# What am i doing wrong?



## mellie (Sep 15, 2012)

I started out with a duck that needed companions to grow up. I bought two chickens and a coop. What was suppose to be predator proof, wasnt. I saw the door open and whatever scratched the sides, got in, my duck was ok, but the two chickens were dead, no blood or anything. I immediately bought two more. Lucy and Ethel. Later adding Betty White. Then two more ducklings... Now all the ducks have taken to Mother Nature. Betty laid the first egg in mid December Lucy laid one about a week later. Ethel never laid one. Ethel died last night. I did notice her sitting on the ground in the barn, but didn't think much of it. She had been all alone. I am so heart broken. She was a cream Americauna with a beautiful beard and stashe. Being about 6 or 7 months old.... What happened? I couldn't wait for her first colored egg. Out of 5 chickens now I have lost 3. I hate it because ..well, I love them, but poor Lucy isn't a very smart chicken.... Betty is pretty smart and is self sufficient.... Lucy isn't.


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## Mamachickof14 (Aug 28, 2012)

Sorry to hear your news mellie. The same happened to me this morning. I let the girls out this morning and I counted only 13?? I opened up their coop and one was laying in there dead...nothing to give me a clue??? They were all OK last night when I locked them up for the night. Yesterday I let them free range for a couple hours which I do every chance I get. With the snow coming here in New York I figured they wouldnt be able to come out of their yard for a few days. I'm so afraid to think maybe its something catchy that my other 13 could get. Do you think its OK to eat the eggs not knowing for sure? This was my best bet to put out a post and see if anyone could give me advice?? Thanks and good luck with the ones you have left. I know how broken hearted it makes you feel. I just don't want it to be something I did wrong. Jen


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## realsis (Jan 13, 2013)

So sorry to hear about you're chickens! Very sad and one of my biggest fears! I'm very sad for you! Hope everything works out great for your new chickens! You got me wondering about my own chicken house now! It's also "supposed" to be safe! I better look it over good. Thank you for sharing your story.


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## mellie (Sep 15, 2012)

I just don't know. Not knowing the signs of egg bound, and she sat in the horse barn all alone yesterday... I wonder if she was squatting to push an egg. She didn't have any eggs yet, so no worry about eating eggs. Betty lays brown eggs and Lucy lays cream colored eggs and Ethel was suppose to lay blue eggs, or green. Our temps were cold, but not like the far north. It was above 20. I put extra hay in the coop. I put a blanket over the coop hoping to keep their heat in.


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## mellie (Sep 15, 2012)

Realsis, my coop has flimsy latches. I now block the doors with heavy door stops.


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## chickflick (Sep 23, 2012)

Seems like Ethel had some internal problem, since she never laid an egg. So sorry, it's always hard loosing one.


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