August Hatch-A-Long

[jolenesdad]

I have started to slowly treat them now that they're warm...things are not looking good. This is an image of Chick #1, I feel she has the best chance of recovery...
View attachment 1894783
I put a splint on her as it was the only one splaying and may actually be more damage to her hip than the leg itself. Her injury is primarily bruising. Chick #2, also with a bad leg I feel I will have to cull. The leg is almost black and limp but I will wait a little while... Chick #3 is the least responsive and navel was pecked but the legs appear to be ok.

I was bound to have a genuine broody horror story eventually with as many broody hens as I've had. My first broody experience was actually really bad as well but I decided it was primarily due to inexperience, this was from getting too comfortable from having plenty of experience. Each is an opportunity for learning. I just don't like that the learning experience was at the cost of these innocent little peeps.

Oh no I’m so sorry! Hoping for little chicky miracles, and so sorry your high from doing so well with shipped eggs was wrecked by this.

It’s always the “big picture” in chickens, And everything is about learning and growing and getting better for the future. Thinking of you today!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I have started to slowly treat them now that they're warm...things are not looking good. This is an image of Chick #1, I feel she has the best chance of recovery...
View attachment 1894783
I put a splint on her as it was the only one splaying and may actually be more damage to her hip than the leg itself. Her injury is primarily bruising. Chick #2, also with a bad leg I feel I will have to cull. The leg is almost black and limp but I will wait a little while... Chick #3 is the least responsive and navel was pecked but the legs appear to be ok.

I was bound to have a genuine broody horror story eventually with as many broody hens as I've had. My first broody experience was actually really bad as well but I decided it was primarily due to inexperience, this was from getting too comfortable from having plenty of experience. Each is an opportunity for learning. I just don't like that the learning experience was at the cost of these innocent little peeps.

I’m so sorry! So no open wounds? Bruising, swelling, and possible hip trauma? Can you tell if they have sensation in the distal limb or toes? Sensation would be encouraging... I wonder what the actual injury was?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I bit off topic, but we had a not so fun morning of butchering the cockerels that we bred 3.5 months ago, plus the 1 year old silkie rooster that attacked us often. The silkie was teaching the other Roos bad, human attacking habits, and was just too unpleasant in personality to consider breeding or be a pet. My DD was sobbing much of the time, and one of the cockerels escaped to the woods and may never be hear from again...

Overall though, it was not as hard as I expected, though emotionally difficult. My back however, is not on speaking terms with me...

 

[jolenesdad]

I bit off topic, but we had a not so fun morning of butchering the cockerels that we bred 3.5 months ago, plus the 1 year old silkie rooster that attacked us often. The silkie was teaching the other Roos bad, human attacking habits, and was just too unpleasant in personality to consider breeding or be a pet. My DD was sobbing much of the time, and one of the cockerels escaped to the woods and may never be hear from again...

Overall though, it was not as hard as I expected, though emotionally difficult. My back however, is not on speaking terms with me...

Oh no, Poor DD! Proud of you guys for tackling such a heavy project!!!

Did that Cockerel really say NOPE and run?!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Oh no, Poor DD! Proud of you guys for tackling such a heavy project!!!

Did that Cockerel really say NOPE and run?!

Yep, that’s exactly what happened! DD was using a net, but two escaped! The more trusting one came back and was caught. It’s really very hard to butcher the trusting ones, but I hope that gives them a easier death... He was also my favorite, calico colored with a gorgeous red comb and wattles, reminded me of a French country painting. Instead we are keeping a black cockerel (EE x BCM) with a pea comb that is hopefully an OE, as DD’s breeding project is for OEs. He (provisionally named Lucky) is currently in the tractor, playing the part of Judas goat to hopefully lure his brother back from the woods. What we will do after we recapture him I don’t know. We’ve put the equipment away, plus we may be too traumatized to do this again anytime soon...

 

[Compost King]

@jolenesdad You need to enter this one into one of those picture contests, maybe save it for the 2021 Calendar, Its just a great picture. If you got one with a better picture of the mothers face would be perfect but this one alone is just a great photograph.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Oh no I’m so sorry! Hoping for little chicky miracles, and so sorry your high from doing so well with shipped eggs was wrecked by this.

It’s always the “big picture” in chickens, And everything is about learning and growing and getting better for the future. Thinking of you today!

Thank you for your kind thoughts and support!

I’m so sorry! So no open wounds? Bruising, swelling, and possible hip trauma? Can you tell if they have sensation in the distal limb or toes? Sensation would be encouraging... I wonder what the actual injury was?

Yes, there are open wounds. I didn't want to share too many upsetting images here, though I do think the group has mostly trickled off to the current month's hatch-a-long. There was an external injury on the back near the purple leg. The chick that I felt had the best chance of survival just passed away. There has only been one potty and it was mostly blood, so I'm dealing with more internal damage than I realized but I'm unsure which chick it was from. I can tell the chick with the worse leg injury won't make it through the night. The chick with the least amount of visible damage it the chick with a wound on the navel but it's just a sleepy as the other two have been, maybe even more so. I'm going to wait until morning but I'm not expecting any miracles. They aren't in distress which is making it easier for me to wait this out and give them a chance but I will take care of it tomorrow morning if there isn't some kind of miracle as I don't want to prolong any suffering.

I bit off topic, but we had a not so fun morning of butchering the cockerels that we bred 3.5 months ago, plus the 1 year old silkie rooster that attacked us often. The silkie was teaching the other Roos bad, human attacking habits, and was just too unpleasant in personality to consider breeding or be a pet. My DD was sobbing much of the time, and one of the cockerels escaped to the woods and may never be hear from again...

Overall though, it was not as hard as I expected, though emotionally difficult. My back however, is not on speaking terms with me...

I'm glad it wasn't too difficult for you!! I would be like DD I'm confident!


Thank you both @jolenesdad and @Mixed flock enthusiast so much for talking me through this difficult day. I've been overly emotional about it and I really needed your level heads to help me think through it and act appropriately.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

View attachment 1895175

@jolenesdad You need to enter this one into one of those picture contests, maybe save it for the 2021 Calendar, Its just a great picture. If you got one with a better picture of the mothers face would be perfect but this one alone is just a great photograph.

I agree! I absolutely love this moment!!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Thank you for your kind thoughts and support!



Yes, there are open wounds. I didn't want to share too many upsetting images here, though I do think the group has mostly trickled off to the current month's hatch-a-long. There was an external injury on the back near the purple leg. The chick that I felt had the best chance of survival just passed away. There has only been one potty and it was mostly blood, so I'm dealing with more internal damage than I realized but I'm unsure which chick it was from. I can tell the chick with the worse leg injury won't make it through the night. The chick with the least amount of visible damage it the chick with a wound on the navel but it's just a sleepy as the other two have been, maybe even more so. I'm going to wait until morning but I'm not expecting any miracles. They aren't in distress which is making it easier for me to wait this out and give them a chance but I will take care of it tomorrow morning if there isn't some kind of miracle as I don't want to prolong any suffering.



I'm glad it wasn't too difficult for you!! I would be like DD I'm confident!


Thank you both @jolenesdad and @Mixed flock enthusiast so much for talking me through this difficult day. I've been overly emotional about it and I really needed your level heads to help me think through it and act appropriately.

Oh I’m so sorry that you lost a chick and the others look poor!!!!! How heartbreaking!!!

 

[aliciaplus3]

I am still here still finishing my last aug, or is it my first sep? Hatch. Couple bcm and some of my project birds.