Seven dead hens within 4 hours, not attacked. UPDATE: Teflon Poisoning!

[Cryss]

Your hens did not die in vain. They have brought forth warning and information for so many here and will be broadcast by word of mouth and internet for years to come.
You might want to consider opening some windows. Frost inside is condensation. The only way to prevent that is ventalation. It sounds counterproductive in the cold but as long as the vents are above their heads it won't make them cold. Just the opposite by allowing warm moist air to rise and escape rather than being trapped at the cieling, cooling(condensing), and falling as moist cold air, making feathers and combs moist and cold and eventuallly freezing.
Your rooster is a beauty! Best of luck with your new ladies. Can't wait to see them.

 

[TwoCrows]

I do have meal worms in there, even more protein than those?

One big problem with feeding too many meal worms is they are very high in fat. Fat is very hard on a birds liver, too much can give them Fatty Liver Disease. I like to cook up some lean ground Turkey or Beef and give them a small handful each a few times a week, I mainly do this during molting season when their need for good protein skyrockets. But your boy could benefit from this right now I am sure. Help him keep muscle on his bones which will also help keep him warmer.

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

Bruce, the white egg/brown egg preference is related to part of the country. IIRC, folks down South think that brown eggs are flawed, or at least they did up until the last generation or so. And, us Northerners grew up with brown eggs, and consider a white egg to be odd. Perception of freshness is also tied to the egg color. This being b/c white eggs are leghorn eggs. Leghorns typically were not used as layers in the North b/c of their big combs. Therefore... white eggs in the supermarket were not as fresh, b/c they were "from away".

I grew up with the farmer coming around with his flatbed truck ringing a bell...his eggs were brown. Eggs at the ACME...were white. Brown eggs meant fresh farm and delicious, white eggs meant stale supermarket crap. lol

@Morrigan "People see them as "whole wheat" eggs or something." That's hysterical!

 

[Teila]

AaronandAlice I have quietly been following your thread from the beginning and just wanted to say that I am so very sorry for your loss

As mentioned by many people, if there is any solace, it is that you have bought the Teflon issue to the attention of a large amount of people and possibly saved the lives of many other chickens in the future. I have seen the question “what type of heat bulb” and “Teflon” mentioned in other sudden death, emergency threads since.

I wish you and Lane all the best and look forward to hearing about his new girls

 

[AaronandAlice]

Ground beef, huh? I’m cooking some now with onion...okay if he gets a piece of onion too? If not I can pick it out

 

[aart]

Ground beef, huh? I’m cooking some now with onion...okay if he gets a piece of onion too? If not I can pick it out

I'd pick out most the onion...not sure cooked is bad but still.

@Morrigan "People see them as "whole wheat" eggs or something." That's hysterical!

It is indeed.

 

[TwoCrows]

Ground beef, huh? I’m cooking some now with onion...okay if he gets a piece of onion too? If not I can pick it out

Yep, ground beef!! This will be good for him. Definitely pick out the onions, not good for birds.

 

[lazy gardener]

When ever I cook meat, the birds even get the scrapings from the pan. Between them and the dog, there are very little left overs here.

 

[AaronandAlice]

I picked them out. He did not want to move from the run tonight- got all fluffy and flapped his wings when I picked him up. Judging by the poop, he sat there all day.

 

[TwoCrows]

I picked them out. He did not want to move from the run tonight- got all fluffy and flapped his wings when I picked him up. Judging by the poop, he sat there all day.

Poor baby, he sounds lonely. I hope the hens arrive soon!