Barred Rock Thread

[Yard full o' rocks]

Here are a few of my Barred Rocks and a couple of my Columbian rock "boys"

 

[Peep Talk]

I had 3 barred rocks and two BRxEE at the beginning of this week and I am now down to 1.

I left early morning to head off to my college courses, and I left my dogs in the dog yard with the fence secured like I have been doing forever. I had two labs and my chickens never go into the dog yard, not even when the dogs aren't out...fence is too high for my lazy birds. Well, it all happened on Tuesday, I went to classes early morning and came home late afternoon...only to find my favorite Lab surrounded by 12 dead chickens.

He had scaled the fence and attacked my birds.

It took all I had in me to even think at that point because the first thing I saw when I pulled up was my favorite hen Pepper and little Peppy laying in the pyle. A few feet away, Pepper's offspring (BRxEE) from her one and only brood were killed as well of which she had hatched out in June. So, Pepper, Peppy, Haylen, and Cuddles were killed...I am now down to one lonely BR and a very depressed rooster. Pepper was his head hen and they always roosted together. I loved all of the sounds that Pepper would make. I loved going to the coop because she would do a rapid clucking to bid me good morning.

Miss Bea doesn't make any noises now and I think she is depressed as well. The only thing that has lifted me up this week, is that on the 11th of September , I took two of Pepper's eggs and put them in the incubator with some of my Red Star eggs because I wanted to increase my flock for the last time this year. So, I am just praying and hoping that they hatch. They are both fertile, as she has never laid an egg that wasn't since she was my rooster's partner (sounds funny, but very true) and I candled them just last night to find that they are growing very well! I will continue to keep my fingers crossed that I can get these two chicks, because she was my favorite bird ever and her chicks turned out so sweet! And the really sad part about all of it, is I know my rooster was fighting for Pepper's life...my dog was all bloody on his face and ears and near her body were his tail feathers that the dog had ripped out trying to kill him too.

So he tried like crazy to save her, and he couldn't. So I buried them all in their own little graves, and Bird followed me with Pepper in my hands and sat over her grave and crowed and crowed. He wouldn't leave her side to roost that night, I had to pick him up and put him in the coop. I'm still crying...my chickens are my babies and it is so hard to come home to your feather-kids being slaughtered.

As for the **&$&#@)#@I#$(#**#$&%&#$@# dog, well, he was quickly put up for adoption and found a new home with someone who doesn't have chickens.

Without further delay, here are some pictures of my girls, in rememberance!

Pepper with her brood

Pepper and Mr Bird Roo

Bird watching over Pepper as she takes her dust bath break during her broody time

Cuddles

Haylen

Haylen and Cuddles (with Pepper watching from behind)

Peppy

RIP my pretty feather-kids! Hope they are giving you high quality scratch up there! And Pepper, I hope you have all the strawberries your heart desires!

 

[specklesmom]

I'm so sorry CountryTXChicks! They were all beautiful, but Pepper with her babies was really, really special.

Love your pics, Yard Full!

 

[thesewinglady59]

A tragedy, I'm so sorry for your loss CountryTxChicks..I have gone from a flock of 25 to 2 and I know how hard it was to loose them..They were my babies too. Never did find out what killed them, but whatever it was, it didn't eat them, just killed them. I think I will wait until next spring to increase again, but can never replace them.

 

[PepsNick]

MY Pepper is a spazz!!!

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Please continue on your new thread here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=405281