Came home from vacation to find 1 chicken dead in the run. My friend/sitter showed up at the same time as we did and she said they were all fine when she let them out that morning. Coffee had been dead for some time as she was stiff. It was very warm outside so can't say she was cold. Anyway, when I lifted her up liquid came out of her mouth and she was dripping yellow yolk like liquid from the back. I am thinking she probably had been egg bound and an egg break inside. My friend had never been around my chickens before so didn't pick up that anything was going on with her. My neighbors also had seen them that morning and said everyone seemed fine. I had gotten a few soft shelled eggs in the week or 2 before hand. Just wondering if I am on the right track.
The worst is that it was my youngest son's hen. He was devistated. Not sure if it was worse because he saw it laying there dead or not.
We had a funeral and family burial. My oldest wrote a note to be placed in the grave signed by the whole family. So, coffee rests at the forest edge with a flat rock headstone, engraved with another rock by my boys.
The worst is that it was my youngest son's hen. He was devistated. Not sure if it was worse because he saw it laying there dead or not.
