Maine

[Widget]

Not that I want snow but the rain from last night certainly got everything wet and muddy.

. The chicken pen is just plain yucky. Plenty of standing water for the ducks to play around in but they much preferred their pool this morning. The tarp covering the coop part was sagging from all the water that had pooled in the top. I managed to get most of it off but there is one area left that I can not get to unless I undo the tarp. On the plus side the outside temperature is quite pleasant. Too bad it wont last.

I found myself buying a turkey for Thanksgiving yesterday. They were on sale and I found one that was around 10 lbs. I have not had a traditional Thanksgiving meal in about five years (nothing like coming from a large family that rarely gets together for anything) and decided this year that I might as well cook a meal for myself. Granted a store bought bird wont be as tasty as the birds that are driving me nuts here on a daily basis but it will probably taste better than the frozen pizza I had for Thanksgiving last year.

And Homer, my foster dog, is going to his new forever home next week.

. He met a wonderful lady from MA last weekend and they clicked. She was looking for an older, quiet dog and Homer put on the charm. His new name will be Morty. Sad to see him go but that is why I am fostering, to give dogs a chance at a new life. And with him going that means I can take in another foster. If anyone has been on the fence about fostering I would say get off and just do it. This time of year, thanks to the holidays, many rescues are running into the situation where they have more dogs than foster homes and have to turn dogs away that really need a new chance at life.

 

[MEMama3]

I just buried another hen. My flock of 10 is down to 7. The first two went at the beginning when the flock first got sick. Everyone has seemed on the mend for the mast two weeks, except one. That one was active but very pale. The last two days all she has done is sleep. She refused to eat. Today she died in my arms.

Again, ALWAYS QUARANTINE!!!

RIP Blanche Nevercreaux

 

[anyasmifya]

MeMama~ I am so sorry for your losses. Yes, always quarantine. Sadly, it does seem like losing chickens gets easier. Last year well, last winter I lost like 6 or so to predators.

Lazygardener~ My chickens have no issues griping onto the 2 X 4. I just tied rope around the plank and then hung it onto a tripod I had made with big sticks I found in the woods.

Currently, my super cute golden laced polish Roo, is trying to kill my RIR Roo! Ugh, I don't know what to do. I don't want 4 roos, and the RIR has been a jerk to me. So, I think I will just let nature take it's course. Is that cruel? Will one Roo kill another Roo? I have 11 hens and 4 Roos. The RIR was supposed to be culled yesterday, but he is a sneaky jerk and I had stupidly let him out of the coop in the morning. My friend came to get him and he was no where to be found! I hate Roos! No, more straight runs for me and forget hatching my own! I say this now, but come next spring. I'll probably be like, "won't it be fun to hatch some cute little baby birds?"

 

[ashandvine]

Between diseases, bugs and varmints this sure has been a tough fall. The Orloffs, which ARE still in quarantine are down from 11 to 4. I haven't seen the fox back yet. I am sure I can say "yet."

 

[Widget]

Currently, my super cute golden laced polish Roo, is trying to kill my RIR Roo! Ugh, I don't know what to do. I don't want 4 roos, and the RIR has been a jerk to me. So, I think I will just let nature take it's course. Is that cruel? Will one Roo kill another Roo? I have 11 hens and 4 Roos. The RIR was supposed to be culled yesterday, but he is a sneaky jerk and I had stupidly let him out of the coop in the morning. My friend came to get him and he was no where to be found! I hate Roos! No, more straight runs for me and forget hatching my own! I say this now, but come next spring. I'll probably be like, "won't it be fun to hatch some cute little baby birds?"

Nature tends to be cruel. Some will say you are. Some wont. If you can catch the bugger I would do that and either cull him or relocate him. There is always a chance he could hurt one of your nice roos.

Personally I just really do not like RIRs. I have yet to meet a nice one. Even the hens have not been nice birds. At least not the ones I have met and been attacked by on more than one occasion. I have a few roos here who are nice as can be. The two Tetra Tints who are the outside flock masters and three bantam Cochins who are in my Silkie and Cochin pen. There may or may not be some Silkie roos there too. They are around three months old so are still behaving themselves. Eventually I will be thinning out the roos but as long as they behave themselves they will be allowed to stay.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Oh, my. Lots of sorrow here, today.

MK, are you sure your girl isn't sneaky and laying somewhere else?

 

[lazy gardener]

So sorry ME Mama.

 

[MEMama3]

Thank you for the condolences everyone. Telling my son was the hardest thing. I always pluck a tail feather for him to remember his hens (and one roo) by. He added this one to the box. I'm just happy I saw the end coming so as I could hold her as she passed. She loved being held. I think she thought she was a puppy.

 

[MustardTiger]

and let me throw this into today's miserable mix.....my buff orp has again disappeared. she had been staying away from the flock for a few days but always went back into the coop at night...last night she just never showed up The little one that was injured is now limping and favoring her right leg. Not sure if she will pull through. she is so much smaller than the rest. She has no visible wounds so I am not sure whats wrong. I may separate her if she gets worse or picked on and to top it all off I discovered they have lice again! ahhhh sigh.....i will be treating them tomorrow evening. last time i got rid of the lice pretty easily. hope it goes as well this time.

what a BUMMER!

 

[buckabucka]

So sorry for everyone's losses! What a string of bad luck. I hope things turn for the better for everyone soon.

anyasmifya, would you consider eating the mean roosters? Even if you do not want to do the deed yourself, it only costs $3 - $4 to have a bird processed. I had resigned myself to not hatching next spring, because I shouldn't really add any more birds and I inadvertently began running a retirement home here. But one thing I will miss is having those roosters in the freezer! If we don't have many left in stock after the winter, I may do a small hatch after all.
Another idea, give them away on craigslist. They may eventually kill each other, but then they just go to waste.