For the first time in a long time....

[Granny Hatchet]

Bobby, I am so very sorry for your loss. I had to rehome well over half my flock. I didnt really have a choice . Some of them were pets to me and I felt completely empty with them gone. I sold these, I profited from it but didnt change how I felt . Thinks changed and I was able to buy more and I knew the best thing would be to wait for spring especially since I am disabled. Of course I didnt wait . I am right back to feeding and watering every day but these are babies so I will probably have them on some type of heat all winter. I am so glad I got them. It helps fill a hole where my others used to live. I still miss them a lot, dont get me wrong but without the babies It would of been a very long winter.

 

[bobbi-j]

@Bobbi J , I understand. Nearly 4 years ago as we were planning for our 50 th anniversary trip I gave away all of my birds. Hawks were putting me out of business anyway, but not a day goes by that I don't stare at my lofts longingly. I get my feather fix from my BYC family.

Yeah, when I drive in the driveway, I find myself scanning the yard to see if they're out scratching about. I wonder when I'll stop doing that? Can I ask why you didn't replace your birds?

Bobby, I am so very sorry for your loss. I had to rehome well over half my flock. I didnt really have a choice . Some of them were pets to me and I felt completely empty with them gone. I sold these, I profited from it but didnt change how I felt . Thinks changed and I was able to buy more and I knew the best thing would be to wait for spring especially since I am disabled. Of course I didnt wait . I am right back to feeding and watering every day but these are babies so I will probably have them on some type of heat all winter. I am so glad I got them. It helps fill a hole where my others used to live. I still miss them a lot, dont get me wrong but without the babies It would of been a very long winter.

I'm so glad you were able to get more chickens! I will wait until spring, because it's just too cold now to get babies. Plus, I have to figure out where that chicken-killing varmint got into my one coop. I think I know, but I want to clear all the bedding out and check all the nooks and crannies to be sure.

Tonight we had chicken and wild rice soup made from the bird we butchered on Saturday. Tasted pretty good, too! At least he didn't go to waste feeding the local wildlife...

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Thanks, me too ! I hope your next ones are everything you want and you have no more problems.

 

[Ravynscroft]

You know we're always here for you... and whatever you need, when you need it, you just holler...

 

[bobbi-j]

You know we're always here for you... and whatever you need, when you need it, you just holler...

Thanks, Rav!

 

[Kiki]

 

[sourland]

Yeah, when I drive in the driveway, I find myself scanning the yard to see if they're out scratching about. I wonder when I'll stop doing that? Can I ask why you didn't replace your birds?

Anything with feathers. From canaries and parakeets to peafowl and everything in between, but pigeons have been my true love. I was four or five when my BIL took me to see a flock of performing Birmingham Rollers. I cried when we had to leave.

Why didn't I replace my birds ? I had 10 - 12 pairs of breeders that gave me some pretty good young birds. I'd raise about 100 young birds a year. By the time the following spring arrived I would be down to 20 of the previous year's birds. They would be the hardest, smartest least rolling birds of the bunch - hawk survivors. One day I was flying them and a Cooper's hawk hit a pretty good ash red cock. I was there and chased him across the road to the neighbor's where the hawk dropped the pigeon in a flower bed. I picked him up (he appeared shocky, but okay). As I walked up my driveway he bled out in my hands, and I said, "I'm sorry. I just can't justify doing this anymore." That's it. I just can't justify raising birds to be killed, and I won't raise pigeons if I can't fly them.

Even after all this time, I've never closed the bobs on my middle flying loft just in case somebody came home.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Sour, Now that is a true love story. I am so sorry you dont have them now but completely understand.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Anything with feathers. From canaries and parakeets to peafowl and everything in between, but pigeons have been my true love. I was four or five when my BIL took me to see a flock of performing Birmingham Rollers. I cried when we had to leave.

Why didn't I replace my birds ? I had 10 - 12 pairs of breeders that gave me some pretty good young birds. I'd raise about 100 young birds a year. By the time the following spring arrived I would be down to 20 of the previous year's birds. They would be the hardest, smartest least rolling birds of the bunch - hawk survivors. One day I was flying them and a Cooper's hawk hit a pretty good ash red cock. I was there and chased him across the road to the neighbor's where the hawk dropped the pigeon in a flower bed. I picked him up (he appeared shocky, but okay). As I walked up my driveway he bled out in my hands, and I said, "I'm sorry. I just can't justify doing this anymore." That's it. I just can't justify raising birds to be killed, and I won't raise pigeons if I can't fly them.

Even after all this time, I've never closed the bobs on my middle flying loft just in case somebody came home.

 

[bobbi-j]

Anything with feathers. From canaries and parakeets to peafowl and everything in between, but pigeons have been my true love. I was four or five when my BIL took me to see a flock of performing Birmingham Rollers. I cried when we had to leave.

Why didn't I replace my birds ? I had 10 - 12 pairs of breeders that gave me some pretty good young birds. I'd raise about 100 young birds a year. By the time the following spring arrived I would be down to 20 of the previous year's birds. They would be the hardest, smartest least rolling birds of the bunch - hawk survivors. One day I was flying them and a Cooper's hawk hit a pretty good ash red cock. I was there and chased him across the road to the neighbor's where the hawk dropped the pigeon in a flower bed. I picked him up (he appeared shocky, but okay). As I walked up my driveway he bled out in my hands, and I said, "I'm sorry. I just can't justify doing this anymore." That's it. I just can't justify raising birds to be killed, and I won't raise pigeons if I can't fly them.

Even after all this time, I've never closed the bobs on my middle flying loft just in case somebody came home.

I totally get that, Sour.