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Two of Our Chickens Died
How it happened and how we’re handling it
When we got chicks I expected they might not all survive. They are livestock, they live outdoors, they’re birds. They are susceptible to illness, predators, even (in terrible circumstances) bullying by members of their own flock — bullying which can even lead to death.
But there’s something quite different about knowing it’s a possibility and going through it in person.
The First Signs of Sickness
As a new chicken owner, I admit I certainly don’t know everything there is to know about chickens. I’m not even in the ballpark of being an expert. Despite having read copious blogs and a few books I know that, much like everything in life, there’s always more to learn.
I noticed some changes in one of our bird’s droppings but wasn’t sure how to figure out exactly who the droppings belonged to. They were green and watery-looking; definitely unusual compared to how they normally appeared. Everyone was acting normal, though, and it wasn’t easy to figure out until I saw it happen with my own eyes.
I finally realized which bird it was coming from: Angel, the calmest and easiest to handle of the Orpingtons.
