i think i'm burning out....

[blue90292]

in order to help pay for feed and such, i had eggs hatching every thursday. just 10 to 12, but at $1.50 a piece, they helped pay my feed for that week.

then the fowl pox came and chicks started dying. then this contant rain creating mold and more chicks dying. and now some of the adults are starting to get sick. everyday i turn around and i think, okay...wonder whose died today.

i know i read where people said, when it's no longer fun, you just need to give it up. i'm definitely not giving it up, because i know i can win the war as soon as it stops raining, but the battles sure are getting to me. and my house is a mess.

the ground is so gross, and the smell is getting quite sour in some areas. and the fire ants just won't go away. they're in the feed, they're in breeding pens, they're under the feeders and the waterers....the the mosquitos are relentless. every night i use the fogger. i can't mow the grass, there's too much water everywhere.

my cows are in muck, my horse is in muck, my back pasture has those grey pelican looking birds that live on marsh land....

so the chicks will be safer, i have over 75 inside my house. which leads to constant chirping and chirping and chirping....

finally had two days of sunshine this weekend and then another 2 inches of rain last night to re-wet everything that looked like it was about to dry.

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

Dont give up,Ever!Never ever ever give up.Your babys need you.I gave up once and I never forgave myself for it.The feeling is horrible,a deep hurting feeling inside knowing that you let your babys down without a fight.Ive been there,I know the feeling.

 

[justusnak]

Definately never give up. Be strong...you CAN do this. We went through that last year.....water everywhere...seemed like it rained 5 days a week, ALL summer!! We had a moat, and I kid you not...all the way around the house. The chickes were wet constantle...wanting out, but I had to keep them penned up, for fear they would get sick. This is what I did......in thier coop....I layed lots and lots of straw....I turned it every day, to keep it dry, and kept a fan on the floor area. LOTS of sweet PDZ....and high,draft free roost. I know, it seems cruel to keep them all loaded up in the coops...but safer, and dry. Oh, they have a radio as well...and I swear, they "sing". LOL Its a high pitch whistle, only dureing certain songs. LOL Keep your chin up....the sun WILL SHINE again!

 

[jackiedon]

I understand the rain being such a pain and the chicks getting sick on top of that. You are making people happy buy raising baby chicks. Nothing makes a person happier than buying a baby chick!!!

The guy that I found that incubates eggs and sells them has made me such a happy person and I have a new found friend. I still don't know his name. I have been to his place about 4 times in 2 weeks. I ran into him and his wife at an auction Saturday and he smiled really big and spoke. He has had throat cancer and this keeps him going.

Take a break but don't give up.

I can't imagine 75 babies in your house. We have 18 baby chicks plus 7 guineas.

jackie

 

[urbanhomesteader]

This too shall pass. Don't give up.

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

Blue if I were in Tx, I would come to your house and give you a hand everyday!Please have hope.Our babys depend on US!

 

[TreyClark281]

sorry about that i think one of my chickens died from fowl pox..
hope the rain stops!
im gettin it too and it sucks.
i think im about an hour (houston time) from you.

 

[Chirpy]

blue - all I can say is don't give up now. If, you make the decision to quit do it when things are going well so you are making the decision for the right reasons. I'm afraid you would regret it now.

I can't relate to your rain/water problems but we had an extremely snowy winter this last year. We had four to six feet of snow on the ground from the middle of December (2006) to the middle of February! My poor horses and llamas were literally trapped in the barn for that entire time. The snow was over all the pasture fences so we couldn't let them out until almost March. Then, when we let them out one of my mares fell and broke her leg and we had to put her down! It was awful and I wished I had waited even longer before letting them out even though they were going stir crazy in the barn.

I wish you the best for dry weather soon so you will stop having so many chick losses. That would be so hard I can completely relate to just wanting to be done with it all.

Remember... "This too will pass!"

Good luck.

 

[blue90292]

thanks to all for your encouraging words.

you know how sometimes you just have to scream, and then you feel sooo much better.

i wouldn't give this up for anything. i have waaaayyyy too much invested in this and i'm seeing it through. i've been talking to some accountants (i work for a cpa firm) and am seriously thinking about turning my hobby into a small business.

when it's not raining every single day since mid-june, it's really alot of fun. lol

they're predicting rain again tomorrow, but today and yesterday, we've had wonderful mild weather and i think i'll be able to mow my acreage when i get home from work tonight.

here comes the second wind!

thanks again everyone!!

 

[countrygirl4513]

I wish we could take the rain from you for a while. The drought in Tn is worse than I've seen even since the drought of the 1980's. I know it gets tough when everything gets wet and icky. But don't give up on your babes.