I have no idea what forum to post this in!
I have an 11x17 coop that held 19 hens and 2 roos (187 sq ft = about 47 birds.) Plenty of room for feed storage, and spare bags of pine shavings. They are about 6 months old, and I have had all that stuff in there from day one.
A couple of weeks ago, I used part of a bag of pine shavings, folded the top over, and pushed the folded top up against the coop wall; I had done this before, several times. This AM I reopened the bag -- and found a dead EE and a blue egg buried about halfway down the shavings. The bag was 3" or 4" from the coop wall.
Most of the nest boxes have pine shavings in them. I guess she just wanted a different nest, climbed in and laid her egg, and couldn't get out. She had to try hard to get in there. She either died this AM or yesterday.
I don't name my chickens (well, not most of them,) and some are used for meat, but I know several of them as individuals, and certainly intend to offer all a safe and happy chicken life (this coop has a 75x75 yard which is full of greenery.) I also have a lawn chair in the coop, and I sit in there at least once a day and watch them a while, pet the ones who jump on my lap or approach, check them out for problems, etc. They mob me for treats when I go in because they get some sort of treat daily, or more.
Ugh, I hate this.
Just thought I might prevent another chicken death.
I have an 11x17 coop that held 19 hens and 2 roos (187 sq ft = about 47 birds.) Plenty of room for feed storage, and spare bags of pine shavings. They are about 6 months old, and I have had all that stuff in there from day one.
A couple of weeks ago, I used part of a bag of pine shavings, folded the top over, and pushed the folded top up against the coop wall; I had done this before, several times. This AM I reopened the bag -- and found a dead EE and a blue egg buried about halfway down the shavings. The bag was 3" or 4" from the coop wall.
Most of the nest boxes have pine shavings in them. I guess she just wanted a different nest, climbed in and laid her egg, and couldn't get out. She had to try hard to get in there. She either died this AM or yesterday.
I don't name my chickens (well, not most of them,) and some are used for meat, but I know several of them as individuals, and certainly intend to offer all a safe and happy chicken life (this coop has a 75x75 yard which is full of greenery.) I also have a lawn chair in the coop, and I sit in there at least once a day and watch them a while, pet the ones who jump on my lap or approach, check them out for problems, etc. They mob me for treats when I go in because they get some sort of treat daily, or more.
Ugh, I hate this.
Just thought I might prevent another chicken death.
