Lost more than 40 chicks! So angry!

[cwc362]

Sorry to hear about all your troubles. Hope you recover soon and get your place back in order . Good luck and Best wishes!!

 

[sandiatonimarie]

...and I guess its human nature or something, sometimes the people we do the most for resent it somehow, and they end up biting the hand that feeds them. I would advise you to scale back your involvement with these people and thier problems.

I, too, am very sorry for your losses. And I heartily agree with the poster whose quote I pasted above. You obviously have a huge heart and you did far, far more for these folks than most would do. The very least they could have done was taken better care of your animals or called someone else to help if they still didn't know how to care for them or just plain didn't want to.

Again, I'm sorry about your chickens and sorry that you were so ill served by your "caretakers".

And I hope you feel better soon!​

 

[twentynine]

I am still amazed that the local FD would bring out generators, to a private residence. And we won't even say a thing about the 2 hour responce time. But in the words of the immortal Goober from the Andy Griffith's Show---- SHAZAAAAAAAMMMMM!!!

Our municipal goverment agencies have their hands full. And nursing homes, hospitals, jails, prisons are all evacuated. National guard mobilzed. Aux. Deputies, dog catchers, civil defense, any one holding any type of commission is utilised.

Still no way would I expect any positive help from local gov.

I am in the non-evacuation group because of my job, so I stay, but I also understand I am on my own.

Even if they were passing out generators I would be so far down the list I couldn't expect to get a single D cell battery. Most essential services have auto-standby generator power. Places like ERs, gov buildings, FD stations, most are required to have standby power.

I realise I sounded a bit rough, but I did mean one thing--- you can never expect anyone to take care of your business as well as you do yourself.

In this case I think it was a poor choice of people to help out. Usually their is a good reason people either will not or can not improve their station in life. Been living on 600 a month with out trying to get better on their own, a stranger trying to show them a better way, will have little success.

While I think you have every right to be angry, what's gone is gone, done is done. I'd think twice before I'd use them folks again.

 

[Jess N Jeff]

I am so sorry. I was freaking out that I only lost one while I was on vacation. I can't even imagine your loss.

Get yourself better....again...sorry for you and your babies!

 

[rthensley]

Hate to hear about your losses.

I'm in Gate City (just across the state line from you). We only got about 6" of snow. Of course that is more than my kids have ever seen.

Hang in there.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Oh my gosh! I am sooo sorry for all your losses

I can't imagine how hard all this must be for you on top of battling H1N1. It breaks my heart to loose just one chick! Bless your heart for all the animals you rescue as well. They are very fortunate to have you to take good care of them. If you ever want to try again I have several seramas that are laying right now, I'd be happy to send eggs your way for the cost of shipping to help you out. I hope you feel better soon, I just got over the H1N1 myself and it was no walk in the park for sure!

 

[pixie74943]

I dont know what to say... just

hope this happening doesnt ruin any chance of you holidaying again.. even with a million animals to make your day happy, a holiday is needed sometimes

I worry about leaving my critters alone for a couple of days with my animal savvy parents, I can imagine the bravery it takes to leave them in the hands of someone for over a week, especially when they are so young and vunerable

Hope you have better luck next time (if there is a next time) and get well soon! Those critters need hugs!

 

[tofumama]

I am SO sorry for your losses. How awful. It sounds like you did everything right, and for whatever reason, these people just didn't come through for you.

I have to disagree with only hiring farm people to care for your animals while you are gone. I used to 'farm sit' for a couple who had a small farm with horses, goats, dogs...I went over before they left for a detailed instruction on how to care for the animals and all was well. I have a high school girl who house-sits for us when we go away and she does a wonderful job with the animals we have (chickens, rabbit, dog, cats) Some people get it and some don't.

I too, hope you don't give up on going away...everyone needs a break once in a while! Maybe a different people for different animals? Someone for the chickens, animals and birds...spreading out the responsibility over several people who will just focus on one thing?

FOr now, I hope you heal up quickly...body AND heart.

 

[LizFM]

Hiring farm people can be a 2-edged sword for BYCers.

Yes, farm people know about handling animals and hard, dirty work. But a lot of people who have farmed commercially have a very different cost/benefit response to taking extraordinary measures to save animals, or keep them especially clean, or healthy etc. At a certain point, they will often consider the extra effort "just don't pay." And are likely to let things die "for your own good." (don't ask me how I know)

When we farmed, our own vet scolded us for spending $ for life-saving treatment for "just a barn cat" (a c-section, without which she and the babies would have died). This was in puppy-mill country, and, in between leaving our cat on the operating table while he answered calls from farmers with cows, he was telling us that the week before he'd done a c-section on a puppy mill basset hound..."but those puppies were worth $50 each" so it made sense.

This is just a guess, but I'm betting that, even if those people did not resent the money and effort you spend on your birds before, by a relatively short time into the storm, they resented it...especially when they were being expected to go to "unreasonable" (in their mind) efforts to save them.

 

[chookchick]

My heart goes out to you and best wishes in dealing with all of this. I am planning for a 8 day vacation, and it is driving me nuts, I cannot IMAGINE having all those precious animals, and having to trust anyone with them in a snowstorm.

I have to agree with some of the posters about the family you are helping. In my husband's work, we have found that 90% of people that are in a fix (especially a constant one...) are there for a reason. I have tried to help people who I think needed a leg up, and it has almost always backfired on me (like one who eventually committed suicide). I think for your own sake, you need to cut back on your efforts, before you go nuts! But I have to commend your big heart!