Helping my husband with chicken injury/loss?

[hernameisoyster]

I'm sorry if this is the wrong forum, but I'm concerned for my husband. We've been together for 15 years, and this is our first year hatching chicks!

But, I've had chickens my whole life, and I know how...fragile their lives can be. He hasn't, and he's still very soft. He worries a lot about our chicks' health, and about if he's making the right decision when he throws out an egg. He has a bachelor's in biology, so he isn't uneducated about general chicken life, it's just he's never been a farmer.

This week, we had two hens push out their clutches after some rotten eggs popped. He's *very* worried about if he did the right thing when he threw them out, and if there was anything he could have done. He goes back and forth with letting the hens sit on the eggs, or getting my mom's large turntable incubator running to use it instead. He knows, logically, that the bacteria from the contaminated egg would have killed any still-developing embryos. But emotionally...they're babies to him. And he's in a lot of pain...

And today, one chick got caught on something with the hen in the brooder and scraped up their neck pretty good. He's trying not to incessantly check it, but he's cleaned the injury and has them in a separate. He's just worried he'll wake up to it being gone, and it's a pretty...choking feeling.

He's an absolute sweetheart that I love so, so much, and overall he just wants to not harm any baby chicks. I don't know what wisdom I can offer him, or what I can do to help him, because I've been raising chickens for so long that I'm numb.

So, if anyone has any advice... I would really appreciate it!

And please don't tell him to suck it up, or tough it out. He needs kindness right now more than anything.

 

[Alicethewhiterabbit]

I am like your husband with everything that crosses my path. Have him do tons of reseach so he knows what he can do and what is in God's power. I have a great old avain vet book that is packed full of information ... ill find it and share the title and author. Knowledge is power and information is at our fingure tips.

 

[townchicks]

I can't say I really have any advice for you, but I can relate. My husband is not really that involved with the chickens, but when something is wrong with our dogs or cats, he is beside himself. Sometimes I just have to sit him down and gently but firmly tell him that I know it's hard to watch, but we're doing the best that we can and that I love how much he loves the animals but take a deep breath! Then we hug and go love on the pets and it seems to help.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Unfortunately he will have to get less anxious the same way we all did...the hard way. All you can do is be supportive and encouraging.