4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[LottieR]

Sorry. bit of a morbid topic, but after Lucias post I have been thinking.

 

When a chicken dies/gets ill if you don't removed it quickly enough will it be turned on by the other chicken or is that a rare occurrence? Although I would love chickens the thought of one being pecked to death by the other does make it loose its appeal.

[Willow]

One of our older girls recently died overnight and was untouched by the others. She hadn't been ill and we suspect it was a stroke as it was clearly quick and in her sleep.

[Egluntyne]

I've found one or two dead in the run or nest box over the years, and they have never been 'investigated' by the others. It is as if they know.

[Ness3103]

sorry to intrude on the thread but i read somewhere that you're not allowed to bury your chickens if they die and that you have to have them cremated, is this true?

[chelsea]

I agree. The hens do seem to know/sense that the other hen has passed.

 

The only time I would worry about pecking is when you have a live poorly hen who is being pecked and blood is being drawn - at that point you will have to remove the poorly girl from the flock to prevent further injury. Hens are attracted to blood and will peck away given the chance.

[BeckyBoo]

I've not had one pecked when it died, but I used to work at a garden centre that had 80 hens and one that died overnight there was eaten by the others

And you can bury them, but it does run the risk of attracting foxes if you don't a) bury them deep enough and b) they can resurface years later (my buried dog came back from the dead last year 15 years after his demise )

 

Callously I put mine in the bin I'm afraid but the children either keep or bury some feathers. Don't ever eat a chicken that has died!

 

BeckyBoo

[Egluntyne]

I put mine in the bin after having had to rebury one of mine a couple of times before I abandoned the idea. If you do bury them, cover the site with heavy rocks.

 

What you must not do is burn them...that must only be done at specialist incinerators.

[LottieR]

That does put my mind at rest, thankyou. It had really been putting me off of the idea of having them.

[Budgies]

Lottie, it's a horrible prospect I know, but you have to put it into perspective - most of us don't come up against this kind of thing, although I agree that it's useful to be aware that it does happen.

 

For chickens, the biggest incentive to peck is the sight of blood - providing someone is around some of the time each day, you can minimise the risk of damage to a hen by removing her and spraying the blood with a purple spray to disguise the colour red.

 

I never had a pecking problem with my two, even when Chutney prolapsed.

[tara]

l take my pets to be cremated dog , cat , chicken ,gineapig , there pets so l dont treat any of them different hope this help