My hen just died mysteriously....and baby news

[JGreifzu]

Well we now have 5 chicks. 2 hatched wednesday, 1 friday, & 1 saturday. When I checked the gang out this evening my favorite hen was up on the roost looking very dead. its crazy. she was fine last night. she is one of my broody hens. i had noticed she didnt get back on the remaining eggs last night but the other hen did so i didnt worry. my other hen also seemed to have taken over the mothering of the chicks. i also discovered a very very fresh and tiny baby. smaller than any we've found so far. it was being ignored by my hen so i took it out. i have since placed it in a box with a heat lamp, food, & water. i dipped its beak n the water but it seems disinterested. it looks much better though now. all fluffy instead of wet. anyways. did i do the right thing? the hen seems fine with the other 4. also should i send my dead hen somewhere to be tested. i have her in the freezer at the moment.

sorry..lots of questions. i just want to be a good chicken mommy.

 

[JGreifzu]

i wanted to mention the dead hen is only about 9 months old. this was her first batch of chicks. up until she got broody she laid about 5 eggs a week and was very active and super friendly.

 

[Judy]

First of all, get her out of the freezer and put her in the refrigerator. Freezing makes cells burst.

Sometimes hens set on eggs so insistently that they don't eat and drink, and they die of starvation and dehydration. Even a healthy brooding period will result in weight loss. Did she get up and eat and drink every day?

 

[JGreifzu]

i really dont think she left the eggs in the beginning but in the final week she did leave now and again to eat and drink. i made sure to keep food and water near her at all times so i'm not sure if she snuck some when i wasnt looking

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Well, that's good. Mine would get up every morning when I opened the coop -- cooperative little thing. I would have kicked her off the nest if she hadn't. She also had her own food and water but I don't think she ate/drank from them at all, or very little. In the afternoon I would hand feed her some tomato (for the water) and feed; she wouldn't get up but she'd eat a little from my hand. She still lost weight, but looks good now, about 10 days later.

Sorry you lost yours. Let us know if you find anything out.

 

[FreeRange Drulie]

sorry for your loss. as for what to do with your hen i couldn't tell you. i would bury her but then again i'm not sure we have any room in the frige/freeze

as for your chickie i think you did the right thing, hopefully you will be able to reintroduce it to the flock at some time.