citychicks99
Songster
I helped hatch these two chicks and called them my miracle chicks because they were from a late hatch and I was ready to throw out the eggs until I saw movement and heard chirping. I was the first one they saw when they hatched. I tried giving them a mama, one of the hens who sat on their eggs, but she abandoned them when they were two weeks old so I took over mama hen duties. They were scared of me at first but quickly took to me and would run to me when they heard my voice and would run after me when I had to leave their area. They also liked falling asleep in my hands and on my legs. I only got to spend a week with them as their mama hen but we really bonded and got comfortable with each other.
They were integrated in the flock and I usually lock them up in a pet carrier at night, mainly to keep them warm and away from the rest of the crazy flock in the morning. On Saturday night, I came home late and I was so tired from having a headache all day. They were already roosting on the lower section and I know they don't like being in the pet carrier so I wanted to see how they'd do. With our first set of chicks from two years ago, we let them sleep out at night when they were three weeks old and about the same size so I thought it'd be fine.
When I went to let them out the next day, I didn't see or hear them. We have a wheeling poop tray under the roost and when I moved that out of the way I found their two dead little bodies torn apart and chewed on. One of the poor little guy's tail was torn off and their neck was broken. I can't get the image out of my head. I'm pretty sure it was rats. There's a two inch gap on the bottom wall part and I didn't think anything would be able to get in at night but I was wrong.
I sealed that up with pea gravel, a block of wood and insulation foam and put reusable mouse traps in their coop, it's the ones where the mice goes inside so it wouldn't hurt the chickens.
I feel so guilty for being careless at the time it mattered, and that I let these two poor babies down, especially since they trusted me. First time I've lost chicks to predators. I don't know how you all can do this. I'm so torn I can barely focus on anything right now.
They were integrated in the flock and I usually lock them up in a pet carrier at night, mainly to keep them warm and away from the rest of the crazy flock in the morning. On Saturday night, I came home late and I was so tired from having a headache all day. They were already roosting on the lower section and I know they don't like being in the pet carrier so I wanted to see how they'd do. With our first set of chicks from two years ago, we let them sleep out at night when they were three weeks old and about the same size so I thought it'd be fine.
When I went to let them out the next day, I didn't see or hear them. We have a wheeling poop tray under the roost and when I moved that out of the way I found their two dead little bodies torn apart and chewed on. One of the poor little guy's tail was torn off and their neck was broken. I can't get the image out of my head. I'm pretty sure it was rats. There's a two inch gap on the bottom wall part and I didn't think anything would be able to get in at night but I was wrong.
I sealed that up with pea gravel, a block of wood and insulation foam and put reusable mouse traps in their coop, it's the ones where the mice goes inside so it wouldn't hurt the chickens.
I feel so guilty for being careless at the time it mattered, and that I let these two poor babies down, especially since they trusted me. First time I've lost chicks to predators. I don't know how you all can do this. I'm so torn I can barely focus on anything right now.
I’ve had one of my budgies get eaten by one of my pet rats. I had the budgie for 5 years. My dog had pushed my door open, and the rat got in. I left without realizing. I came back later & my birds were all freaked out, and I was so confused until my rat ran out. I almost passed out upon seeing what my rat did to my poor bird. I still have the rat, but everyone looks at him differently now 
