# Does anyone have Rainbow chickens?



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

I just ordered some day old chicks. I have read everything that I could find about them. They sound wonderful. Do any of you have them?


----------



## Yellowsnow (May 11, 2016)

What's a Rainbow Chicken?


----------



## aart (Oct 20, 2012)

Rainbow broilers?


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Dixie Rainbow chickens. They we're developed in Europe several years ago. From what I have read they are the answer to a homesteaders answer to raising meat and eggs with just one breed of chicken. There was a post on here back in 2013 but for some reason it just stopped.
Look them up they seem to be perfect. They do not handle heat very well. But will cool them selves in a baby pool if you give them one.
I get mine this week and will post again then.


----------



## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

Why would anyone want to limit themselves to just one breed of chicken?


----------



## Yellowsnow (May 11, 2016)

feedbunns said:


> Dixie Rainbow chickens. They we're developed in Europe several years ago. From what I have read they are the answer to a homesteaders answer to raising meat and eggs with just one breed of chicken. There was a post on here back in 2013 but for some reason it just stopped.
> Look them up they seem to be perfect. They do not handle heat very well. But will cool them selves in a baby pool if you give them one.
> I get mine this week and will post again then.


I always thought Dixie Rainbows were a crossbreed for the "Slow Growing" broiler fad. I guess I'll read up on them.

Though I am biased, as I do not believe the "New Breeds" of chickens can do anything better than well bred heritage fowl.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

There are several reasons for having 1 breed of chicken. I always wanted several breeds because they are so pretty to look at. But I live on 1 acre so,if I only have 1 breed I can sell prue bred chicks that I hatch.
My favorite broiler to eat are the white Cornish cross. They are so tender. But I can not breed and sale thme as they are highbreds. And they do not live long and are not good egg layers. I always wanted to make up my own breed that is good to eat and lives through heat and lays lots of eggs, but never got around to it. But seems like these Europe folks have done it. 
I found a post about these chicks from this forum buy searching info on Google. I do not know how to attach it for all of you but maybe you can find it. It is 18 pages long of praise for this breed, but then ends in 2013. .?????


----------



## rininger85 (Feb 29, 2016)

from what I've read people are saying that the "Dixie rainbow" is the same as the "Freedom ranger", just can't call them freedom rangers because freedom ranger is trademarked. I'm sure each hatchery has their own name for this cross... I'm reading mixed reviews on success of breeding them and if they breed true or not since they are crosses, but I'm going to keep a couple hens out of my freedom rangers and one rooster and see what happens.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

rininger85 said:


> from what I've read people are saying that the "Dixie rainbow" is the same as the "Freedom ranger", just can't call them freedom rangers because freedom ranger is trademarked. I'm sure each hatchery has their own name for this cross... I'm reading mixed reviews on success of breeding them and if they breed true or not since they are crosses, but I'm going to keep a couple hens out of my freedom rangers and one rooster and see what happens.


Yes all that you say is true. I guess that we will find out next year how they do.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Here are my new sweet baby's. They are so much bigger than other day old chicks that they came in 2 boxes.
Sorry I sent upside down pictures. Uhg!


----------



## Yellowsnow (May 11, 2016)

Good looking chicks. Do you have anyway of weighing them each week? The weights would be helpful for others who are thinking about getting them, and us curious folk.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Yes I can do that for now. I have a small kitchen scale. 
Here they are today I moved them to the top of my basement stairs ( yes I am creative). Hey are so happy just eating and running.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Sorry upside down again. Try this one,


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

2 days old weighs opr. 2 ounces. This little chick is the only dark one. I should be able to weigh daily.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

I picked up this little chick to weigh her saw that she is sick. I have raised chicks for over 20 years and have never seen this type illnesses. She had a white discharge on her but and problems breathing. She is the second one to have this. So,I was very worried that I might loos all of them. I wrote to all of y'all poultry folks and was told to run to the feed store for antibiotics and electrolytes.
Living in a farm community I was afraid that I would not find any antibiotics on a holiday weekend. But I did. So all of the chicks are medicated now and seem to be doing fine.
They are sweet little chicks that run to me instead of from me. Might be hard to butcher, but I will! I LOVE fried chicken......


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Picked out one chick to weigh. Looks like apr. 4 ounces. They do not seem to be growing real fast but I see them all the time. The dark brown chick is doing fine now.. I just gave them some Strawberrys and they went nuts chasing each other. It is so funny when chicks do that. I video them but do not know how to up load it.
I think,that I got the video loaded.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Pictures 
Can't seem to get the video on???.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

The other picture,


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Chicks will be 2 weeks old in 2 more days. I weighed one of them 4.75 ounces.
I do not think that they are growing as fast as I had read on BYC. But they are growing. 
I have the hen house ready for them, but we have been having storms at night. So I have kept them in. 
I am working on the outside of the hen house. I will get before and after pictures.


----------



## Agriculture (Jun 8, 2015)

Nothing on BYC is accurate, except the stupidity.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Agriculture said:


> Nothing on BYC is accurate, except the stupidity.


Oh dear!


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Ok they are in the hen house now. They are very calm chicks. They did not mind the move from the house to the hen house. I did put the heat lamp on last night for them. It got down to 60 here. They might not need it but they seemed to like it.


----------



## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

They still need supplemental heat until they are full-feathered - about 4 1/2 to 5 weeks.

If they are two weeks old, they should be maintained at about 80 degrees. Subtract 5 degrees each week. If I recall, you had sick chicks a few days ago. I wouldn't push my luck.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Alder said:


> They still need supplemental heat until they are full-feathered - about 4 1/2 to 5 weeks.
> 
> If they are two weeks old, they should be maintained at about 80 degrees. Subtract 5 degrees each week. If I recall, you had sick chicks a few days ago. I wouldn't push my luck.



Thank you so much. These chicks are very important to me. It is warmer tonight but I'll turn on their light anyway.
Thanks


----------



## aart (Oct 20, 2012)

I hope that hole in the back corner is covered with hardware cloth that is not apparent in pic.


----------



## JessieandAli (Jul 2, 2016)

I have a mixed flock. I have one Rainbow. I know them as Rainbow production chickens so she may be a completely different breed than what you have. She is more orange than a RR. She is a big hen. I have never thought about butchering one. We buy the Cornish Cross in the fall and butcher those. We have butchered some roo's from laying stock in the past. I have a few hens that go broody and we hatch once a year so inevitably we have some roo's. We no longer butcher them now though.
If/when you butcher the Rainbows please post. I would be interested to know how much meat they yield. My numbers are low and I never mind picking up babies to add to the flock. Egg layers are fine for soup chicken for my crew. A dressed bird...would have to be a Cornish or they may retaliate! LOL.
Also as a side note on the Cornish Cross. We have found Fall to be a better choice for butchering. They are SO messy because they get so big so fast and defecate so much the fly problem can be a REAL problem. Fly strike can get them. If you buy in the Fall and let them grow they are more comfortable and they stay cool and can get bigger. Also the fly issue subsides.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

JessieandAli said:


> I have a mixed flock. I have one Rainbow. I know them as Rainbow production chickens so she may be a completely different breed than what you have. She is more orange than a RR. She is a big hen. I have never thought about butchering one. We buy the Cornish Cross in the fall and butcher those. We have butchered some roo's from laying stock in the past. I have a few hens that go broody and we hatch once a year so inevitably we have some roo's. We no longer butcher them now though.
> If/when you butcher the Rainbows please post. I would be interested to know how much meat they yield. My numbers are low and I never mind picking up babies to add to the flock. Egg layers are fine for soup chicken for my crew. A dressed bird...would have to be a Cornish or they may retaliate! LOL.
> Also as a side note on the Cornish Cross. We have found Fall to be a better choice for butchering. They are SO messy because they get so big so fast and defecate so much the fly problem can be a REAL problem. Fly strike can get them. If you buy in the Fall and let them grow they are more comfortable and they stay cool and can get bigger. Also the fly issue subsides.


I will keep this thread updated. I started raising chicks in 1997 I would have started sooner but I lived in Houston. All of my life I wanted to live off the land. I must hav made some poor choices, I am still trying at 54 and I have lots of health probes but I just want quit trying.
I started out raising barred rocks for meat and eggs but I thought that they were kinda tough. So then I started raising broilers for meat. The best meat chicks that I have ever raised , for taste are the Cornish cross from Hoover haterchery here in Iowa. I do not know why but they were absolutely delish. my problem with buying broilers every year is the cost. I live on a very limited budget and can not afford that exspenc every year. That is why I am really hoping that these work out. I realize that they not breed true. It is worth it to me to try. And I could even use a different roo. Maybe a white rock? Just a thought.
Thanks lisa


----------



## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

Keep track of who is the fastest growing, meatiest rooster of the bunch and keep him for breeding when you axe the rest for meat. You should still end up with some decent second generation chicks.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Alder said:


> Keep track of who is the fastest growing, meatiest rooster of the bunch and keep him for breeding when you axe the rest for meat. You should still end up with some decent second generation chicks.


Sounds good I will try to weigh some tomorrow.
The little dark brown pullet died. All the others doing great!


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

I just weighed one little roo he weighs 9.38 ounces. They are double the size that they are in the last picture.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Their first day outside. They will be 3 weeks old on the 18th.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

They are 3 and a half weeks old now. I weighed one roo he weighs 17.35 ounces. They are doing great. We enjoy just sitting out and watching them.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

It is only letting me post 1 picture. Weird!


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

We are having a heat wave! I wanted to put something in with the chicks that they could get into with water in it. But, I did not want to spend any money. I looked through my out buildings and found this plastic sled that I had bought on clearance. I washed it and filled it with water. They like it. They can walk around in the water and get a cool drink too. I did not get a picture of them playing in the water. I can never remember to bring my camera or their scraps!!!


----------



## JustineInWA (Jan 23, 2010)

It's very cool to see how these are growing for you. I'm excited to see your finished, butchered product! I'm considering getting some of these guys in the spring for our meat chickens so I'm enjoying this thread


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Thank you JustineinWa
My husband and I are really enjoying these guys. They are not as fast growing as white broilers but they do not have any leg problems ect.
I just weighed a little roo. He is right at 2 pounds. 5 weeks old now. Here are some pictures of them this evening after we have had 5 inches of rain.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

The little room getting weighed.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

5 week old Dixie Rainbow playing outside.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

They are 6 weeks old now and weigh approximately 2 and a half pounds.
We finally finished the fencing that I wanted. They have nearly half of an acre to run in now. They are so happy.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

New fencing


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

What is the old saying? A bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush. Hhmmm


----------



## JustineInWA (Jan 23, 2010)

I like how they're ending up all different colors. I guess that's the "Rainbow" in Rainbow chickens, hm?


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

These guys are 7 weeks now. They almost look like adults. I tried to find the biggest rooster to weigh But they all look about the same. The one that I weighed was almost 4 lbs. maybe more than that. The only scale I have is very small it is for weighing angora wool.
They are all healthy and doing very good. One roosters finds a way out every day. I only have 1 rooster that has red wings and he is the one that gets out every day.... Good greif. 
I hope that all of you are having a great summer.
This is my first selfy,,, it would be with a chicken lol


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

They enjoy being outside


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Nap time!


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

I got a better scale and weighed one rooster just now. He was almost 4 pounds. They look big enough to eat, but when I pick them up to see how much meat is on them. They are not there yet. However I like my fryers small so it will not be to much longer.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Posing for his picture!


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

9 weeks old now. I butchers 2 Roos today. I was pleasantly surprised that they weighed 3 and a half pounds dressed.. I guess that I will have some fried chicken this weekend.
I will let y'all know how they taste as soon as I can get around to frying them.
I thank all of you who have been interested. I will continue this thread to follow the hens and see how I do with chicks hatching this coming spring.
Thanks Lisa


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Fryer at 9 weeks.


----------



## Irene (Aug 30, 2016)

Feedbunns, thanks for all the posts! I just joined and it was very interesting to see you go from chicks to dressed birds! Loved all the pics too!!


----------



## aart (Oct 20, 2012)

Don't forget to let them rest in fridge for 48-72 hours until rigor mortis passes.


----------



## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Thanks for sharing your journey with the chicks!


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

I butchered this fryer Thursday morning, fried him up just now after letting him rest in the frig for 2 days. Aart is right about that, Very important!
But I am very disappointed!!!!! I am a southern born Lady transplanted to Iowa 8 years ago and I know how to fry chicken. But this guy was a little chewy especially for his young age. These fryers had very big livers, hearts and gizzards. I have never seen fryers with such. That part was delicious. They also had thick yellow skin. I have never seen such thick skin on any fryer young or old! The skin was chewy too. I am really disappointed. My plan now is to butcher most of them, maybe keep one roo and 2 or 3 hens. I have 3 laying hens now a 2 year old leghorn a 1 year old buff Orpington and a mixed breed that I hatched this past spring. I also have 5 little black cooper Marans that I hatched 3 weeks ago. That will be more than enough laying hens to get through our long winters.
However being a woman I might Chang my mind! Either way I will continue this thread. But for now I would not recommend this breed!


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Southern fried chicken


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

Irene said:


> Feedbunns, thanks for all the posts! I just joined and it was very interesting to see you go from chicks to dressed birds! Loved all the pics too!!



Thank you, I am working hard at this.


----------



## rininger85 (Feb 29, 2016)

I've not been overly impressed with my 'Freedom rangers' which seem to be similar composure to these. They are nice that they are still healthy birds and much more active than the Cornish X, but for the amount of food I'm going through they are not giving me much meat. I am down to 4 hens left then I probably will not raise them again... the amount of work to clean them is no less than the Cornish X, but I get half as much meat at over 2x the age... I think the 4 I have left are about 18+ weeks old right now and when I butchered the last rooster a couple weeks ago still not even close to comparable to what I got off an 8 week cornish X and I've fed them so much more food... The only benefit to these birds as I can see is that you would never get a Cornish X to survive to 18 weeks. These girls are still active, they come running/flying out of the coop just about as fast as all of my layers do when I open the door. They can be found on the far side of the yard foraging for food, and at night they jump up on top of my feed storage trash cans and sleep with the layers that sleep on top of the trash cans... so they are healthier more active and could probably be kept for breed stock without a problem, but the amount of food they eat for the amount of meat they make just doesn't work out to make them economical in my book.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

I had not thought of it that way rininger. But you are right. How do,yours taste though? The broilers that I raised several,years ago from Hoover hatchery were the best tasting chicken that I had ever eaten. Very tender and moist.
I could get used to the meat being a little chewy if I want to. Just haven't made up my mind yet.


----------



## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

One big benefit of the CornishX is that they can be butchered at 8 weeks. Very tender at that young age, helped along by the fact that they aren't very active by choice. 

And yes, the economics are such that the most feed efficient bird for meat IS the CornishX Broiler. That is, if you plan to feed them. A free -ranger that has to fend for itself for 18 weeks may be cheap, but not what most people want in a meat bird.


----------



## rininger85 (Feb 29, 2016)

feedbunns said:


> I had not thought of it that way rininger. But you are right. How do,yours taste though? The broilers that I raised several,years ago from Hoover hatchery were the best tasting chicken that I had ever eaten. Very tender and moist.
> I could get used to the meat being a little chewy if I want to. Just haven't made up my mind yet.


I don't know if I can really tell the difference between the Cornish X and the Freedom Rangers in flavor (but I have not ate them side by side to be able to compare them... I'm not sure if I have any cornish X left in the freezer to cook them side by side to compare or not... will have to do some digging because they are buried under a pig in the freezer if I have any left). There is the difference in the Freedom Rangers being a very yellow skin, but most of them I have skinned them because I don't have an efficient way of scalding and plucking them yet so it is easier for me to skin them and take the meat off the carcass. The freedom rangers do seem to have more dark meat than the cornish X in my opinion (but again I have not done a side by side comparison, and I we had only been tossing dark meat in the crock pot and cooking it down with all of my cornish X so far, it wasn't until the last few freedom rangers that I've butchered that we started frying the wings), and the other difference is the freedom rangers are not 'double breasted' so you don't get the big thick breast on the freedom rangers (which my wife prefers, but I will probably just start slicing the breasts in half on the cornish X before I freeze them then it would be better for her).



Alder said:


> One big benefit of the CornishX is that they can be butchered at 8 weeks. Very tender at that young age, helped along by the fact that they aren't very active by choice.
> 
> And yes, the economics are such that the most feed efficient bird for meat IS the CornishX Broiler. That is, if you plan to feed them. A free -ranger that has to fend for itself for 18 weeks may be cheap, but not what most people want in a meat bird.


We tried the freedom rangers just for an alternative expecting they would take 12-14 weeks compared to the 8 weeks of the cornish X, but I've let them go much longer... looking at the calendar now where I wrote down when I got the freedom rangers I bought them April 19th, so tomorrow they will be 21 weeks (I couldn't remember when I had bought them was why I said 18+ weeks but now I'm at work where my calendar is at that I wrote down when I bought each batch of chickens). They are still not very comparable to the size of the Cornish X (as far as meat is concerned) at 21 weeks vs. 8 weeks cornish X (their bodies are bigger but the meat on their bodies is smaller)... so I think I'll probably just go back to the Cornish X next year. I've been feeding them all along, they are allowed to forage but only when I am home. I close them in the coop with my layers at night and let them out for a few hours every night when I get home from work, but they have pretty much 24 hour access to food unless they run out before I refill the feeder... so if they were only foragers I could see them being OK at taking this long but since they are being grained 24 hours a day they cost me too much to raise them.

Eventually I plan on building a second coop, then maybe once I can keep them separate from my layers and rotate what days I let them out of the coop so they can't get in to the layer's feed then maybe I could try them again as true foragers and only supplement feed on days I don't let them out...


----------



## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Generally, faster growing animals, that mature quickly are more tender. If you expect them to forage for their meal, slow down their rate of gain by about 300%, expect toughness. This goes for pigs, beef and chickens.


----------



## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

Flavor and tenderness have an inverse relationship. For more tenderness in economically raised non broiler breeds, age the meat a little longer.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

I butchered the rest of the roosters, kept 2 for the flock. Cleaned they weighed 4 and a half pounds. That is a lot of chicken. 
The flock is doing well, very calm and pretty birds. I plan to hatch some this coming January or February to sell chicks. Maybe make back some of the money that I spent raising them. And I hope to plenty of eggs to sell this winter.
Later.
Lisa


----------



## rininger85 (Feb 29, 2016)

I still have 3 of my freedom ranger hens... they are 5 1/2+ months old right now. They are bigger than the rest of my hens, but surprisingly very very active. They have always jumped up on top of the feed buckets (32 gallon trash cans) to sleep at night, but now I have one that has decided she wanted a higher roost and is camping out on top of all of my nest boxes (more than 6ft high) and if I go to close the door after dark and I kick the lights on to feed them or collect eggs it will fly down from that 6+ft perch to the ground... I'm still very surprised how active they are for being bigger than the rest of the birds. I think these birds can easily live a happy long life and be able to hatch eggs without a problem. They have been laying eggs for a while now and quite often I will find one of them laying on eggs while everyone else is out of the coop. I ended up butchering both of my roosters though because they were getting too aggressive and I noticed they had started hurting some of the girls. Eventually I'll get a pen to keep a rooster in and a pen to keep a hen in so I can breed and hatch some chicks but I won't tolerate a rooster on the loose if he's physically hurting the girls with his aggressiveness (I noticed one with big raw chunks of meat missing out of it's sides I'm assuming from the rooster's spurs digging in to her as he tried mounting her).


----------



## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

You just need a better rooster. Or to trim his spurs.


----------



## rininger85 (Feb 29, 2016)

Just FYI... my "freedom rangers" which I believe are the same thing that was being sold here as "rainbow chickens" I've had for 9 months as of today. I still have 3 hens that I've been keeping just to see how they do long term. They are all still healthy happy birds for the time being (they will probably get eaten soon... as soon as I have time to clean them anyways which might not really be that soon).


----------



## Sprkling (Sep 28, 2014)

You are stronger than me. After I raise them from cute fuzzies I can't butcher them. I just raise chickens for eggs and insect control and personal entertainment. I like the idea of raising my own meat, but just can't bring myself to take the life to do it. 

As to dual purpose birds, I was browsing various chicken websites (actually was looking for an affordable source for Ayam Cemani chicks, I have 1 rooster but no pullets his breed) and found this breed. It sounds really interesting. Bielefelder chickens. http://www.brinkhavenacres.com/store/p32/Bielefelder_Day-Old_Chick.html


----------



## rininger85 (Feb 29, 2016)

Sprkling there are probably people in your area that would butcher the chickens for you if you wanted to try raising your own meat birds. I take half of mine to a guy that all he does is butcher chickens for a living (he used to work where I work, but injured his back so he quit and then found that butchering chickens through the summer is enough for him to live on and frees up a lot of time to work on other homestead things). I pay $3 a bird for the ones I take to him to have butchered. Even with paying him $3 a bird I figure I pay about $1.48 a pound to buy the chickens, feed them, and pay to butcher them (for cornish X, these freedom rangers cost me a lot more in feed, but you could just pasture them and not worry about paying for feed, but mine are in with my hens so they have access to feed all the time).


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

hi every one. sorry i have been so long with out a word. i sold some of my dixie Rainbow hens. i have 6 hens left and 2 roosters. the roosters are so large i did not want them with the hens. they are in my chicken tracter that has been winterized. I plan to sell them at an auction this spring. in the past i have gotten 40 + $ for a large pure bred roo. and these roos are very calm. 
i also have 2 Black Copper Maran hens and 3 BCM roosters. i have these hens and roosters together with the Dixie rainbow hens. I have an incubator full of eggs due to hatch on the 10nth. plan to sell these chicks localy.
I get 4-6 eggs a day, some of the dixie hens lay double yoke eggs. if any of you would like some eggs to hatch just let me know. I can mail them out to you. i hatched the BCM from eggs that i bought online. i think that they are my favorite chickens.
i am working on getting a web site up, ugh. the web site will be for my Angora rabbits and wool for sale. But I am so dumb, i need help with how to use my own computer! HELP !!!!
thanks for going through this adventure with me.
Lisa


----------



## DandeeRose (Mar 15, 2013)

Thanks for the journey! Pretty chicken breed. I'd never heard of them.


----------



## feedbunns (Jul 6, 2013)

rininger is right about these hens. They are very active. I have my 3rd batch of eggs in the incubator. they have been hatching well. And these hens lay very well. Large brown eggs.


----------



## rininger85 (Feb 29, 2016)

I lost my last one of these chickens yesterday. She was 10 months 18 days that I had her. I lost the last couple of them to a predator (two different minks that I shot after seeing I had dead chickens in the coop). This last one I'm not sure what happened... I think she might have had a problem laying an egg because she died on top of the egg pile where she normally lays at, did not appear to be any foul play, so I think it was probably a fluke that she died.


----------

