Dying chickens

[EggSighted4Life]

Thank you Kristy. Cheryl and I have been blessed to do a lot of marriage counselling and we have led 7 different groups through marriage studies. Things were not always like they are now for us. There was a time that our marriage was not good. I actually held the divorce papers in my hand in 1991 but couldn't go through with it. I am sooo blessed to have her.

Things were rough early and mid in our marriage as well. I thought when you love each other nothing else matters. Turns out EVERYTHING matters. And good relationships requires work, commitment, and sacrifice from both. Now I don't worry about divorce when we do face challenges. But I also have held the papers. Neither of us came from unbroken families and had lot's of learning to do.

Thank you for sharing that as well. Often on the outside people just think you've always had it great when you've been married for a while. We are going onto year 18, and maturity has a lot to do with the peace we currently have. And of course, lot's of prayer! Now we are only semi- dysfunctional.... but it's OK because we put the FUN into dysFUNction.

After the loss of a bird it always takes me a while to feel normal towards the rest. Here's to a speedy recovery for you all.

(prayer hands, not thumbs.)

 

[TerryH]

Things were rough early and mid in our marriage as well. I thought when you love each other nothing else matters. Turns out EVERYTHING matters. And good relationships requires work, commitment, and sacrifice from both. Now I don't worry about divorce when we do face challenges. But I also have held the papers. Neither of us came from unbroken families and had lot's of learning to do.

Thank you for sharing that as well. Often on the outside people just think you've always had it great when you've been married for a while. We are going onto year 18, and maturity has a lot to do with the peace we currently have. And of course, lot's of prayer! Now we are only semi- dysfunctional.... but it's OK because we put the FUN into dysFUNction. 

After the loss of a bird it always takes me a while to feel normal towards the rest. Here's to a speedy recovery for you all.   (prayer hands, not thumbs.)

Thank you for your comments! Love is a choice. When we finally chose to set our selfish desires aside and love each other unconditionally our entire married life was transformed. Pretty much everyone that's been married for a good long time has had to make that choice even though they may not recognize it for what it was. At some point the other person has to ascend to higher importance than ourselves. Once that choice is made then most marriages just take off. That's certainly what happened to us.

And...the remaining birds are still a bit out of sorts. Seems they need more time to work it all out as well. Since day one in the coop they have slept all piled up on the left side of the roosting area. Now they go from one side to the other and it takes forever for them to get settled down. #7 was the leader. I think they are still auditioning for a replacement.

 

[aart]

And...the remaining birds are still a bit out of sorts. Seems they need more time to work it all out as well. Since day one in the coop they have slept all piled up on the left side of the roosting area. Now they go from one side to the other and it takes forever for them to get settled down. #7 was the leader. I think they are still auditioning for a replacement.

Haha!...they'll work it out.

 

[TerryH]

Haha!...they'll work it out.

I'm sure they will. Their apple cart has been upset a few times in their short little lives. First adding the 2 extra ones when we put them in the coop. 2 different rounds of cockerel removals and then this. No wonder they are confused.

 

[aart]

I've lost 2 birds to disease and sold 2 more in the last month....
....now have an old hen crowing(started the day her buddy got sick) and several molting(including the crowing hen and the cock) and one presented in hard molt today.
But 4 or 5 of the 10 pullets are laying........lots of changes as the sun drops in the sky.

 

[raggy907]

Terry, I think you are right that the "freshness" of the wood chips could be the culprit.

I've been using 8-10" of wood chips in our run for over a year now and haven't had any problems.

I think my laziness in actually transporting them into the run (they had been sitting on our property for over a year), was probably what saved me, lol!

I'll have to tell my wife next time there's a chore that procrastination saved me once!

Rich in Alaska

 

[TerryH]

Terry, I think you are right that the "freshness" of the wood chips could be the culprit.  

I've been using 8-10" of wood chips in our run for over a year now and haven't had any problems.

I think my laziness in actually transporting them into the run (they had been sitting on our property for over a year), was probably what saved me, lol!

I'll have to tell my wife next time there's a chore that procrastination saved me once!

Rich in Alaska

lol...I agree completely Rich. I fell like it is vitally important to let a good amount of decomposition and curing so to speak take place before putting any freshly ground chips to use. Procrastination wins out once again.

 

[TerryH]

I've lost 2 birds to disease and sold 2 more in the last month....
....now have an old hen crowing(started the day her buddy got sick) and several molting(including the crowing hen and the cock) and one presented in hard molt today.
But 4 or 5 of the 10 pullets are laying........lots of changes as the sun drops in the sky.

My gosh girl. You need a drink.

 

[aart]

Quote: Nah, gave that up years ago, be glad. I revel in Mother Natures cycle of life...it all balances out.
I cull for meat every year, and hatch for new stock, but these were the first adult birds I'd lost to unintentional death...the 'not good' part.

Thought of your wood chip dilemma the other day, had some grass clippings saved for the run, thought they were dry enough when I stored them but they had some growth, that whitish grayish stuff and were full of dust from it.....threw them in the garden instead of the run and was careful not to breathe it in myself.
Still plan on getting a load of wood chips for run but if fresh will let set for a good while before adding to run.

 

[TerryH]

Nah, gave that up years ago, be glad. I revel in Mother Natures cycle of life...it all balances out.
I cull for meat every year, and hatch for new stock, but these were the first adult birds I'd lost to unintentional death...the 'not good' part.

Thought of your wood chip dilemma the other day, had some grass clippings saved for the run, thought they were dry enough when I stored them but they had some growth, that whitish grayish stuff and were full of dust from it.....threw them in the garden instead of the run and was careful not to breathe it in myself.
Still plan on getting a load of wood chips for run but if fresh will let set for a good while before adding to run.

I think back to something you said earlier about how many deaths there might be that no one realized was from fungus. I do not want to be an alarmist but being aware of fungal growth in anything organic that we are exposing these birds to is just good flock management.

BTW...I gave up drinking and other things long ago as well but there are some days.......