A Journey Through a Different Way - Funny Story Pg. 69

[La Banan]

Hi Ruth - I really like this thread. I was meaning to get pullets to start back in to raising chickens but the world had other plans for me and now I'm getting chicks. I will have them by the end of August and it stays pretty nice here in Nova Scotia til about November so I'm hoping I can let them out earlier than some folks have talked about. What would you recommend in a four season place like this? I have a big rubber tote box for their first week or so and then a huge cardboard box for a couple more weeks. When can I put them outside?
much appreciation for your refreshing point of view!
Jan

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Hey Ruth how is it going. What's new

 

[RIVERA69R]

Well this has been a very cool thread to read. I read it Saturday at work (very slow!!!!). Me and my 8yr old son will be building our coop in the backyard very soon.We live in a small beach town on the gulf coast of florida so we cant have to many, im thinking about four just for eggs. Our coop is going to be 4x6 and six foot high. My son wants to be able to walk into it (me to) not like the chicken tractors. And the run will be about 8x12. Im putting it right by my garden so the chickens can go in their after everything is harvested for the season to forage and fertilize. The only laws i saw in municode.com about my town said any domestic fowl can not be at large in town, so i quess i can have them. My neighbors are all nice so as long as i keep it clean and give out fresh eggs i should be okay. I do want to let my chickens roam the backyard supervised of course, so I will clip the wing when older. I grew up in Kit Carson Colorado its a tiny town (about 300 people) on the eastern plain of colo. We had horses, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and pigs. I loved it out there in the country And i would like to have the oppurtunity to get back out in it eventually. Well got to go my wife just got back from the store so we are going to the beach. it only about 3 miles away hope to put pics up when we get started bye for now.

p.s Ruth awesome life you got going on there best of luck to all

 

[ruth]

Well this week the journey has been a long and rocky road. You know the type that leave you wondering why you ever started on this journey in the first place. Let's see if I can recap - some topics got posted with pics on their own thread:

1. Had a Buff Orp get ripped open from back of comb to top of shoulder blades. Had her exposed neck bone sticking out of shredded skin. I won't post pics - they're too gross. Had to stitch her up myself and and have been providing great care and she is healing well. So far she is the only one who is still fighting the roos and won't submit. You can catch her fighting them slo-mo matrix style saying "Over my dead body". Seems like one of the roos said "O.K. if that's the way you want it." They don't have spurs yet but attack one another with their beak.

2. Had a peachick suddenly lethargic and stop eating and drinking and started walking around all scrunched up. Was giving it vitamins and TLC when I noticed some poop looking stuff on its rear end but couldn't tell if it was stuck to feathers or on vent. Gave it a little tug grasping it with my nails and it kept pulling out of vent. Pulled out a six inch long "rope" with another inch or two of a strand of hay sticking out end of rope. I examined the rope, which was as wide as a pencil and it seemed to be a rope of hay pieces. I guess it had been eating hay and little pieces of it and got clogged up. No sooner had I taken care of this disgusting deed when it began eating and drinking and fully recovered instantly. However had two more get sick the next day - one died despite all efforts and the other is still lethargic. Only thing I can think of is that we had a really bad rain and wind storm come through the night before and they could have gotten chilled or misted from rain and wind blowing through coop. Wind was tornado strength and blew down large limbs and small trees, or they too got clogged up eating hay. Nothing coming from their vents and they are pooping, but so was she.

3. Finally yesterday evening I discovered that my smallest goat, Bitsy, had broken her leg. Upper thigh bone broken clean through and leg just swinging all around. Rushed to vet who after numerous attempts was finally able to set her leg. She is now inside in Rex's kennel.

Here's a link to that thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=69518

Like I said - difficulty journey this week. I was sitting in vet's office last night in tears, especially when she told me it was a good clean break and should heal properly. DH saw me tear up and said "that means she's going to be o.k." I said "I know that. It's me I'm worried about. I don't think I can do this. I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know why I'm here. I left my home, church and friends to move to a farm and start raising crops and animals that require full-time attention. Every day I'm hand feeding something, stitching up something, draining a hen, cutting open feet, giving shots, moving chicks around, trying to keep everything alive, and crawling around in poop. I can't do it anymore."

Anyone get the idea I was really tired? It has been "DIFFERENT" to say the least. For the past 15 years I was a world traveller, public speaker, visiting every major city in the world. For the last three years I also had a vintage jewelry shop just for fun and hobby. Next thing I know the Lord says "I have a place picked out for you and I'm going to plant you there and you'll move no more." Then He tells me to come here and put a note on door asking to buy home. Next week we pack a few clothes in suitcases, leaving everything else behind, and move in while their furniture is still here. It all happened so fast it can only be God but I still don't know why. I only know I'm trying to do what I think is expected of me but I'm feeling so inadequate.

Well like Scarlett O'Hara says "I can't think about that now, if I do I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow."

Tomorow the journey continues........

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, hon, I know the feeling. Just tonight we euthanized our head hen, Ruby. She was a bag of bones in spite of eating and eating. She had salpingitis, same as the last two who passed on. Hormonal, nothing I could do, but I'm left with several others, same age from the same hatchery, that I feel have a ticking time bomb inside them. And I'm helpless to do anything about it. Then there is sweet Zane, who is perfectly healthy except for that blasted infection in his hock that we cant seem to kick. It's just one thing after another this year. Makes you want to quit, I know. All I can do is this....

:aww Get a good night's sleep, Monique. If things get too much, I go to bed and sleep if I have to down antihistamines to do it. Things do seem better the next day....at least, till the next problem pops up.

 

[ruth]

Thanks Cyn - I take comfort in knowing there are others out there who experience the caretaker burnout from time to time.

I forgot to mention the other BIG EVENT that happend this week. Awoke to husband outside yelling at our dogs at top of his lungs. Heard a baaing too but thought it didn't really sound like one of our goats but didn't know what else it could be. Sprung out of bed, ran outside still in night gown, asked what's going on. He said Rex is chasing a tiny fawn that can barely walk but it's running for it's life and Lucy is chasing the mother in opposite direction. I take off running in direction of Rex and fawn. I run towards road which is far from house and then realize I'm in my gown. Run back inside and change. Run back out. Run down to road and across road and hear Rex and fawn running through woods on other side of road. All the while I've been yelling "Rex, guard the baby deer. Don't hurt the baby deer" About this time here they come again back across road. Little fawn collapses on our side of road. I'm still yelling same thing while running towards them. Rex is standing over what I think is dead body. Fawn gets up and runs back through fence but only makes it a few feet and collapes again. Rex gently lays down beside it. I finally get there, all the while I'm running and saying "please don't be dead, please don't be dead".

It wasn't dead, just dead tired. It was a tiny little thing. I pick it up and carry it all the way back to house and back to behind barn where I know the mother has her den. Before I can get to barn, little fawn squirms out of my arms. Then starts to walk away but turns and runs back to me. I finish carrying it to back of barn and gently put it down. It knew right where it was going and started calmly walking into thicket of woods. That was the last I saw of it. I checked on it and searched the area every few hours just to be sure it wasn't crying somewhere but I know it's mama was out there and found it. We have a group of about 5 or 6 deer that live back there.

Rex wasn't trying to hurt the little thing and could have easily caught and killed it. I think he was trying to herd it like he does the goats. When it collapsed, both times that I saw he gently stood over it or layed down beside it.

DH said he wished he had a picture of me carrying that little deer. He said when he saw me carrying our little goat Bitsy up to the house the next day he thought I had found the deer and was bringing it in.

Like I said.....drama, death, mayhem...everything hungry, thirsty, needy. I'm tired but tomorrow's another day. I'm glad I discovered BYC. Everyone is great and encouraging and I learn so much.

 

[beefy]

yep, you definitely need some cows.

 

[ruth]

Thanks Beefy. I needed that. You always make me laugh.

DH was showing me pictures of horses today. He keeps researching horses for sale. He calls me over to look at pics. I said "You know what I see when I look at these pictures? Straws." He said "Straws?" I said "Yes, straws, the ones that broke the camel's back. I can't take on anything else right now. I can't care for it and when would I find time to ever ride it? We haven't repaired the fences or stables. Yes, I see a big, heavy straw."

And the man still keeps talking about cows.

 

[beefy]

well you CAN get horses for el cheapo these days.

 

[tink]

Ruth....The last story about the fawn is why we do what we do. Not many people have stories to tell like that. So cool! Get a good night's sleep...maybe even ask your husband for a date and a movie. The animals will be fine for the night.

Remember, God doesn't give us more than we can handle!! lol I sometime's laugh at this one.....thinking I must be Hercules!
love ya
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