i'm devastated

[zumachicks]

thank you so much for your words...i can barely see my screen, because i can't stop crying. they were 3 months old and i had them since 1 day...i will try to trap what got them and thanks for the advice on the new coop...the "house" does not have a dirt floor, but the run does. i don't know what to tell my three year old, who loved feeding them in the morning, she is not awake yet...thanks again guys...

 

[AussieSharon]

I'm so very sorry.

 

[wegotchickens]

If you want to trap the little bugger that ate your hens, then I'd tell your daughter the truth. You don't want her ever trying to pet a cute and fuzzy animal she sees around the coop...
And then let her help you pick out the new babies!

 

[tx_dane_mom]

It's definately happened to me too...taking out my favorite roo amongst other birds. Plus, my favorite dog is a chicken killing dog, so I loose chickens rather frequently compared to most. (A few a year) I know the hardest part is worrying about your children, but they are tougher than you give them credit, and if they loved the 2 you lost, they'll love the new ones you bring in

Don't give up!

 

[BettyR]

I’m so sorry and I agree with everyone else you should get more. We can’t let tragedy stop us from living our lives and doing the things that we want to do.

Like my lovely mother always used to say……Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again.

You don’t want to teach your children that it’s OK to give up when they hit a bump in the road.

 

[Guitartists]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

I'm sure in time your daughter will understand that sometimes these things happen... it is unfortunately the way of nature and beasts.... they (raccoons) don't know chickens are pets, to them they are just trying to survive as well. Hopefully you will be able to catch and dispose of your raccoon so that it does not become a problem in the future. Defintely don't give up on having chickens! Get some more.... it'll help ease the loss of the hens you lost and will keep the little banty company. Best of luck!!!!

 

[WriterRiderChick]

Zuma, I am so, so sorry to hear of this loss. A predator got my two Mille de'fleur pullets early last summer, so I completely identify with that horrible, sick feeling. I also had to tell my children about it when they woke up - it was just devastating, as you've said. However, time will heal your heart, as will re-stocking your flock. That experience definitely made me a better coop security designer as well. A hard learning experience, but it does happen.

Hugs to you.

 

[kodiakchicken]

I'm sorry to hear of your loss. I'm still waiting on my first ever peeps but am an animal lover and can relate.

We lost a bunny we had raised from a baby to an illness when my daughter was about 4. I was terribly upset and that made it harder for her. She did get over it though, with lots of love and talking about it. We've lost other animals since then and although she gets teary about then now and then, she understands its part of life. As hard as these experiences are when they are young, it really is better so that they aren't adults the first time they have to deal with death.

Get more chickens, deal with the coon, and make the best of it. Please don't let it spoil your chicken raising plans!

 

[Gindee77]

I'm so sorry about your loss. :aww It's one of the hardest things about having chickens...all those predators who want to kill them!!

Having had a similar experience, I know just how you feel. When I first had chickens back in the 1990's, I lost 20 of my flock of 25 chickens (and they were ALL pets!!!) to a coon, IN ONE NIGHT! un I know coons have to eat too, but I hate that they sneak in, in the night and kill innocent sleeping chickens. I caught the one that killed my chickens and I wasn't very nice to it!! If it would have killed one, fed on it and left, I wouldn't have been nearly as upset. But it killed 20 chickens and just left them all over. It was a total massacre! It was as if he killed them just for the sport of it.

un

Re: your daughter. When we have pets, that's one of the hardest things...having to tell a child that a favorite pet has died. I think being honest with her and as someone else suggested, let her help you pick out new babies would be the best solution. It's a hard lesson to learn, but it's part of having pets. Make sure she knows all the secure things you're doing to protect any new chickens and let her help you lock up every night!

I definitely think you should get new babies and make sure that coop is super-secure. Don't put anything past a coon!!! If it can get it's hands in under the door and pull the corner of the door out ...it can get in!!! I put latches on the top, middle and bottom of the door on my present coop!

We keep a baited live trap just outside the door of the shed/coop we keep our chicks in now, and we also have a baby monitor on them.

No coon is going to get my babies ever again!!! Not if I can help it!!

 

[coltsrox]

i am so sorry i have just loft my best gf and i have taken refuge in raising my chicks so if they died it would be the last straw for me i feel ur loss. i am so sorry!