- Apr 8, 2013
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I just wanted to vent a little by telling our story here. Our chicken keeping project started exactly a year ago with 6 red sex links from an unplanned trip to tractor supply. We knew nothing about it and had to learn fast. My wife had said no to me wanting chickens for years until our 7 year old said he wanted them. I built a little coop and the deal was that we could get them if she had nothing to do with feeding or watering or any work on her part period. She thought they would be mean and dirty and didn't have any want for "farm" life. She gave in to the cuteness quickly and began playing with the chick and feeding from her hand by the second day. She now loves collecting eggs and eating "farm" fresh meals from them. We ended up adding a heritage RIR roo to the flock last summer and he became on of her best friends following her around the yard.We all had the chicken bug bad and wanted more. She said we needed "pretty" chickens" so she ordered 8 bantams from Ideal last September. We got a mix of silkies and frizzle Cochins. We have also hatched eggs from our own RIR/RSL birds. What started with "NO" chickens ended up with 27 birds and the whole family helping out. We even have our regular ladies in town that get eggs from us because they say the are the best they have ever had. One partridge silkie hen known as "Poop Butt" due to pasty butt as a chick found its way into my wifes heart. She loved to be picked up and held and was by far the nicest bird you can imagine. When we got home yesterday, I heard a chicken making noise in my fenced in backyard. I found Poop Butt being played with by our German Shepard in the yard. I ran and got her but she couldnt stand up. She had no wounds by lots of missing feathers and was limp. I was going to put her down but my wife wouldnt let me. She put her in a box with shaving, food and water in her bathroom and sat with her petting her. She died about an hour later. We buried her in our yard and now my wife wants nothing to do with any of them. I knew the day would come but it is still hard to believe. Its easy to be mad at the dog but it was where it belonged and the chicken wasnt. Sorry this is so long but I needed to tell everyone about little Poop Butt as she was so sweet and kind.