Cloistered with my chickens

[Celticdragonfly]

Haven't been online much, my computer is down, but Miles is working on fixing it.

One of our chickens died Friday, our Steggie. Probably heat related, but unknown. Yes, she was my favorite, and a very good girl who fed us well with great eggs. I will miss her.

 

[Celticdragonfly]

I keep telling my daughter we had to lose one sooner or later, it happens, we take good care of them...but in my heart I feel I've been a bad chicken person...

 

[15WildTurkey]

Sorry for your loss. Things happen, if there’s any lessons to be learned from her passing then take them on board and go forward with that knowledge. Keeping animals means there will be losses. It’s sad every single time.

 

[TwoShepherds]

Oh no, I'm so sorry that you lost Steggie. Sometimes these things just happen. Not your fault. That doesn't make it any easier.

 

[Celticdragonfly]

Today we lost another chicken - my daughter brought them out a pan of ice water midday because it's super hot and humid today, and found Tyra, our black Australorp, already dead.

This leaves only poor Cera, our Easter Egger. If it was the heat killing you, you'd think we'd lose her first - rose comb and no wattles. Although she was the smallest of the three, square-cube law and all that.

This sort of thing is why I contacted the city council and urged upping the number of chickens. Which they did, and I have a road trip planned to Meyer Hatchery next month to pick up what was going to be our order of 3 chickens, now is our order of 4, and we need to up that to 5 and maybe I should just pick up 6.

I know that we were GONNA lose chickens, I know it happens. But it's hitting me and my daughter right in our copious insecurities. Right now I'm torn between getting a replacement gazebo tent for better shade so they'll do better and I'll be more able to spend time with them - or just giving up and not keeping chickens anymore. We're down to one chicken and she hasn't been laying lately.

I could use input from others with longer chicken keeping history. Both those hens were just over a year old! I expected to lose chickens but not so soon.

 

[TwoShepherds]

Oh no, I’m sorry you lost another chicken. I don’t have any advice but you definitely shouldn’t give up. Some of my hens are laying less now too, probably the heat or maybe they have started to molt. I think if it’s possible a tent to provide more shade would be a great idea. Keep us updated.

 

[TwoCrows]

Today we lost another chicken - my daughter brought them out a pan of ice water midday because it's super hot and humid today, and found Tyra, our black Australorp, already dead.

This leaves only poor Cera, our Easter Egger. If it was the heat killing you, you'd think we'd lose her first - rose comb and no wattles. Although she was the smallest of the three, square-cube law and all that.

This sort of thing is why I contacted the city council and urged upping the number of chickens. Which they did, and I have a road trip planned to Meyer Hatchery next month to pick up what was going to be our order of 3 chickens, now is our order of 4, and we need to up that to 5 and maybe I should just pick up 6.

I know that we were GONNA lose chickens, I know it happens. But it's hitting me and my daughter right in our copious insecurities. Right now I'm torn between getting a replacement gazebo tent for better shade so they'll do better and I'll be more able to spend time with them - or just giving up and not keeping chickens anymore. We're down to one chicken and she hasn't been laying lately.

I could use input from others with longer chicken keeping history. Both those hens were just over a year old! I expected to lose chickens but not so soon.

I am so sorry you lost another.