Another chicken mistake! *Update*

[SunAngel]

We lost Lulu today and it was my fault

I recently purchased 3 Blue Ameraucanas, a Roo and 2 hens, from another BYC'er. I was going to build them their own breeding pen/coop, but then wondered if I could just mix them with my flock of standard hens/pullets. I had the 3 blues out free ranging and thought I would let the big girls out and see how their first meeting went. There was a few minor tiffs, but nothing like I was afraid of. After an hour or so we rounded them all up and put them in the big run together. We supervised them for a little while and then left them alone and came back inside. After an hour or so, I kept hearing the roo crowing over and over and then the hens started making their warning cries. I ran outside and Lulu was laying in the run dead. She was missing a patch of feathers on her back, so I am assuming the roo was trying to mate her and broke her neck. He is my first roo, so that is only my best guess. Her head was really floppy.

I was afraid of fighting and expecting to see some wounds, but I had no idea he could actually kill any of the hens. I feel horrible now, but even moreso because Lulu was my 8 yr olds chicken. He had latched onto her from the day we got her in our very first ever shipment from MMH. Makes it worse is that I had 7 like her and we only kept her for my son. I need to find him a new Polish now. I have one hope and that is a friend of ours who we gave 3 of our Polish to last Summer. I am hoping they kept one like Lulu and will be willing to sell it to us. DH is going to call them in a bit and see

Ugh, this chicken stuff is not easy!! Needless to say, the trio of Blues are back in their own coop and thats how it will stay. Tough lesson!

Thanks for listening.

 

[kees]

Without mistakes, how would we learn? Take the time to grieve, be easy on yourself, hug your friends and family.

Suzy

 

[cwc362]

Sometimes chickens just do that from mystery illnesses or just freak accidents- Even if you put your next polish with the new ones, that doesn't mean that it will die. I'm sure many old time chicken keepers will tell you that you will lose one every once in a while for no apparent reason. I'm sorry to hear of your loss and hope it won't discourage you too much. Oh and let me add that for some reason - your favorite ones are the ones you seem to lose !! Don't know if it's Murphy's law or not.

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

These things happen. No one said keeping a flock of chickens is easy work. There's alot of sadness and hard lessons that come along the way.

I lost my favorite chook last year because he was separated, having a Respiratory Infection. Kept an empty feeding cup in his pen, came in the next day to check on my little guy. Found him long gone with his head jammed in the cup. Very graphic and very brutle, he was my favorite roo.

Loved him like my own son for a while, having taken care of him seperately for over a month. Having raised him for 1 year and a half ever since we got him from McMurray.

We make these mistakes alot as owners. But these are the things we do out of love that cause these mistakes. Sometimes we pay for them in the end, other times this is just a risk worth taking. Don't blame yourself. I'm so sorry for your loss. Take care of your other chooks much more carefully now, to protect them from this happening again. It's our job as owners to prevent the worst. Love comes in many forms, in this case, take great care of your remaining chickens.

Lulu would want you to do that.

 

[SunAngel]

Thanks for the kind words

It is true we always seem to lose the favorites.

I was only hoping to give my flock of girls their own roo to look after them. I guess I should have waited and raised one from a chick and then introduced him to them when he was 5-6 months old. I can't be mad at the new Roo, he was only doing what roos do. Plus I am still so excited to have the blues.

Its amazing how attached we get to these fluffybutts.

 

[SunAngel]

My story has a happy ending

DH called the friend that we gave a couple of our Polish to last Summer and he told us to come on over and take what we wanted back, for free. So my son has his WC Black Polish back and of course named her Lulu the 2nd. He also gave us back the Buff Polish that I had given them thinking it was a roo, but it wasnt!

Thanks again for the support, it was a stressful day.