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Yesterday was a very difficult day for me. After trying everything for nearly a week, I lost one of the patriarchs to my flock. He was born up north and traveled back to OK with me, which may have been part of the problem. When we got here, he had a slight occasional sneeze but I figured it was from the dust and literally, it was maybe once a week. Took him to a show and he started sneezing maybe once a day, so I started Tylan injections. This last week, he dropped weight and became pale. I figured it was from an impending molt, which is why I didn't sign him up for showing again. Then, the weather dropped 40* and I came back from a trip and found him laying on the ground without the ability to stand up thanks to being so weak. He was still eating, drinking but was skin and bones. I had wormed the week before...I gave vitamins, medicated chick starter, put him under heat and tried everything I've ever done.
It wasn't enough.
My big guy passed away yesterday in my arms. I had to finish everyone else's care and couldn't handle him until the last bird for biosecurity reasons. I held him and took him outside and set him on the grass. He nibbled a little of the grass then closed his eyes. When I picked him back up, he shook his head and breathed his last. This "breeder" broke down crying like the 6 year old that found her entire flock destroyed by a dog. When I stop caring about these birds, is when I stop having them. This destroyed me a bit and against my scientific reasoning, I HAD to bury this bird. I buried him in a field where thousands of his ancestors had tread for generations before. How awesome was it that I was able to bring this bird back to his homeland, breed chicks from him where this line originally came from, and eventually, return him to the ground there. Maybe I'm too sentimental, I'll never be the top breeder in this breed but I'll be sure to treat each and every bird that means something special to me in the same way.
He was one of my last links to Forrest's birds and was truly everything Forrest had strove for. Gentle, large and a tail to die for.
A few weeks before, my birds had started going broody again. I wasn't going to put eggs under them, but I had a "feeling" I needed to. So, I put every single largefowl Langshan egg I could find under my hens. I've found when I get this feeling...I need to act on it. I don't know why or how it happens, but it does and every time I listen to it, I'm glad I did. If I ignore it like I did about 2 years ago...it could finish my program.
Listen to your gut people. You'd be surprised how often it's dead on. And it's ok to cry guys...our blood, sweat, money and eventually tears go into this and sometimes it's necessary to just sit down and remind yourself that it's ok to let those tears flow every once in awhile.
It wasn't enough.
My big guy passed away yesterday in my arms. I had to finish everyone else's care and couldn't handle him until the last bird for biosecurity reasons. I held him and took him outside and set him on the grass. He nibbled a little of the grass then closed his eyes. When I picked him back up, he shook his head and breathed his last. This "breeder" broke down crying like the 6 year old that found her entire flock destroyed by a dog. When I stop caring about these birds, is when I stop having them. This destroyed me a bit and against my scientific reasoning, I HAD to bury this bird. I buried him in a field where thousands of his ancestors had tread for generations before. How awesome was it that I was able to bring this bird back to his homeland, breed chicks from him where this line originally came from, and eventually, return him to the ground there. Maybe I'm too sentimental, I'll never be the top breeder in this breed but I'll be sure to treat each and every bird that means something special to me in the same way.
He was one of my last links to Forrest's birds and was truly everything Forrest had strove for. Gentle, large and a tail to die for.
A few weeks before, my birds had started going broody again. I wasn't going to put eggs under them, but I had a "feeling" I needed to. So, I put every single largefowl Langshan egg I could find under my hens. I've found when I get this feeling...I need to act on it. I don't know why or how it happens, but it does and every time I listen to it, I'm glad I did. If I ignore it like I did about 2 years ago...it could finish my program.
Listen to your gut people. You'd be surprised how often it's dead on. And it's ok to cry guys...our blood, sweat, money and eventually tears go into this and sometimes it's necessary to just sit down and remind yourself that it's ok to let those tears flow every once in awhile.
. I teared up just reading it .
Also did some preliminary candling and it look as though my Big Guy actually fertilized some eggs from my best blue pullets that I had put in his pen about 2 days before. (All were quarantined so no chance of disease spread there) but...everyone is being treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics where I hear any gurgling breaths. Not taking any chances until after the weather swings are over with.
