New to BYC. But, not chickens.

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MrStubbsT0F

MrStubbsT0F

Hatching
Feb 16, 2016
2
0
7
West by God
I'm from West Virginia. I'm 26 years old.
And I use to work at chicken houses and once upon a time a Chicken Plant. "Pilgrims Pride" (I know someone is probably going to hate me for that.)
But fact of the Matter.. for some small southern towns that's all there is.. so, I've done my share of Culling.
But here recently. I'm away from the chicken houses and plants. I've decided to start my own flock. But soon realized when you are not dealing with hundreds of thousands of chickens. . They are easy to get attached to. Needless to say.. I had to help one of my chicks to pass on. I know they are livestock.. but I believe the more love and passion you put into something. The better the outcome. Anyways.. I'm feeling down about this its been about an hour and a half since.. and looking for some forum pals... Thank you
-Stubbs
 
So sorry about your loss
hugs.gif
. I know how you feel - I have only a small flock and lost 2 last year and still miss those two hens. One is my Avatar, "Dottie".

It is quite a surprise to most of us when we get to know individual chickens and discover their personalities and how much fun they can be and love them just like other traditional pets.

My grandparents would not have approved of how my gals get spoiled and pampered - but those were much different times.

Let the past go and move on to the present and the future. And be glad you no longer have to work in the commercial chicken field - a very hard way to earn a living IMO.

welcome-byc.gif
I am so glad you decided to join us. You are among friends here
smile.png


You should post an intro under the New Members forum to get a proper welcoming.
 
Hi Stubbs, and welcome to BYC - glad that you have joined us. Its never nice to have to cull one your animals, but putting an end to suffering is more humane than a long and lingering death. You are right that if you put your energy and effort into keeping animals, you do get attached - I've seen many farmers naming the milking cows by name in herds of 50+, so its not just us chicken people.

"where there's livestock, there's deadstock" - bum deal, but life. I hope that you will feel a little better as the day goes on.

All the best
CT
 
Hi Stubbs,

My friend sunflour said some good things. When you have a small flock (I currently have 9) you do get attached. People that haven't ever had a few birds have a hard time understanding that...that's why BYC is such a wonderful place, we all "get" it. My girls are my pets and I hate it when something happens to them, just as I would hate it with a dog or cat.

I'm sure you did the best you could for your chicken. But as you know, things happen sometimes. And it's not right to let any animal suffer so sometimes culling has to be done. When you're attached to them, it's never easy so your feelings are understandable.

I'm glad you've joined us and even if it could be under better circumstances, I'd like to say
welcome-byc.gif
. You're among friends here!
 
Thank you all. I come from a bloodline where there is no compassion when you have/need to put one of your animals down. So its nice that y'all are understanding. It was nice to wake up to this morning. My flock is currently at 8. 1 RIR, 2 Buff Orpingtons, 4 Barred Rocks, and 1 silver lace.
As well as 4 little ducks. And I hope to see the rest of them into a full life. So tell me about y'all flocks and what made you start a life of poultry
 
Hi Stubbs, I hope you're feeling a little better this morning. I just want to say that although you felt down about what you had to do with your chick, it was really the kindest thing for the chick. I had a pet hamster when I was a kid, and she got terribly sick and was dying. My dad wanted to end her suffering but I wouldn't let him, and to this day, I cringe when I think of that poor little hamster slowly dying. Believe me, the guilt of letting an animal suffer is so much worse than ending its misery.

On a happier note, I love the mix of your flock. I've got RIR and Buff Orps as well, and plan to get some barred rocks in April. I love all my chickens but have a soft spot for my Buffs. They're my powder puff sweethearts. I've also got nine ducks (started with two....) Are your chickens all babies or full grown?
 
Well, since you ask @MrStubbsT0F ...while growing up I had a couple of scary encounters with chickens (at least scary to me, I was a city kid). It wasn't until 2010 when I moved to Key West where chickens run free that I had a chance to really study them, watch their funny antics, see them mother their babies, etc. that I got over being afraid of them. When we moved to north FL in 2013 I had to have some chickens of my own. There have been some hard times (like losing the first 4 out of 7 I bought off Craigs List...never again!) but overall, my girls have brought way more joy into my life than hard times. This is my flock now: 1 RIR, 2 Speckled Sussex, 3 Barred Plymouth Rock, 3 red sex link.
 
MrStubbsT0F said:
Thank you all. I come from a bloodline where there is no compassion when you have/need to put one of your animals down. So its nice that y'all are understanding. It was nice to wake up to this morning. My flock is currently at 8. 1 RIR, 2 Buff Orpingtons, 4 Barred Rocks, and 1 silver lace.
As well as 4 little ducks. And I hope to see the rest of them into a full life. So tell me about y'all flocks and what made you start a life of poultry
Click to expand...

I started out with 3 BO and 3 BR. Lost Big Buff almost a year ago to an acute problem - likely caused by eating the wrong thing. Then lost my #1 gal , Dottie last summer after a few bouts of being whimpy. I am convinced she had an ovarian or adrenal tumor - she had started crowing. Thought that was so cute, but after she died did some research and most sources suggested those cancers. So that leaves me with 4 really spoiled hens who will turn 3 in March.

I have always found chickens fascinating, but there is no one event that precipitated my decision to get my own flock.
 
Have you joined your state thread? You may find other chicken folks living near you and could have in-person friends instead of via internet. Chicken folks are generally very friendly and like to share their experiences and wisdom.

You might also enjoy "pictures and stories about my chickens." After you read a few, you may want to add your own. Different "bloodlines" here, it's okay to really care about your birds and see them as pets rather than eggs & food. We understand.
 

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