maceleneo
Crowing
About one week ago I found one of my Araucanas dead. She didn't look injured and seemed perfectly fine the day before, she wasn't even 2 years old. 
I brought her body to the vet and he suspects it was some internal defect, or at least he couldn't find any contagious disease (I live in the mountains and unfortunately there aren't avian vets in the area).
It was really sad and unexpected, but at least the others seem to be fine, except for her sister, which is the only little one in the flock now. She seems to be healthy, but she is super sad. She hardly leaves the coop, while the others (5 Marans and 3 Olive eggers, all much bigger than her) free-range all day.
My Araucanas never bonded with the rest of the flock and I'm not sure time will heal. Should I take some other little hens or would this complicate things even more? Would it be better bringing just one hen, or should I bring more? I'm kinda lost here, this is my first loss.
I brought her body to the vet and he suspects it was some internal defect, or at least he couldn't find any contagious disease (I live in the mountains and unfortunately there aren't avian vets in the area).It was really sad and unexpected, but at least the others seem to be fine, except for her sister, which is the only little one in the flock now. She seems to be healthy, but she is super sad. She hardly leaves the coop, while the others (5 Marans and 3 Olive eggers, all much bigger than her) free-range all day.
My Araucanas never bonded with the rest of the flock and I'm not sure time will heal. Should I take some other little hens or would this complicate things even more? Would it be better bringing just one hen, or should I bring more? I'm kinda lost here, this is my first loss.
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Personally I would not introduce new birds at this time; it would just be another source of stress for her right now. Size is not important; I have an Araucana and she lords it over everybody else bar the dominant roo! Presumably all your birds roost together OK. If she's not leaving the coop much in the day, she may be unwell, not just mourning. If it is just mourning, she will get over it in time. Lots of tlc is what I'd be giving her.
