It's been a while since I've had a hen die and I'd forgotten how hard it can be. The other morning my son went out to feed the chickens and get them fresh water when I heard him say, "Mom, this is really strange, come look." My stom
ach immediately got a knot in it because even though it's been a long time since a chicken has died, I am constantly scared it will happen again. So I went out and found Marshmallow lying in a heap inside the coop. Her head was completely curled underneath her and she was as still as a rock. You can see her at the bottom of this image.I don't know what killed her. Maybe a raccoon reached through and held onto her until she died of a heart attack or perhaps she was sick - I wish I knew. They've been molting which I know can be hard on the little gals but our other hen Cracker seems fine. Since I only had two hens and am left with just one I don't now what I'll do know but I am leaning towards letting Cracker go to a friend's coop and just going without chickens over the winter. We'll see.
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Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have to take extra measures against raccoons? That's one of my stumbling blocks here to having chickens. That, and my city cites an acreage minimum that I don't meet. After seeing coops in similar-sized lots I wonder if I should just go for it anyway.
I have taken measures against raccoons - especially since my neighbor lost all of her chickens to a raccoon. I buried a frame underneath my coop so they couldn't dig in and we lock the coop up at night. Though a raccoon could still reach in through a few openings. I just have to hope that the hens have enough sense to run away in time if that happens.
sorry to hear.
Sorry to hear that. I just lost one of my girls unexpectedly last week. She was one of a group of chicks I got in April, so she was young and healthy. Or so I thought.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Oh that is sad. I bet your other hen is lonely without marshmallow. I dread a sick or dying chicken... I just don't know what I'd do.
Who is your friend that is going to take care of your chicken?
Sorry to hear about your chicken. I've lost a few but never found them - I would just find a small pile of feathers. We finally decided it was a hawk swooping down on them in broad daylight so we covered the top of the run with wire and it stopped.
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