INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[hbrown322]

Oh, I’m so sorry!! I’ve heard hawks have been especially bad this year!!

Oh My!!! What should have been a great day turned out terrible.

and more


We just discovered (moments after it happened) that a hawk killed DD's black silkie, Gilfie! The body was ripped apart & still warm. We're all pretty devastated. DH wasn't home yet, so I asked a neighbor to come over to help me with the burial. Out of all our chickens, why Gilfie!?!


Both kids cried a lot of course. This chicken was more like a pet dog than livestock. DD hatched & cared for this bird. It bonded to her as mama and followed DD everywhere. The chicken spent more time in the house than in the yard and was extremely fond of road trips. Gilfie went with DD to several schools, parks, special events, and was well known throughout the town. (In fact, at Easter the line to pet the famous Gilfie was longer than the Easter Bunny's line!)

I always joked about Gilfie being one of our "useless chickens" but I find myself still crying and in shock. Just an hour before she was killed, she was gently & persistently pecking on my ankle which was her way of asking to be picked up. (A bad but endearing habit of our spoiled chicken.)

RIP, sweet Gilfie.

Taken Wednesday:
(An especially sad photo because this was also the exact spot where she was killed today.)

 

[hbrown322]

Woah, I hope you are able to figure out what is going on. How scary!!!
Great job with your grades!!!

Could really use some prayers. Whatever this undiagnosed condition is seems to have gotten worse again with the onset of more stress and cold weather. Physician forwarded me to yet another neurologist (last one was a dud) but this one won't see me until May. Seriously. I'm having episodes where I can't move, talk, or breathe well--if at all. Haven't stopped breathing for more than a few seconds at a time yet, but it's still scary, and I'm speaking strangely more often than not lately. Nobody has a clue why, but certain sounds, flashing lights, exercising, and weather pattern changes all make it worse. Endocrinologist appointment isn't til late January (made that one at the beginning of the school year), so hopefully we'll get some answers and maybe get my blood pressure under control.

The good news is that I've so far got pretty solid A's in all of my classes, but I've had immense difficulty in concentration while studying. I can't seem to concentrate or remember anything, but at least I've got a buffer because of earlier good scores.

Also good news, puppy hasn't killed any more birds. The game cock that visits has gotten a lot closer, but he seems a wussy game bird because Optimus Prime barely looks at him when they're on the same side of the fence, and that little guy goes running! Really funny to me. He has a tall, floppy pea comb, so I wonder if he's an EE cross. He's not a bantam, but he is little (and cute).

Wun Two is crowing all the time lately, and he, Optimus and this interloper regularly have crow offs with all the other guys in the neighborhood. I think Horns occasionally crows, but I'm not sure about Jazz (tentative name for Optimus Jr). One of the "mostly Marans" pullets is getting some serious size and fluff on her. Looks so much like her mom now.

Working on taming my pair of Silkies. They're such cute, quiet, submissive birds.

 

[hbrown322]

I brought Froggy, my pullet with the impacted crop, inside. I withheld food, and provided water. I gave her drops of vegetable oil twice yesterday. Gently massaging her crop. It decreased in size & soften by late afternoon. Happy to report that her crop was empty thing morning!
She is named Froggy Bc as a chick she would hop away from me instead of run. She has never liked being picked up or held. But yesterday she definitely enjoyed the crop massage. She fell asleep on my lap both times!! She is back with the flock today and I will check first thing in the morning to make sure her crop is empty!

 

[Faraday40]

@Faraday40 Awe. Sorry for the loss.
I saw a hawk last night fly away when I went to go lock my girls in. It must be on patrol.
How is your set up? I’m thinking of adding some aviary netting to the top of the run to keep the sky predators at bay. I haven’t let them out in the open run unless I am out there. So, they only get their secure run when I’m not; which is adequate space wise, but I would like to give them a bit more freedom.[/QUOTE]




The coop & run are very secure, but the little chicken door is usually open during the day so they may free range in the yard. We have a very old & a very young rooster. I'm guessing a warning was given & the silkie ran to her hiding place instead of the coop. It was one of those smaller hawks, so Gilfie was killed under her fav tree in a 10" gap between a log & the fence. I didn't sleep well last night. I miss her so much and kept having bad dreams.

This morning we found all sorts of hawk claw prints in the fresh snow all around the coop/run and also by the quail cages. The chickens were not even out in the run. (a very eerie sight since they're usually squawking to be let out as soon as they see us) All were crammed inside the coop, to avoid seeing the hawk & vice versa. They are going to be locked up for a while. I hope they don't start feather picking. I still have 5 young chickens to rehome, so it's crowded right now.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Faraday40
Tell your daughter how sorry we all are and that we're thinking about her. It's so hard to lose a beloved pet.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I think a lot has to do with how warm they are. Most of mine are in an area where they have a short walk to the green house, where they take a dirt bath, and warm up. I think it also lifts their spirits.

@JanetMarie
Janet, remind me how your greenhouse is...or maybe a photo? I keep wondering if I could set up a small "sunroom" just off the sliding door of the barn that would work like a green house to give a warmer area during winter.

I don't even worry about opening doors in winter if there's snow as the barn is large enough and they don't want to go out. Not to mention being very vulnerable to overhead attack without any foliage. But if I could figure out something moveable that could set just outside the door I would consider it.

I'll bet it's a bad move from the greenhouse to the overnight temps though!!!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

@Faraday40 Awe. Sorry for the loss.
I saw a hawk last night fly away when I went to go lock my girls in. It must be on patrol.
How is your set up? I’m thinking of adding some aviary netting to the top of the run to keep the sky predators at bay. I haven’t let them out in the open run unless I am out there. So, they only get their secure run when I’m not; which is adequate space wise, but I would like to give them a bit more freedom.

The coop & run are very secure, but the little chicken door is usually open during the day so they may free range in the yard. We have a very old & a very young rooster. I'm guessing a warning was given & the silkie ran to her hiding place instead of the coop. It was one of those smaller hawks, so Gilfie was killed under her fav tree in a 10" gap between a log & the fence. I didn't sleep well last night. I miss her so much and kept having bad dreams.

This morning we found all sorts of hawk claw prints in the fresh snow all around the coop/run and also by the quail cages. The chickens were not even out in the run. (a very eerie sight since they're usually squawking to be let out as soon as they see us) All were crammed inside the coop, to avoid seeing the hawk & vice versa. They are going to be locked up for a while. I hope they don't start feather picking. I still have 5 young chickens to rehome, so it's crowded right now.[/QUOTE]

Awe. That’s so sad. When I went out this morning, I was thinking I might see tracks from other animals, but I didn’t. I’m actually surprised since we are very rural. Those silkies are so cute. Again, sorry for your loss.

 

[Indyshent]

Oh My!!! What should have been a great day turned out terrible.

and more


We just discovered (moments after it happened) that a hawk killed DD's black silkie, Gilfie! The body was ripped apart & still warm. We're all pretty devastated. DH wasn't home yet, so I asked a neighbor to come over to help me with the burial. Out of all our chickens, why Gilfie!?!


Both kids cried a lot of course. This chicken was more like a pet dog than livestock. DD hatched & cared for this bird. It bonded to her as mama and followed DD everywhere. The chicken spent more time in the house than in the yard and was extremely fond of road trips. Gilfie went with DD to several schools, parks, special events, and was well known throughout the town. (In fact, at Easter the line to pet the famous Gilfie was longer than the Easter Bunny's line!)

I always joked about Gilfie being one of our "useless chickens" but I find myself still crying and in shock. Just an hour before she was killed, she was gently & persistently pecking on my ankle which was her way of asking to be picked up. (A bad but endearing habit of our spoiled chicken.)

RIP, sweet Gilfie.

Taken Wednesday:
(An especially sad photo because this was also the exact spot where she was killed today.)

I'm so sorry for your family, Faraday40--especially for your daughter I've enjoyed every update on your precious family and know the hole this poor little bird left in your heart's must be huge. She had a very good life with your family.

 

[JanetMarie]

Interesting.

Do you have a pic of how he looked when bandaged? Did you use vet wrap or something else?

I use an ACE bandage (the good ones, not the ones that stick to themselves) wrapped twice and secured with a safety pin on top.

No, I don't have a picture of him. At the time I didn't think about taking a picture, but took notes.

 

[JanetMarie]

@JanetMarie
Janet, remind me how your greenhouse is...or maybe a photo? I keep wondering if I could set up a small "sunroom" just off the sliding door of the barn that would work like a green house to give a warmer area during winter.

I don't even worry about opening doors in winter if there's snow as the barn is large enough and they don't want to go out. Not to mention being very vulnerable to overhead attack without any foliage. But if I could figure out something moveable that could set just outside the door I would consider it.

I'll bet it's a bad move from the greenhouse to the overnight temps though!!!

You could use garden or greenhouse plastic and wire hoops possibly. They are okay moving from the greenhouse back to the barn, because they don't hang out in the greenhouse all day.