Crummy sad lousy day

[Theda's Mom]

I lost one of my girls last night. When we went to close up the coop yesterday evening, we discovered that we were missing Ariel, our slw. I searched the pastures and yard by flashlight. My husband searched alone the driveway (the girls will occasionally tag along when the guineas go walk-about to the road). No luck. We went to bed thinking we'd lost Ariel to a predator.

Not so.

To my horror, I found her floating in the mare's water trough this morning. I don't know if she stunned herself on the hot wire that runs inside the fence behind the trough and then fell in, or if she fell in while looking for a drink and couldn't get out. The result was horrible in either case.

We're going to insulate the hot wire along that section of the fence, and rig something in the trough that will allow anyone who falls into it to get out (we've done something similar for chipmunks and squirrels).

I'm going to miss Ariel. She was gorgeous, and sweet, and kind.

Susan

 

[Acre of Blessings]

I'm sorry

:aww :aww :aww

 

[luvmychicknkids]

I am so sorry. I have lost two of my sweeties in the past few weeks and I know how much it hurts.

 

[kayri]

I'm sorry, that's a terrible story. I hope you have other sweet birds to help you through the bad times.

Kay

 

[Meesh]

I'm sorry, too. :-( I am going to have to do something with my water tanks, too.

- Michelle

 

[suenrob]

So sorry for your loss Susan

 

[EllyMae]

I'm so sorry for you loss. One of my dear friends just lost her rooster to coyotes and is just heartbroken. I try to keep myself mentally prepared for it to happen to one of mine, but it still hurts.

 

[Dinos_rock]

I am so sorry.

 

[Tutter]

I'm so sorry about, Ariel, Theda's Mom. It's very difficult to lose them.

Those open water sources are always scary for chickens, but I'm sure you will be able to rig something to make it a lot safer. One of the moderators here has an excellent idea for a grate, which I'm sure they'll share when they see this.

(((Hug!)))

 

[Theda's Mom]

Thank you everyone. You understand what friends chickens can be. My colleagues at work roll their eyes .. nicely, and sympathetically .. but it's clearly difficult for them to imagine having a relationship with a lovely hen.

I'd LOVE to hear about ways to make troughs and deep tanks safer for our chicks. What we did for the chipmunks and squirrels was to cut a length of re-bar roughly eight to ten inches longer than the depth of the tank and bend one end into a hook. The resultant piece looks like a giant lumpy rusty candy cane. The hook goes over the edge of the tank. The tail drops into the water, and voila! No more soggy (dead) rodents to clean out of the tanks.

A similar device made of a narrow length of something like crusher screen (think HEAVY duty wire mesh) ought to work for chickens. They could grab it with their toes and walk up it. I lay awake last night thinking about using wood, but decided it would be a breeding ground for various nasty microbe type things, and would eventually rot and have to be replaced. Metal would be a better long-term solution, but it's got to be metal with traction - hence something like crusher screen.

It's crappy that we (ME) don't think to take these steps until after a tragedy .. but that's the limitations of human imagination. It never crossed my mind ...

Susan