[RobH]

I’m sorry to report we lost a chicken overnight, she was our smallest Bantam about 5 months. I can’t help but think it’s due to the cold?? The remaining 3 look to be eating and I have been making sure they have water (as it keeps freezing).

Is there anything I should be looking out for? Should I put more bedding down in the coop as they have never been ones for perching anyway!

What about changing their food?

Thanks in advance

Robert

[grumpydad]

dont think that it should be the cold, but at the moment mine are not eating many pellets, so in the cold, i have made sure that they have plenty of corn and grains down at least by lunch, so they can stock up.
i know that they should eat pallets, but they are not laying anyway, so i figure that they need whatever they will eat to get them over the really cold spell.

they love the chuck treats from garvo that i picked up at the stafford show

[joyfull]

wished I'd bought some of those garvo treats as I have heard good things about them and the rest of their feedstuffs and we don't have any stockist near me 

[grumpydad]

joy, none near me either, bought a bag of pellets, 4 bags of teats, a bag of high energy and alfalfa food, they seem to like it all so far, hoping it will help them over the winter.
i read good reports on the garvo range as well

[karlooben]

hi did she have any spytoms like coughing sneezing ,  do u know for sure that she was eating ? . birds can just drop dead without any warning i had one do that to me last winter and she was fine during the day .
they can have heartattacks like us or any animal , if i was u keep a close eye on the others an give them as much food as they want especailly thier pellets , corn should be fed as a treat for them late afternoon as it will help keep them warm at night .
u cam make thier pellets into a mash for them with warm water mine have that each morning and they eat the whole lot .

as for bedding u can use shavings for horses or even straw on the coop floor .

[RobH]

I cant be sure how much she was eating but you're right I'll keep an eye on the others. I've put some mixed corn in there coop tonight, hopefully this will keep them going during the night.

[Webby]

I know chickens eat most things but pallets and teats!!!

[too many girls]

i've had to bring Emma the poland into the house (my bedroom) she really wasn't coping with the cold at all, we've discovered she's a Michael Jackson fan, she's been bopping away to his concert, over balanced and fell head first in to a poinsetta plant )
 i think some of the smaller ornamental birds are less hardy, i'll try her back outside tomorrow, but if she still shows signs of being cold, she'll come back in.