor had begun but was not total. In particular, his neck was floppy and I could spread his wings against some resistance. Insects had not yet attacked the body.
I had found this morning when I was letting the birds out that he had spent the night out, trapped between the electric netting and the inner, chick-tight curtain -- with the electric on. He was unusually docile when I picked up up to free him -- normally he would panic when handled. I put him down next to the waterer, wanting to make sure he could rehydrate since I didn't know how long he'd been there given the events of yesterday afternoon but couldn't stay and observe him
I cannot blame my 15yo for missing him when shutting up the chickens well after dark last night. I myself might not have seen a black chicken in the dark, sheltered spot where I found him come morning and with some of the chicks going in to roost on their own and others needing to be rounded up off the run clutter -- with some actually roosting and others still sleeping in a cuddle pile -- it would have been difficult to count them accurately.
There was a bit of yellowish poop around his vent but nothing you could call diarrhea. I've got him in a plastic bag in the fridge pending time to think about this overnight.
I wonder if he could have died of the stress and trauma of having been trapped that way, especially since the fence was on all night? He didn't seem to be touching a live wire when huddled down, but must have gotten zapped when he moved.
Any thoughts? Do you think I ought to do a necroscopy tomorrow?
I had found this morning when I was letting the birds out that he had spent the night out, trapped between the electric netting and the inner, chick-tight curtain -- with the electric on. He was unusually docile when I picked up up to free him -- normally he would panic when handled. I put him down next to the waterer, wanting to make sure he could rehydrate since I didn't know how long he'd been there given the events of yesterday afternoon but couldn't stay and observe him
I cannot blame my 15yo for missing him when shutting up the chickens well after dark last night. I myself might not have seen a black chicken in the dark, sheltered spot where I found him come morning and with some of the chicks going in to roost on their own and others needing to be rounded up off the run clutter -- with some actually roosting and others still sleeping in a cuddle pile -- it would have been difficult to count them accurately.
There was a bit of yellowish poop around his vent but nothing you could call diarrhea. I've got him in a plastic bag in the fridge pending time to think about this overnight.
I wonder if he could have died of the stress and trauma of having been trapped that way, especially since the fence was on all night? He didn't seem to be touching a live wire when huddled down, but must have gotten zapped when he moved.
Any thoughts? Do you think I ought to do a necroscopy tomorrow?
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