Unexpected Loss 🥺

[Treeoflife]

Hi friends,

This post is to seek some community in losing my BYC, as people who don’t keep chickens don’t seem to get it.

Lost my favorite girl today. She had such a unique personality. Was almost more like a dog than a chicken. She was also my best layer, go figure. Please enjoy and admire these photos of her being goofy and beautiful. Also her gorgeous eggs.

I got up this AM and went about my regular routine. Let the girls out, feed them and hang out a bit. I noticed my friendliest girl, almost a yr old welbar, hadn’t come out.

I went into the coop and found her dead in a nesting box. She was still somewhat warm but pretty stiff. Her eyes were closed and there is no discharge, vent looks okay but there was some seemingly fresh poop on her butt feathers. (Not sure if they, like humans, deficate when passing?) Her comb is pale now, before her passing I didn’t notice it appearing any darker than normal/my other girls When I found her she was atop 3 eggs, one was blue and definitely not hers. The other two eggs were brown and could’ve been hers but I can’t be sure.

I tried to palpate her abdomen and vent area to see if I could feel a stuck egg but it didn’t feel like it. I am not sure what could’ve happened but with her being in the nest box I feel that it is egg related. She layed regularly and I had collected one of her eggs the prior afternoon. She wouldn’t have been “due” for another egg till later today.

Any thoughts are appreciated. Thank you BYC community!

 

[MommyGirl]

So sorry you lost her. She was a beautiful girl!

 

[AntiqueB]

I'm so sorry for your loss. She was lovely.

I also found one of my hens dead one morning. It's a shock to see that, especially if they weren't sick.

With such high egg production bred into them today, I suspect reproductive issues probably kill more hens than anything else, except maybe predators.

 

[WoDia]

I’m so sorry you lost your sweet hen. I love the photos. She was a beauty.

 

[Tonyroo]

Sorry for your loss, I totally understand. I've had my share of loss from predators on my favorite chickens. A little gut wrenching.

 

[WoDia]

I'm so sorry for your loss. She was lovely.

I also found one of my hens dead one morning. It's a shock to see that, especially if they weren't sick.

With such high egg production bred into them today, I suspect reproductive issues probably kill more hens than anything else, except maybe predators.

I’m so sorry to hear about your hen @AntiqueB.

 

[WoDia]

Sorry for your loss, I totally understand. I've had my share of loss from predators on my favorite chickens. A little gut wrenching.

It’s always so saddening to lose one.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

She is beautiful. I am so sorry you lost her.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

I also found one of my hens dead one morning. It's a shock to see that, especially if they weren't sick.

Sorry for your loss as well, @AntiqueB

 

[AntiqueB]

Thank you both. It was a while ago. Fingers crossed all of our others will live good, long lives.