i am so fed up with these dumb birds!!! *screams*

[technodoll]

I've been through hell the past six months with my flocks.

Sickness, disease, deaths, fights, injuries, parasites, pests, rehomings, name it I've been through it and I AM SO FED UP!

10 days ago I had to move my big flock to a new coop because theirs was infested with red mites.

The new coop isn't that far away, I kept them locked in there and the small adjoining run for 10 days - tonight i let them free-range as the new gang kept beating up the old gang (i had to merge two groups), they're such bullies - anyways.

Half the birds (about 15 of them) are apparently too stupid to remember where their new roosts, food and water are - hubby and I had to chase them all over the place in the quasi-darkness, crashing through wet foliage (we had a storm), cornering the panicked crazy chooks one at a time and carrying them to their coop - two we never caught, they went under thickets where we threw the mite-infested poop boards so I said never mind that, let them be some coyote's snack if they're too dumb to survive!!!

My blood pressure is up, I have a migraine from stress and from kicking dumb birds around - yeah when I lose my temper it isn't pretty.

I can't do this anymore.

I am so tired of putting so much work, time, effort, energy and money into a hobby that's become more stress than fun - I am at my wit's end

 

[wsdareme]

Don't worry, it will pass.

When you start getting those wonderful, rich eggs and your girls flock to you when you bring them treats, you'll forget all about the stressful time you're having now.

Trust me....

 

[dianaross77]

Sometimes owning pets can feel like more of a burden than anything else. I'm sorry they're giving you so much trouble. I can we can just take solace in knowing that getting rid of chickens is a lot easier than a dog or cat. Most of the time you can find someone to take them off your hands even if it's just to eat them. I know a lot of people on here are desperately attached to their birds. I like mine just fine but they're livestock, not pets. I don't even like my dogs most days. Too bad I can't eat them.

 

[technodoll]

Quote:
I've had some of them for two years now, some for a year and some relatively new ones...

39 mature laying hens and I'm getting 12 eggs a day.

So not worth it :-(

 

[technodoll]

and just so you guys know, i love these birds to tears.

i have nursed some of them back from the brink of death, cried with every loss, spoil them more than i spoil my own self.

they follow me around like dogs when i'm outside.

but tonight... actually the past 10 days.... i am seriously reconsidering owning so many birds.

i'm exhausted, i'm stressed, i'm broke, i'm going into a depression feeling stuck with them (can't go on vacation ever), don't trust anyone else to take care of them like i do.

just feel like crying

 

[ChooksChick]

I know you love them- it's clear by all you've done and your many efforts. Let me ask you this- do you have a light in there?
This is my favorite solution.

Get a solar string of clear Christmas lights (as many lights as you can get on the string, preferably rope style) and put that up in there. They will come to the light and feel safe inside. Sometimes they don't want to go in because it seems spooky. If it's light, they'll go.

If you already have a light in there, it may help to keep their feed and water inside so they have to go in throughout the day. It may also help to make a specific call: I go "Chook, chook, chook, chook, chook" and bring treats throughout the day, and VERY quickly they'll associate that call with grapes, etc. and come instantly. You can use that to bring them to you at dusk!

I hope something in my little spiel helps! Don't give up, and I hope your two runaways are safe!

 

[abbey808]

I am right there with you. I had to step away from my girls for a while to take a breather. My blood pressure and stress level is waayyyy up today. I love my girls dearly, but today was one of those days that they were all little monsters. The past few months have been a string of respiratory infections (they all passed it around), worms and defiant behavior ever since we moved them to their new coop and run.

My girls are about five and a half months old and have just started laying. The initial excitement and pleasure in receiving their first eggs has been overshadowed by their horrible behavior lately. I realize that they are probably going through a lot of physical and hormonal changes, but today was just too hot, and I am running on very little sleep. Their constant screaming and honking today is driving me crazy. They are fine, they have a lot of food, water and shade. They are just not happy about being enclosed in their run. It's been going on for hours! If we lived in a remote area I would just wear earplugs and ignore them, but we have neighbors who are at home today. There is no way they could not have heard them. People living two blocks down can probably hear them!

I am cringing as I am writing this because they are really on a roll out there. I am so sorry you are going through all this stress. Like I mentioned before, I love my girls but they are really pushing my buttons today. I am so stressed because I don't know what to do!

Hugs!!

 

[lowry075]

I hope you feel better.

I feel that way about my dogs...often.

If you don't snap out of this feeling soon, maybe you could try rehoming a few of them so your flock is more manageable?

 

[ChooksChick]

For vacation, try to connect with a BYCer in the area- that's the only way to get close to the same care you'd give.

For bratty behavior l treat them like toddlers and redirect, redirect, redirect. Sometimes I set a sprinkler to direct them to one side of the run, cover the area with hay and birdseed, and keep them busy hunting. I also toss out a whole head of lettuce or a few whole apples with a teenie wedge cut out for a start. I'll freeze grapes and toss them out or put out frozen corn.

If they are busy they will be less obnoxious. Good luck!

 

[technodoll]

thanks everyone... sometimes venting really helps... and so does advil and a hot bath

the past 2 weeks have been a nightmare for everyone, we had the worst heat wave on record, hurricane storms, 7 straight nights of no sleep (too hot in the house), I've rehomed 9 birds to thin out the flocks, merged 4 flocks into 2, moved them around coops which i had to sterilize and rebuild thanks to red mites, I lost 3 of my favorite girls to unknown sickness....

no enjoyment whatsoever.

so tomorrow i'll leave them penned up in their new coop to allow for a breather.

if the two loose girls survive the night I have to somehow catch them (young white leghorns - yeah, do you feel my pain now?).

my husband is back thursday so i will try to let them free-range again then, opening the doors early in the morning and only having food and water in the new coop, as suggested - i do have a light in there that I will keep on to encourage them to return to roost at the right place. if all else fails, my hubby is here to help me catch the stray chooks again...

i know i'll regret rehoming them.

i just need a vacation... a week with no flock duties.

bliss.