Need help. First dead chicken.

[Kiki]

Oh that was very helpful! I called my husband over and we watched together. We are going to remove that tilting rooting bar that the chickens don't use and add a long bar the way you said. There is actually another door in the coop area where your finger was that is probably 1/3 of the left side wall that I can open. My husband has gone out and opened it. Sounds like we should leave it open all winter. There are 3 small ventilation corners on the other side of the coop at the top. I will update some pics tomorrow. I am going to bed. That you for all your time!

Those three small ones are not enough.


Get some pics tomorrow with the door open, please.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Orpingtons were developed in England in 1886 and brought to the US in 1890. Those were black. Buff, white, blue and other color varieties of the breed were developed later. They are excellent winter layers and quite cold hardy. The buffs are said to be the most cold hardy variety.
Australorps were developed in Australia from black Orpingtons. Hence the name - Austral - orps.
Easter Eggers come from a variety of breeds but are based on Ameraucanas. (from Chile)
All 3 breeds are very cold hardy and need no pampering. I doubt anyone in England worried about giving them warmth in 1886. And all those places get quite cold.

 

[glassdragonfly]

Hi! and So sorry for your loss For lighting I use solar garden lights. No need to worry over batteries. I really like the rope lights,you can run the strand of lights inside and have the charger outside. The ones I have are soft white,enough that they can see but not so bright that they don't sleep.The goats like theirs too!

 

[aart]

They tolerate cold pretty well if they stay dry. But cold plus moisture on their combs, wattles and feet can lead to frostbite. I think they can also get pneumonia like anybody else. Right,@aart?

Dry and out of the wind is good, then they can keep themselves warm and healthier.
Pneumonia is caused by bacteria...and there are other respiratory diseases that are common in chickens.

 

[aart]

Don't laugh.

That was good...great voice but, you don't sound like you're from TX.

 

[Kiki]

That was good...great voice but, you don't sound like you're from TX.

I'm a coonass.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Buff Orphington, Black Ostralorf, Easter Eggers. We are in South Central Missouri. Good to know about the state diagnostic lab. I will remember that.

We have 2 labs in Missouri. I always use the one at the Mizzou vet school. If you call them, they will send a FedEx label for shipping. They have someone on call 24/7. I've even dropped a bird off at midnight Saturday night on a holiday weekend. The avian pathologist there is very good.

Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
University of Missouri
810 E. Campus Loop
Columbia, Missouri 65211-0001
Phone: 573-882-6811

Missouri Department of Agriculture Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
701 North Miller Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65802-6460
Phone: 417-895-6861

I'm just a little North East of you. Let me assure you none of those birds need be protected from cold in our climate. I've had all 3 breeds. None had ever gotten frostbite.
No respiratory problems either but my buildings have huge ventilation. Being in the buildings is just like being outside.

 

[coach723]

There is a good book, but old, written originally in 1924, called Fresh-Air Poultry Houses.
By Prince T. Woods, MD. It's available on Amazon. The entire premise of it is ventilation, ventilation, ventilation. Has tons of examples in places very far north, some pictures of coops buried in snow. It's very good for examples of how to make a healthy coop for chickens, and most of them are almost entirely open on one side (with screen/wire for security) or with one side being mostly window area. Many confuse 'ventilation' with 'draft', ventilation being good, and draft being bad, two entirely different things. They need shelter from predators and the worst of the weather, but the more ventilation the better.

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

we lockup all the chickens at night, if they dont go in the roost/coop by themselves, we physically put them in and lock the door...on feed or water in the coop at night...so sorry for your loss, its heart breaking when you lose your little feathered friend..

 

[murrychicken]

Those three small ones are not enough.


Get some pics tomorrow with the door open, please.

Built a new roost this am and opened the door between the coop and the run. Also removed the hanging, dripping water er and added a metal pan of water. Will change daily.