[little blue]

not three french, but two dead hens (pullets really) today      

they were this years hatch, one Derbyshire redcap & one plymouth barred rock.
so thats two less laying next year, and another of my rare breed gone.

  think it must be the cold, and I suppose they may have been last in line for food once too often though we do our very best to spread it out....
they seemed quite thin (but then, once they're dead they're not much to look at)

so sad here today   

[dyedinthewool]

So Sorry Little Blue 
I know how sad that can be - My lovely Silver Laced Orpington Cockerel came out of his shed and within 5 minutes keeled over, he was a this years hatching - I only had 3 hatch so I'm left with a little pullet and another cockerel -lovely though he is he's not a patch on the one that died.  it has to be the cold.

[Sudanpan]

 

[Rosemary]

What a shame. I always expect to lose a couple over the winter - not always oldies either.

[manian]

ahh so sorry
 

[sheardale]

Sorry to hear about your hens
Helen

[CameronS]

it's about tiem this weather went, i'm fed up finding dead birds of some descript, be it a chook, or a house bird

[plumseverywhere]

oh no little blue, I'm sorry. never nice to lose them but when they are so young as well very sad 

each morning i open the sheds expecting some losses but we have (touch wood) been lucky so far - only one 'gone' and that was I am sure mr fox as he came back next day, cheeky git.

take care xx

[little blue]

thanks all.
I feel extra guilty for considering culling the older birds once we establish who is laying and who isnt!

on the plus side... I found a HUGE rat frozen solid the other week at the front of the shed  :  so thats one less...

[plumseverywhere]

1 less rat always a good thing!! snowball is still bringing them in the house, some dead but some alive (bad cat!!) sometimes she eats the middle bit and we just get a head and tail in the kitchen to wake up to, bleugh.

[little blue]

nice.  ours are like that - we check out the body language before opening the door after Del let loose a live mouse under the grand piano 5 minutes before J was teaching in there.  he stores all manner of stuff underneath it, which all had to come out.... Del wandered off, and it took Ages to catch the Bl**dy thing!!

we get bits left on the step though...

[plumseverywhere]

Its when you wander into the kitchen still half asleep and bare foot - squelch    bless'em.
did J get the mouse out in time for teaching?

[doganjo]

That's why I didn't re-install the cat flap when I put my new doors and windows in!  No more dead things or live running things either

[little blue]

we got it out eventually, with two cats' help & the student waited very patiently & climbed round the books and stuff!

[northfifeduckling]

we had one nesting under the sofa. Told the cat off that she's got it wrong, we want less of them in the house not more because she lost them!
 
Sorry about your birds, LB, so distressing when they go before their time.