Feel like giving up on chickens

[btifulriot]

Hey all,

I started out w/ 15 chickens. I'm down to 4 now, with one being very sick and lethargic. We have done everything we can to help her out, but after losing 2 very special chickens this last week alone to different reasons, I feel like throwing in the towel on raising chickens. The emotional stress on watching chickens die and not being able to do anything about it is really wearing. Has anyone else felt this way when starting out w/ raising chickens?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have been very lucky with mine.

I do get it that it can be very discouraging, difficult, gut wrenching, tear jerking and down right heart breaking.

I am really sorry you are having a really tough start in the chicken world.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

I have been in your shoes a couple times. Best advice is to not give up, and never think it is your fault.

 

[slordaz]

I did on hatching at one point but with the help on here was able to get it figured out as I hatch at high elevations and the instructions are for low elevations.

The best thing you can do is double bag a bird and send it into the state vet , which I cannot find due to not knowing your location, refrigerate it or take it to them if they are close to you and have them do a necropsy on a back yard flock member, let them know this isn't the first that has been lost. This will tell you exactly what it is that is killing of your chickens and how to deal with it, if your over medicating guessing your more likely to cause super bug in your chickens that can't be treated.

I am sorry for your losses but we are all here to try and help and educate each other get through these trying times with our feathered friends.

runs for more coffee so you can all understand what I'm typing lol

 

[btifulriot]

I did on hatching at one point but with the help on here was able to get it figured out as I hatch at high elevations as the instructions are all for low elevations.

The best thing you can do is double bag a bird and send it into the state vet , which I cannot find due to not knowing your location, refrigerate it or take it to them if they are close to you and have them du a necropsy on a back yard flock member, let them know this isn't the first that has been lost. This will tell you exactly what it is that is killing of your chickens and how to deal with it, if your over medicating guessing your more likely to cause syuper bug in your chickens that can't be treated.

I am sorry for your losses but we are all here to try and help and educate each other get through these trying times with our feathered friends.

Some have gone due to worms, some to predators and some to high heat. We are aware of why they die, we have made sure to dose them up whenever something comes up that can be cured before it even happens, etc and we haven't lost any chickens for that reason. Its just been one thing after another when it comes to outside forces taking my chickens lives!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

We went through a period where all of our favorite chickens were dying of Marek’s. It was hard and heartbreaking and I felt guilty for not keeping with vaccinated chicks. Nothing that we did saved any of them - very discouraging! This was my DD’s first real taste of helplessness in the face of loss, and probably valuable lessons for both of us... We are now about 9 mo since the last Marek’s loss, and things are much better. There can be a ridiculously steep learning curve with chickens. For most of us, though, there is light at the end of the tunnel!

 

[aart]

The first year is the roughest for sure,
but it sure sounds like you have experienced trail by fire.
Did you start with adult birds or chicks?
Did you ever have any necropsy's done with lab cultures?

 

[FathertoFeathers]

My experience with chickens has been much the same. I love the animals dearly and they are so much fun to watch but the emotional turmoil sucks. I have taken about a year break from chickens and am now thinking about getting back into the game. I hope that your able to get better!

 

[ValerieJ]

Sounds like you have had a bad start, but it wont always be this way. Each time you lose a chicken you learn. I, for one, have had the worst luck with cockerels and roosters. So I gave up on them for a while, but this year I'm going to try again. I have 3 very young ones now and hope at least one is sweet to my girls, when the time comes. I now know they probably wont be until they are a year old. It can be frustrating, but when it works it is so rewarding.

After nearly 4 years having chickens, one of my original girls has always been aggressive. I lost her recently and for the first time I have a really peaceful flock. So, now I have learned not to keep a trouble maker so long. At least not in with everyone else.

I'm just sharing so you can see it doesn't always work out perfectly for lots of us. Eventually we learn how to manage our flocks better, but disease and problems will always happen from time to time. In the end, they are worth it.

 

[Conan]

It can sure feel defeating. That's for sure.

There is a cure for this... it's called ducks. I have never lost a duck to disease or illness. I have never lost a duck to weather conditions. I have only lost ducks to predators, and with proper housing/fencing, that can also be eliminated.