Three days ago, in the morning, I found Rose, the 19-week-old blacktail, in the coop, on a perch, hunched up and looking poorly. No outward signs on examination, and when placed with the others she had a drink and sat down behind the drinker in a corner. Later in the day, and the next two days, she appeared normal, eating and drinking, bossing the others and crowding up to me as usual- as you can see in the second pic yesterday. She's the one nearest the camera, the dark brown pullet.
Today, in the morning, I found her cold and dead on the floor of the coop. No external signs of injury or illness. I suppose it was a heart attack. At least it doesn't look like anything that will affect the others.
I've learned how to make charts on my laptop and have produced some egg record sheets, to show which pullet has laid when, with columns for each bird. I've printed out the personalised sheets up until December, although so far only Lily Leghorn has used them. Now I have a spare column for the girl who never made it into lay. Perfect example of 'don't count your chickens'!
Today, in the morning, I found her cold and dead on the floor of the coop. No external signs of injury or illness. I suppose it was a heart attack. At least it doesn't look like anything that will affect the others.
I've learned how to make charts on my laptop and have produced some egg record sheets, to show which pullet has laid when, with columns for each bird. I've printed out the personalised sheets up until December, although so far only Lily Leghorn has used them. Now I have a spare column for the girl who never made it into lay. Perfect example of 'don't count your chickens'!
