It's about 4pm and I found my australorp Daisy deadi n the coop. She would have been a year old this April. I'm devastated because she is my favorite. Was...
Anyway, she is my smallest of four total chickens, two australorps and two BO's. They are all the same age. She was the smallest and the first to lay last year. She also was the only one to go broody. I got four eggs two days ago. Two yesterday and two today. She was lying right at the entrance to the coop and looks as though she just made it up the ladder and just pulled herself up. She had some shavings in her beak, don't know why. Here's what I know: two days ago I caught all the girls in the garage pecking at the spray insulation adn I had to chase them out and yank some out of their beaks. Also, her comb and wattles were slightly fading and I wondered if she was going to molt. When I found her dead she was warm, stiff and her wattles and comb were extremely faded. Her crop doesn't feel full and her butt looks fine to me. Her ******** (can't think of scientific name, sorry) is kind of portruding, but is pink and a little slippery wet. How can I tell if a shell broke inside her? I'm so so so so sad! My other three have bright red comb and wattles and all look and act fine. I'm in such shock and just don't know what to do now!
I have not changed bedding, we do deep litter method. They have water, food, no added heat in coop. It's been in the 40's here and they've been out. Yesterday she did almost get run over by my dad. She was under the truck when he was backing out. And this is one of the first mornings I let them out and left because I had a valentine party for my daughter at school, so I don't even know what she did today! Please, I hope somebody can give me some peace!
Anyway, she is my smallest of four total chickens, two australorps and two BO's. They are all the same age. She was the smallest and the first to lay last year. She also was the only one to go broody. I got four eggs two days ago. Two yesterday and two today. She was lying right at the entrance to the coop and looks as though she just made it up the ladder and just pulled herself up. She had some shavings in her beak, don't know why. Here's what I know: two days ago I caught all the girls in the garage pecking at the spray insulation adn I had to chase them out and yank some out of their beaks. Also, her comb and wattles were slightly fading and I wondered if she was going to molt. When I found her dead she was warm, stiff and her wattles and comb were extremely faded. Her crop doesn't feel full and her butt looks fine to me. Her ******** (can't think of scientific name, sorry) is kind of portruding, but is pink and a little slippery wet. How can I tell if a shell broke inside her? I'm so so so so sad! My other three have bright red comb and wattles and all look and act fine. I'm in such shock and just don't know what to do now!
I have not changed bedding, we do deep litter method. They have water, food, no added heat in coop. It's been in the 40's here and they've been out. Yesterday she did almost get run over by my dad. She was under the truck when he was backing out. And this is one of the first mornings I let them out and left because I had a valentine party for my daughter at school, so I don't even know what she did today! Please, I hope somebody can give me some peace!
