Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[drumstick diva]

so sorry about the BR

 

[Ribh]

so sorry about the BR

Thanks, Nancy. Just goes to show how much supervision chickens actually need.

 

[LozzyR]

Thanks, Nancy. Just goes to show how much supervision chickens actually need.

Yes, big hugs from me too. I lost my Barred Rock earlier this year but I think it was from a secondary infection. I might get another one at some point but it’s still too soon at the moment. I wouldn’t mind a couple of Easter Eggers!

 

[Ribh]

Yes, big hugs from me too. I lost my Barred Rock earlier this year but I think it was from a secondary infection. I might get another one at some point but it’s still too soon at the moment. I wouldn’t mind a couple of Easter Eggers!

I'm sorry for your loss too. I learnt 1st time round chickens are unpredictable healthwise & you have to be a bit hardy to keep them because you can lose one @ the drop of a hat.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

What a nice broody you've got there Bob!! I don't think it's too late in the season for chicks. Mama hen takes such good care of the babies.

Honestly, I won't have chicks again unless I have a broody to raise them. It's much less work for me and the chicks seem to mature faster too. Plus it's just adorable to watch the hens teach the babies.

I do have fertile eggs...and green layers...just saying...

I understand completely. If she goes broody again in the spring, I'll still have fertile eggs if you want them. I also have silkie eggs...

You are a wicked temptress Chook Lady!

...and we are all enablers Vicarious chickens are the least work!

 

[LozzyR]

I'm sorry for your loss too. I learnt 1st time round chickens are unpredictable healthwise & you have to be a bit hardy to keep them because you can lose one @ the drop of a hat.

I didn’t realise how fragile chickens can be! I will have had chooks for two years in October and already I’ve lost three! I found Emily dead on the ground (and Lucy lost her voice around the same time), Penny got egg peritonitis and Bessie developed a limp. We had her on antibiotics and she was slowly getting better but then stopped walking altogether. Then after a few more days stopped eating and drinking and when we were at the vet’s, we were going to try stronger antibiotics but when the vet went to give her fluids, she couldn’t breathe on her side properly and died in my arms. I love having chooks though, but will probably continue to be devastated when they die.

 

[Ribh]

I lost an entire flock in the matter of a few days: heat stroke, heart attack, disease, plain old age. It was devastating. It's taken years for me to try again.

 

[drumstick diva]

Can't like that Ribh. Hoping everything will be much better this time around.

 

[MaryJanet]

I lost my first three hens to a fox raid in 2017 :-( I'm still very sad about it. My favourite (Dora) used to hop up next to me for cuddles.

I took a year to pull my socks up and get a proper fox-proof coop, then Janet, then Mary; and a few months later, Sandy joined us.

The new coop is positioned above Dora's grave. I never found Alice or Nigella - I presume the foxes took them back to the den. Fox raids are awful. Horrid. Nightmarish. Painful. Punishing. Heartbreaking.

In short - I'm very sorry you lost a whole flock @Ribh and I know the feeling.

 

[Ribh]

Can't like that Ribh. Hoping everything will be much better this time around.

It sounds worse than it was. I'd had the bantams for several years & the ISAs were rescues so we always knew their time was limited but everything sorta happened @ once which made it harder than it needed to be.