- Jul 20, 2013
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Came home from work a while ago and one of my White Rocks has passed away. She hasn't been acting right--or looking right-- since late last week. I got a lot of good advice from people on the Montana/Wyoming FB chicken page, but despite doing everything people suggested, it was not enough to keep her here.
So now I know some things I did not know before: if your hens' comb all of a sudden starts drooping and turning colors -- as in going from red to a dark purplish color -- almost burgundy -- something is seriously wrong. I've learned that these are signs of several conditions: dehydration/heart problems/circulation. Could've been other things too. I'm not sure exactly if any of those was the problem, but she went from being perfectly healthy & happy to taking a nose dive very quickly. I am surprised she lasted as long as she did. She was 2-1/2 years old.
Even with thinking that this was a health condition and not contagious, I believe I should sanitize my coop. I had someone tell me that they did this on a regular basis anyway -- about every 2-3 weeks, mixing a water/chlorox solution in a spray bottle and spraying down the walls & sides of the nests. But I can't remember where or who I heard it from, or what the mixture was--how much water/how much chlorox. Does anyone else do this as a precaution? and if so, please enlighten me, and the rest of us on here. Am I over-reacting?
I sooooo dislike this part of raising chickens, pets, anything.
That's a shame. So sorry.
