Chicks Were Killed and it's My Fault...

[TESouthern]

Dont be too hard on yourself. My daughter brought home 2 chicks from school. After a few weeks I decided to put them (In a smaller cage) in the coop with the 4 bigger pullets. They were fine for a couple of weeks then I walked out one morning to a snake in the cage....one chick laying there dead....one had been eaten and the snake was too fat to crawl out. I felt terrible.....but you live you learn. that cage is not wrapped in window screen....nothing is getting in there with our babies anymore. the Babies we have in there now I am slowly trying to integrate into the coop with the bigger pullets......but my bigger pullets are bullies sooo we are taking it very slow

 

[chickenchick12]

We have always had a lot of free range birds. So many times we have found our birds dead for one cause or another, but we always go back smarter chicken keepers. We haven't had a predator attack for over a year(unless you count grave robberies). But don't blame yourself, things happen, whether we like it or not.

When my little sister was 3 she strangled my little Old English

. I was sobbing with anger at myself because I wasn't in the room to stop her. But it wasn't anyone's fault. Sorry for your loss.

 

[Peeps61]

We all hate it when our pets die or are killed. However, we do learn and do better next time. I have lost three chickens to a predator - probably a hawk. My rooster was the first to go, then my BSL hen. All was well for a few weeks, then my husband and I went out of town. My stepdaughter was to look after the 5 remaining hens, and did a great job, except that one of the hens escaped when she was feeding them. Something got it. Down to 4, but I still have all of them. They are allowed out to free range ONLY when my husband is going to be out in the yard working on something, or doing yardwork. They tend to hang around under our barn covering now too, so they are less of a target. I am in the process have getting a new coop and run for the four hens and the seven chicks I have in a large cardboard box in the house. The are ready to move outside, but not until the new digs are completed for the big girls, then they'll get the old coop and run until they are big enough to integrate into the big girls flock. Don't feel too bad about it! Just take the precautions necessary when you get some new chicks. You'll do a great job, I know!

 

[Danniro]

Dont be too hard on yourself. My daughter brought home 2 chicks from school. After a few weeks I decided to put them (In a smaller cage) in the coop with the 4 bigger pullets. They were fine for a couple of weeks then I walked out one morning to a snake in the cage....one chick laying there dead....one had been eaten and the snake was too fat to crawl out. I felt terrible.....but you live you learn. that cage is not wrapped in window screen....nothing is getting in there with our babies anymore. the Babies we have in there now I am slowly trying to integrate into the coop with the bigger pullets......but my bigger pullets are bullies sooo we are taking it very slow

Same here, my hens are bullies and it seems whenever we introduce someone the hen at the bottom of the pecking order leaps at the chance of someone to pick on, not vice versa.

 

[Danniro]

We have always had a lot of free range birds. So many times we have found our birds dead for one cause or another, but we always go back smarter chicken keepers. We haven't had a predator attack for over a year(unless you count grave robberies). But don't blame yourself, things happen, whether we like it or not.

When my little sister was 3 she strangled my little Old English

. I was sobbing with anger at myself because I wasn't in the room to stop her. But it wasn't anyone's fault. Sorry for your loss.

I'm so sorry that's so sad!

 

[Danniro]

We all hate it when our pets die or are killed. However, we do learn and do better next time. I have lost three chickens to a predator - probably a hawk. My rooster was the first to go, then my BSL hen. All was well for a few weeks, then my husband and I went out of town. My stepdaughter was to look after the 5 remaining hens, and did a great job, except that one of the hens escaped when she was feeding them. Something got it. Down to 4, but I still have all of them. They are allowed out to free range ONLY when my husband is going to be out in the yard working on something, or doing yardwork. They tend to hang around under our barn covering now too, so they are less of a target. I am in the process have getting a new coop and run for the four hens and the seven chicks I have in a large cardboard box in the house. The are ready to move outside, but not until the new digs are completed for the big girls, then they'll get the old coop and run until they are big enough to integrate into the big girls flock. Don't feel too bad about it! Just take the precautions necessary when you get some new chicks. You'll do a great job, I know!

Our original flock has also been whittled down, only one remaining member + younger newbie.
Thanks

 

[Peeps61]

The comment about the lowest bird on the pecking order being the biggest bully is so true! It also applies to horses. I have three horses, and when I added a fourth for a short period of time, my sweet, docile low man on the totem pole horse became a demon. The other two could have cared less, other than the obligatory sniff over. Birds seem to be the same. The lowest member wants to make sure they don't lose their place, or they see it as an opportunity to rise in rank. It's hard to watch sometimes, but that's how it works!

 

[Danniro]

The comment about the lowest bird on the pecking order being the biggest bully is so true! It also applies to horses. I have three horses, and when I added a fourth for a short period of time, my sweet, docile low man on the totem pole horse became a demon. The other two could have cared less, other than the obligatory sniff over. Birds seem to be the same. The lowest member wants to make sure they don't lose their place, or they see it as an opportunity to rise in rank. It's hard to watch sometimes, but that's how it works!

I am dreading introducing my new girls! They are half buff orp and and very calm birds. Hopefully they'll be big though! I'm going to do my best to minimize the conflict. Will probably sit with them all day, perhaps with a hose at hand

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

I always tell my girls, sometimes bad things happen, and we learn from them.
Best of Luck!

 

[Debbie82]

I"m very sorry about your loss. I also lost 6 babies due to a cat who had lived on the street that I was fostering for our local humane society (she had kittens and needed a foster home for 8 weeks). She was very skilled at nagging my chicks through the large bird cage I had them in inside the house.