Horrible chicken accident with my daughter

[Kusanar]

When I was a kid another kid (around your daughters age) that went to my church decided to teach his kittens to swim... in a 5 gallon bucket... They kept getting out so he put a lid on the bucket to make them learn to swim... you can imagine how that ended...

As far as I know that kid did not grow up to be a serial killer

 

[Rooapalooza]

A long long time ago, when I was about 7 or 8, my friend had a little brother who was 3 or 4. He was a handful. Several times he snuck up behind me and pulled out chunks of my hair. One time he snuck up and stabbed me. Anyway I remember his mom talking to my mom about him chasing around their chickens with a stick, trying to hit them. One day they turned on him. He was mostly fine but he got bloodied up. I assume he grew up into a normal adult.

Some kids do fine with animals, some don't. Basically all kids need supervision for the animals' sake.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

When I was a kid another kid (around your daughters age) that went to my church decided to teach his kittens to swim... in a 5 gallon bucket... They kept getting out so he put a lid on the bucket to make them learn to swim... you can imagine how that ended...

As far as I know that kid did not grow up to be a serial killer

I couldn't add multiple reactions so: ☹

 

[Freie Family Farm]

My son is 5. He was banned from going near the ducks after a rock throwing incident. He claimed to be feeding them rocks to digest their food. Unfortunately he wasn't aware that the rocks are called grit and are usually tiny, not the size of their heads. Hes better now (that was 4 months ago) and hes super gentle with them now. We read all sorts of animal books and try to teach him what is ok to do vs what isn't. Its just a lesson the need to learn

 

[Kusanar]

I couldn't add multiple reactions so: ☹

Yeah... he was the youth pastor's kid too...

 

[alohamoa]

Let's break this into two parts... kids and chickens.

KID: You, mother did nothing wrong. Nor did your child. The situation is terrible but your daughter likely left the chickens in the feed bin because your fat ladies were in there having a grand old time at the buffet and she knows to close the feed bin when you leave. Or possibly she just wanted to put them in the feed bin because it's food and what a better place for chickens! There's no chance of any ill will there- and like any parent you just have to do your best and sometimes things happens, no one is perfect. I wouldn't even mention the dead chicken to her, but it wouldn't hurt to say something simple like "and let's make sure there are no chickens in the feed bin when we leave or close it".

CHICKEN: It's incredible that your Aus. didn't make it, sorry to hear that- but I have to think somehow it was just her time. Judging that the BR did fine and given the relatively short period of time- something "odd" happened. Usually in the dark chickens will just hunker down, it's nature. Likely in this case the BR decided to go a bit nuts trying to get out (or both of them) and it escalated when they were running into each other in the dark and that there was unlevel ground (feed) moving under their feet - there was an accident of birds smashing into birds. No visible injury likely means some kind of blunt force issue- likely a neck break. Or, something just unknowable or pre-existing condition that manifested just then. I suppose it is possible that she suffocated too, but given that the BR just "jumped out" that doesn't seem likely to me because she would have been low on air at that point too and a single breath isn't going to magically revive her in 1 second. There's also the chance something happened before the chicken was in the bin and she was placed in there, maybe your daughter accidentally squeezed her too hard or grabbed her by the head, or was too rough putting the Aus in there or put the lid on too hard and hit her. But in any of those situation a 4-year old is too young to comprehend the magnitude of death in the situation and you should just try to teach her proper handling, etc. Again, really no way to know what happened so I wouldn't go overboard.

Either way- no one is at fault and sadly chickens die all the time. It's our job to do our best to keep them alive and happy for their short chicken lives and you, and your daughter, did all you could to do that. So all is good in Chicken Karma and your life. Sad, but move on and keep enjoying the rest of your flock!

Yes, the chickens have been jumping into the buffet. This made me feel so much better! Thank you.

 

[alohamoa]

Yeah s

I am so sorry for this. I wouldn’t have her avoid chickens all together but instead retrain her on how to be gentle.

My thought process leads me to the hen having been killed and then placed into the container. Maybe too hard of a hug or an accidental grab breaking it’s neck. She then put it into the container. The second was also placed in, but without the poor luck.

Does she remember the process? She should.

Yeah, she said they both jumped in which I believe because they’ve been doing that. But the Aus was one of her favorite that she would always hold for extended periods. So you could be right! Anyway, thank you!

 

[alohamoa]

When I was a kid another kid (around your daughters age) that went to my church decided to teach his kittens to swim... in a 5 gallon bucket... They kept getting out so he put a lid on the bucket to make them learn to swim... you can imagine how that ended...

As far as I know that kid did not grow up to be a serial killer

The last sentence made me laugh!
thank you!

 

[Kusanar]

The last sentence made me laugh!
thank you!

You're welcome. That's what people always worry about when things like this happen. "Am I raising a future serial killer??" nah... just a kid... If she's still doing that at 10 or so... yeah.. might need to worry about it at that point but 4 year olds are barely human yet (not out of the brooder as it were)

 

[alohamoa]

This x 1,000!

Do not for one second think your little meant to harm them. Children don't process cause and effect as we do. Especially at 4. I have a 5 year old daughter. She too loves to pick her chickens up and tote them around and is constantly trying to put them on or in things where they shouldn't be. She doesn't understand that life can be fragile or that stuffing a chicken in her coat as if she's a momma kangaroo could smother the poor "joey". She's just loving her chickens and playing with them.

That's where we as parents step in and make it a learning experience. "I know that you love your Nilla, but she won't be able to breathe in your coat. It's okay to pick her up and hold her, give her a quick hug, then put her down. She needs her own space." Teach your little how to properly pick them up and hold them. Teach her about stress and how chickens get stressed out easily. I use that as a tool for all animals with my children. It sounds quite silly, but once they understand, it works. "Don't do X,Y,Z because it will stress so-and-so out. You know what could happen if they get too stressed." (I tell them that when animals get too scared (stressed) they can die.) My kids love all animals and have learned to respect them this way. Takes a lot of trial and error, but eventually they understand and become more open to seeing potential danger in what they do with them.

Hope that made sense. It was sort of hard to explain haha.

Big hugs momma. Until she understands, you've got to have eyes on all sides of your head. Pretty sure I still have all those eyes. Just finally don't need them quite as much.

Great advice. Thanks so much!
overall she’s actually amazing around animals (horses, sheep etc) and I know she didn’t think anything of it now that I’ve had more time to process it. I will totally use “stressing them out” as a means to teach her. Thanks again!