Snowingamanda
Songster
- Apr 14, 2019
- 141
- 223
- 112
This year I’ve tried to learn to raise baby chicks. I was down in the ruts and they were so happy and alive, an made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.. but god, it turned out to be a freaking Chick Final Destination movie They don’t stop catching me by surprise in many creative and freak ways they die. I do my research and play it safe, I think I’m 2 steps ahead of the game, but Death is a freaking Kasparov in this match I’m losing
I was meticulous about brooder conditions and checked for pasty butts twice a day. Proud to say I have not lost one chick to unknown causes, and I had over 60 of them, of different ages. The ways I’ve lost chicks so far:
* Hawk (a netting went up the next at and haven’t had that problem since)
* Strangulation (lost a teenage ducky, cried for 3 days). And I thought I chick-proofed the garden! Took care of that hazard
* A chick escaped through the fence and got lost! Let out 26 chicks into the fenced garden, at dusk collected 25. No idea where he went or who ate him but one part of my garden stinks so badly we suspect it can be there somewhere but repeated searches did not turn up anything
* 3 chicks (4-5 weeks old, flying chicks!) drowned in a water container that I would have not thought was that deep!
In other fatality and maiming news:
* Hatched 25 of 26 quail chicks, left the last egg for extra 36 hours, then opened it thinking it was a dud only to find a fully formed chick inside
* Despite the red light and plenty of space in the quail brooder and treating splayed legged ones, one lost half a toe as a snack to his siblings.
Earlier this summer:
* Lost a flock of 6 chickens (layers) due to heat because of a failure to unlock the coop (measures were taken to avoid similar situations in the future but many tears were cried for those girls)
* Lost 2 of my best layers due to heat in a freak bullying accident (sounds weird, I know)
* Lost a flock of layers because accidentally electrical fence got unplugged and predators got them.
Earlier this year (before electric fencing):
* Lost about a dozen layers to various predators.
In sum, it’s been a year of me trying to incubate and keep chicks and chickens (and ducks and quail), staying sleepless nights by incubator to keep constant temperature, and then dote on them, give them yummies and water with electrolytes and vinegar, get them medications and vaporizers when sick, wipe their butts, buy them toys, let them graze in my garden, sweet talk to them, cradle and love on them. A year of chick-proofing and fortifying chicken runs and coops and many play areas. And a never-ending depressing loss of life. Not to mention that I have 12 hens, all under 2 years of age, and I get 3 eggs a day ...
So, if anyone read that far, my question is - am I cursed to having chickens? Despite best efforts and all the love and care, - should I get rid of them for their own sake? Am I the only person that terrible at keeping poultry alive? Like, what’s wrong with me? Or will it ever get better?
I was meticulous about brooder conditions and checked for pasty butts twice a day. Proud to say I have not lost one chick to unknown causes, and I had over 60 of them, of different ages. The ways I’ve lost chicks so far:
* Hawk (a netting went up the next at and haven’t had that problem since)
* Strangulation (lost a teenage ducky, cried for 3 days). And I thought I chick-proofed the garden! Took care of that hazard
* A chick escaped through the fence and got lost! Let out 26 chicks into the fenced garden, at dusk collected 25. No idea where he went or who ate him but one part of my garden stinks so badly we suspect it can be there somewhere but repeated searches did not turn up anything
* 3 chicks (4-5 weeks old, flying chicks!) drowned in a water container that I would have not thought was that deep!
In other fatality and maiming news:
* Hatched 25 of 26 quail chicks, left the last egg for extra 36 hours, then opened it thinking it was a dud only to find a fully formed chick inside
* Despite the red light and plenty of space in the quail brooder and treating splayed legged ones, one lost half a toe as a snack to his siblings.
Earlier this summer:
* Lost a flock of 6 chickens (layers) due to heat because of a failure to unlock the coop (measures were taken to avoid similar situations in the future but many tears were cried for those girls)
* Lost 2 of my best layers due to heat in a freak bullying accident (sounds weird, I know)
* Lost a flock of layers because accidentally electrical fence got unplugged and predators got them.
Earlier this year (before electric fencing):
* Lost about a dozen layers to various predators.
In sum, it’s been a year of me trying to incubate and keep chicks and chickens (and ducks and quail), staying sleepless nights by incubator to keep constant temperature, and then dote on them, give them yummies and water with electrolytes and vinegar, get them medications and vaporizers when sick, wipe their butts, buy them toys, let them graze in my garden, sweet talk to them, cradle and love on them. A year of chick-proofing and fortifying chicken runs and coops and many play areas. And a never-ending depressing loss of life. Not to mention that I have 12 hens, all under 2 years of age, and I get 3 eggs a day ...
So, if anyone read that far, my question is - am I cursed to having chickens? Despite best efforts and all the love and care, - should I get rid of them for their own sake? Am I the only person that terrible at keeping poultry alive? Like, what’s wrong with me? Or will it ever get better?
Last edited: