Hello I just started keeping bantams this summer We bought a pekin cock and seven hens . Also a orpington cock who we call gorgeous george and four hens. All had been going really well. Little grey orpington hen has hatched two chicks how five weeks old. Then today disaster Little black orpington hen refused to eat. My husband advised that i should separate her from the others in case she had caught something i put her in a box with some bedding she seemed ok ate a grape. Then when i went back to check her she seemed to be gasping for air. one hour later she was dead . i am so upset and confused she seemed so well and had just molted into wonderful new feathers. Just needed to talk to someone else who likes chickens My other half can not understand why i am so distressed. Hope chicken keeping isn,t always this upsetting
I am VERY sorry for your loss. This sort of thing happens and it is always a distressing situation. But we do understand here on BYC. Many many of us have lost our beloved birds and understand your pain. So you are not alone. But we do welcome you to BYC and hope that you can over come your sadness enough to enjoy the forums. Again..so sorry.
Welcome to BYC - sorry for your loss, and hopefully it is an isolated incident. Have any new birds been added to your flock?
Thank you for your messages No new birds except the chicks so nothing brought in that way, but the adult birds are free range in day so perhaps she picked something up in the yard. Have just been to check on the chicks and they seem fine so i hope for the best. At the moment the chicks and mother are in the poultry shed with the others but separated by wire. Will i be able to let them in with the others if all continues well . If so how big do they need to be ? It is a big shed should i keep them separate until they are quite big?
Hello Welcome to BYC and Happy Holidays! Sorry for the loss of your orp girl, they are so easy to get attached to and so hard to lose. Hope the rest of your flock continues to do well. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ody-hen-hatch-a-long-and-informational-thread is a long thread on using broody hens. If the flock is pretty easy going and there is plenty of room, some people will let them in with the rest of the flock from day one. With good protective mothers I usually wait until the chicks are a week or so and all doing well, and they have done fine. If you have a birds that could be a problem with chicks you probably want to treat it like a regular integration and wait until the chicks are about the same size as the flock. You could let them run together during the day or when you are there supervising to see how it goes and keep them separated at night for a while.
Thanks for the support and advice what a day just as i started looking at posts all the lights went out - high winds caused massive power failure lasted eight hours . Kids sleeping downstairs by fire as were to scared to go upstairs - spooky and dark - dare not leave them alone with candle - which is why i am still up at 4. 45 am GMT thinking about my poor little girl and wondering there was anything i could have done that might have saved her. i think i,m just being silly now as i am rather tired. Will make coffee now power is back on and try to think positively about the others - although they are very friendly george is huge compared to chicks so think i will keep them separate for a while yet - they seem happy enough and i think the little wire fence makes the mother feel safe
