# Lost a chicken



## cheepcheep (Aug 11, 2013)

Hello, we lost our sweet Rhode Island Red thus weekend, and I don't know why. She was 4 years old and in good health when I walked out and found her in the coop isolated and panting a bit I left her by the water and said a prayer. When I came out to feed them she was gone. I noticed her bum looked a little weird almost like partially open. I don't know if I could've done something or what? I don't want this to happen again, anyone else deal with this? Thank you, I'm so sad now.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Egg bound or prolapse leading to egg bound. Old chicken of a high production breed, the most likely scenario for their death is reproductive related. It would be educational for you to do a necropsy of this bird and see the inside of her and what was causing the difficulty. 

This is one good reason to do a yearly cull of birds not laying steadily so as to cull them before they develop painful conditions that lead to a bad death. This is why I try to discourage the mindset that one can just let birds retire and die a "natural" death on their own...because it most often isn't a pleasant death for a retired layer.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

I'm sorry cheep, cheep. =(


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## jennifer (May 14, 2013)

Yes I haven't had to experience this yet.. But plan to downsize the flock each year and add in young hens. My neighbor had 12 year old hens.. Every so often now one dies. She's down to for and started 13 years ago with 35... I've got an old one that needs to be culled. She no longer ranges with the flock up to the house. Always separated. She lays every day and usually double Yolks. This spring when I get my new batch I will downsize my 3 older hens. 
Poor you! I know it's hard.


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## cheepcheep (Aug 11, 2013)

Thank you everyone for your support, it's always hard to loose a pet, every chicken is a part of our family! So, I have never heard of culling so I looked it up, it is best to have them killed when they stop laying? I had no idea, how sad  
I knew folks chose to since they weren't getting eggs but I didn't realize the health problems they experience as they age. So the typical 7-8 year lifetime expectancy isn't really accurate in laying hens? We had to take out our turkey and that was so hard and we still haven't brought ourselves to eat him.... 
So sad


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

cheepcheep said:


> Thank you everyone for your support, it's always hard to loose a pet, every chicken is a part of our family! So, I have never heard of culling so I looked it up, it is best to have them killed when they stop laying? I had no idea, how sad
> I knew folks chose to since they weren't getting eggs but I didn't realize the health problems they experience as they age. So the typical 7-8 year lifetime expectancy isn't really accurate in laying hens? We had to take out our turkey and that was so hard and we still haven't brought ourselves to eat him....
> So sad


Culling them before they suffer and then die is more merciful and it also doesn't waste the bird's life by wasting their meat. A chicken is not like a cat or dog...they actually produce food and will keep doing it far past the age when they can do it safely.

Much like a person still breeding a cow past when it is possible for her to have and feed a calf at an advanced age. With the cow one can just choose not to breed her and she can totter into old age...but a chicken cannot choose to stop ovulating and producing eggs.

Many people manage to keep chickens to a ripe old age..I have kept them to 6-7 yrs of age and they were still producing well. But, when they stop producing regularly or start to show abnormal laying patterns such as soft eggs, egg yolks without a shell of any kind, double yolks, etc. that indicate they are having problems with ovulation and reproductive performance, it's best to do some preventative management at that time and kill them before they have to suffer.

I have 2 six year old hens that are currently on my fall processing list as they are showing signs of advanced age that could lead to problems with laying. After having them for so long, I could not bear the thought of them suffering before they die...they've earned a better death than that.

High production birds like RIR aren't often the breed that one can keep so long as mine...they tend to burn out on laying sooner and are prone to reproductive issues because of their genetics. There are exceptions to every rule and some do well into older ages but I've not known any in my flocks to do so.

I've managed to prevent ever having birds die from prolapse or egg bound issues by doing a yearly cull of any birds not laying every day or every other day in peak laying season of Mar/April. If a bird is not laying at peak during that time, it is likely she is not a regular layer.

A chicken stays pretty healthy in her reproductive organs if she is steadily laying throughout the year, no matter the age, but when her body starts to misfire on ovulation or starts to show other issues with laying such as shell less eggs, double yolks, too large or too small eggs from her normal, during peak laying times, it is likely time for her to be culled.

This yearly cull prevents a lot of issues in the flock with laying problems, ill health, parasites, etc, as the birds who are not laying steadily are those that are likely to experience these issues. It also makes room for younger birds to be introduced so that you can still have eggs to eat.


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## jennifer (May 14, 2013)

Well said Bee, gentle and informative.


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## cheepcheep (Aug 11, 2013)

Wow Bee thank you so much, what an insightful post you gave really opened our eyes. My husband and I are going to talk about how we do things with our girls.


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## GratefulGirl (Sep 10, 2012)

cheepcheep said:


> Hello, we lost our sweet Rhode Island Red thus weekend, and I don't know why. She was 4 years old and in good health when I walked out and found her in the coop isolated and panting a bit I left her by the water and said a prayer. When I came out to feed them she was gone. I noticed her bum looked a little weird almost like partially open. I don't know if I could've done something or what? I don't want this to happen again, anyone else deal with this? Thank you, I'm so sad now.


So sorry for your loss. Gentle hugs.


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