KarynVA
Crowing
I woke up this morning to find 2 of my 4 chickens dead. They were in the run, which means they died before 9:30 last night because they always go into the coop no later than 9:20 pm. It had been raining and I had covered the run with a tarp, so I didn't notice anything amiss when I closed up the coop at 9:30, after dark. I didn't notice that only 2 of the 4 chickens were on the roost inside the coop. Two of the chickens are 10-12 weeks old and two are 12-14 weeks. It was the two older chickens that were dead. The two younger were placid in the coop seemingly fine as always.
This morning, I found the 2 corpses. No sign of breach of the hardware cloth, no sign of entry, no sign of a scuffle in the dirt inside the run. There were feathers spread across a wide area and only one of the corpses had feathers missing; the other corpse appears pristine. I examined the corpses; no blood, no puncture wounds, no sign of trauma other than the feathers pulled out. Their waterer, which stands upright on a brick, was still standing, near both of their corpses.
What could have happened? We live in a suburban neighborhood in Virginia and I have kept chickens in this coop for 3 years and never had a death from any reason, no predator attack, ever. It is entirely encased in 1/4" hardware cloth and is reinforced at ground level.
Also, what should I do about the two chickens that are left? I understand they need at least 3 for a social group and I don't have the heart to get a new chicken and introduce it to the flock carefully and all that....
Never had a death either.
Also, what should I do about the two chickens that are left? I understand they need at least 3 for a social group and I don't have the heart to get a new chicken and introduce it to the flock carefully and all that....
This morning, I found the 2 corpses. No sign of breach of the hardware cloth, no sign of entry, no sign of a scuffle in the dirt inside the run. There were feathers spread across a wide area and only one of the corpses had feathers missing; the other corpse appears pristine. I examined the corpses; no blood, no puncture wounds, no sign of trauma other than the feathers pulled out. Their waterer, which stands upright on a brick, was still standing, near both of their corpses.
What could have happened? We live in a suburban neighborhood in Virginia and I have kept chickens in this coop for 3 years and never had a death from any reason, no predator attack, ever. It is entirely encased in 1/4" hardware cloth and is reinforced at ground level.
Also, what should I do about the two chickens that are left? I understand they need at least 3 for a social group and I don't have the heart to get a new chicken and introduce it to the flock carefully and all that....
Also, what should I do about the two chickens that are left? I understand they need at least 3 for a social group and I don't have the heart to get a new chicken and introduce it to the flock carefully and all that....
