The laying araucana died!

[barjd6]

Are Araucana hens difficult to keep? We had two and I've posted before about the sad case of one. Beaten up by others, still in recuperation in her own pen. She acts like she had a stroke or severe head trauma. Happy, but poor balance. She is getting feathers.

Yesterday, the other one was panting. It wasn't HOT here, but pretty muggy. I thought she was not happy with the humidity. They had food, but some was damp because of rain. Plenty of water. Friday evening when I pulled weeds and tossed the clods into their pen, she scratched with the best of them.

This morning, I found her dead in the coup like she fell off of the roost.

These two hens were kind of expensive, by my lights, plus we were already attached. She laid a green egg every other day, but missed the last two. When the other hens weren't happy with the feeder and went on strike, she ate and laid.

Now, we have a dead one and a severely disabled one and no green eggs.

 

[mmajw]

How old are they?
What type of bedding do you use?
Were there any open wounds on her?
What is their feed?

 

[barjd6]

Thank you for that reminder. I just read the sticky and was coming back here to post that.

They were supposed to be 10 mo. old, but the farm has also been advertising some at 6 mo. They were about 25% laying, the man at the Farmers Market told us. We bought them maybe six weeks ago. We only had 10 birds altogether, but from 3 different farms.

THey have wood chips (for horses, no cedar) over limestone 'chat' in the house and hay that they have scattered in the yard. They get into the hay for their dust baths, but haven't been doing as much of that. They all squat all over the yard to rest.

There were no wounds. The housing and fence are all brand new with no possible access from varmints. This chicken had just begun to kind of fit in with the others so she could have a place on the roost and not have to perch on the nests. All younger pullets and one young rooster. All had been around a rooster, so he didn't have much to do.

They have been eating laying mash from the local feed store. I put apple cider vinegar in their water 1T/gal. Their favorite waterer is an open pan in their yard; it didn't get very warm yesterday; I checked it once for that when I saw the hen panting. Not warm to the touch even.

Treats have included sunflower seeds, scratch, stale pretzel pieces, grass/weeds with clods. But, few becaue we wanted them to eat the laying mash.

The temperature was warm yesterday, but not HOT. They have heavily shaded area; no bright sun after mid morning. The coop has a big window on the north which is open and the door has stayed open the past few nights to the south. The house is fairly tight and if it were not in the shade could get hot. The roof is also vented. Again, we have foundation protection and 5 ft. 2x4 horse fence for the pen set several inches deep in the ground with treated lumber and rocks along the bottom. We've been laughing about the expense of the facility compared to the ROI.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Chickens also pant when they're in pain...she might've been straining to lay a soft shelled egg.

 

[barjd6]

She has been laying very nice eggs. We didn't check the body for an egg. Went right to the new chicken cemetery.

But, recently I've noticed her being rather messy at the back; not poopy. She had sound stools whenever I saw her poop, but this was just messy. The buff orpingtons are always so perfectly groomed that when someone doesn't clean her feathers, it shows up.

DH is kind of reluctant to get any more of them if they are tough to keep. We have one disabled and one dead. But, the grandchildren (and grandma) love those green eggs. I"m going to call the farm tomorrow and see what their take is on the issue and see if they have any more.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Try ameraucanas they also lay bluish green eggs... I had 2 hens thats i got when they were about 7 months old ... they didn't start laying for 2 months but when they did they layed everyday darn near. They were picked on for a bit until the new pecking order was established but that didnt take long ... half a day if that. They kept my little banties warm alll winter and were excellent protectors to the rest of the flock but boy if the nesting boxes were full of hens laying they would definately raise a stink about it and let the whole neighborhood know lol.

 

[mmajw]

She could have been egg bound or had an infection.

Chicken Cemetary??? What state are you in, that is interesting?

 

[barjd6]

I woke up thinking I would like to try the ameraucanas. I just want the colored eggs. From the catalog pictures, they might not seem so different. These chickens were never accepted. When we brought them home, I named them Poor Loretta and Good Loretta. I really thought Poor Loretta wouldn't live, but expected to grow old with Good Loretta.

G. Loretta had been hanging out by the fence between them and the other araucana (Poor Loretta) which was beat up a coulple weeks ago. This hen was really hard on the other one, so we couldn't let them together. She literally beat the injured hen in the carrier when we brought them home and would be the one to give her a good peck on the bare butt before it got so bad we had to isolate the injured hen. She seems happy, but has some wing and balance issues. Her legs just kind of give way with her.

Good Loretta had been laying quite regularly. We had a feeder issue and the others didn't eat well for several days until we understood. But, the araucanas did, so this chicken has laid very well for a young hen.

There is only one chcken in the cemetery under the peach tree and I hope it stays that way! We may have to get a special stone?

 

[SpottedCrow]

I have a stepping stone kit for my babies...

I couldn't bury mine because of the raccoons, coyotes and dogs...My frog and turtle and baby crow got dug up...un

 

[barjd6]

We keep our dog with us all the time due to a nearby highway. He would dig, I am sure. We don't see raccoons or coyotes, probably because of him (a big airedale who does get to patrol the property with me).

DH dug a pretty deep hole. especially considering the rocks that we raise in abundance.