Rosalind
Deeply Rooted
Sorry to hear that. 
+1 to what patandchickens said, as usual. The ones that are not known for being super-productive seem to last longer. Also, for what it's worth, my "mutt" chickens (EEs) and the spendy Phoenix from a serious breeder seem to be darn near indestructible, while the purebreds from the hatchery drop like hamsters. That is, if they are an official breed but carelessly bred from a big hatchery (in my case, standard Cochin, Buttercup, Welsummer, Barnevelder), they tend not to last or to have some sort of health issue mandating vet treatment or euthanasia. If they are an official breed but come from a breeder who is exceptionally careful about their genetics and bloodlines (i.e. my Phoenix) or else some sort of mutt (EE), then they appear to survive anything short of a meteor strike or nuclear attack.
I used to cry a LOT when they would die--of egg binding, lost a few to predators, and lost two to Marek's vaccine failure. Now, eh, part of the circle of life. Or maybe I'm getting old enough to accept death myself? Doom comes for us all...chickens and humans alike...
+1 to what patandchickens said, as usual. The ones that are not known for being super-productive seem to last longer. Also, for what it's worth, my "mutt" chickens (EEs) and the spendy Phoenix from a serious breeder seem to be darn near indestructible, while the purebreds from the hatchery drop like hamsters. That is, if they are an official breed but carelessly bred from a big hatchery (in my case, standard Cochin, Buttercup, Welsummer, Barnevelder), they tend not to last or to have some sort of health issue mandating vet treatment or euthanasia. If they are an official breed but come from a breeder who is exceptionally careful about their genetics and bloodlines (i.e. my Phoenix) or else some sort of mutt (EE), then they appear to survive anything short of a meteor strike or nuclear attack.
I used to cry a LOT when they would die--of egg binding, lost a few to predators, and lost two to Marek's vaccine failure. Now, eh, part of the circle of life. Or maybe I'm getting old enough to accept death myself? Doom comes for us all...chickens and humans alike...
