My chicken died and I feel so guilty

[Folly's place]

I tend to agree with Brooks here.
Mary

 

[cmom]

Thanks, I didn't even notice the thread was an older thread. But for a first post I agree.

 

[Brooks_]

No one who had raised chickens would every blame someone for a death they couldn't prevent.

A neighbor that I drive by has a small coop and run (I've only seen two, so size is probably fine). Appears to be totally protected, but they are never out of the run that I've seen. I've only seen them perched in the run looking depressed. Is that really any better? I've lost one. By lost I mean I have no idea what happened to her. I do know that when all is said and done, I will be the largest predatory threat they face.

\Sorry for the ramble.

 

[Folly's place]

It may not take long at all to start loosing chickens, because they are so vulnerable, and there's that learning curve we face as flock owners.
Mary

 

[Swbertrand1]

Been there losing hens, but haven't lost a rooster yet, though our Rooster has fought off hawks before. It's even more stunning because he's a Silkie roo, but he's stout, protective, and determined. That's their job, and yours did his well. Sadly, he paid with his life :-(

Don't beat yourself up though; these things happen, and it is the natural order of things, especially with free-ranging birds, even if it's just for a few hours a day. Secure your coop and run to the best of your ability or wallet, and I'd suggest making free-ranging time a "supervised" time.

We do it this way for the last couple of hours of each day. All the birds are used to it, and they don't have a hard desire to come out into the yard until a couple or hours before dusk. If we can't be out there with them, they stay in their run. However, even when we're out, we've had to put them up due to predators showing themselves.

It's a constant struggle...

 

[cmom]

A neighbor that I drive by has a small coop and run (I've only seen two, so size is probably fine). Appears to be totally protected, but they are never out of the run that I've seen. I've only seen them perched in the run looking depressed. Is that really any better? I've lost one. By lost I mean I have no idea what happened to her. I do know that when all is said and done, I will be the largest predatory threat they face.

\Sorry for the ramble.

You can't do anything about your neighbor but even penned birds can have a good life in their pens. I do have large pens. Sometimes I put grass clipping in the pens that they love to scratch through. Sometimes I put flock blocks under their rain/shade tables for them to peck at. I made a chicken ladder which the birds enjoyed getting on. When the mowing season is over I buy bales of alfalfa and put them in the pens and the birds love to scratch in the alfalfa. You can hang heads of lettuce or cabbage for the birds. When we harvest the birds get the plants such as the broccoli. Just because they are in a pen doesn't mean they have to have a bad existence. When I have let the birds out it isn't long before they're all back in their pens, their safe place. I have lost too many birds to predators in the past and I can't be out watching over them constantly to make sure they are safe and I don't want to loose any to predators. My situation is different than a lot of peoples. I have a few hundred birds where most don't.

 

[Brooks_]

All the birds are used to it, and they don't have a hard desire to come out into the yard until a couple or hours before dusk.

Agreed. Mid-morning I can do most anything. Late afternoon I'll get bum rushed at the door.

You can't do anything about your neighbor but even penned birds can have a good life in their pens. I do have large pens. Sometimes I put grass clipping in the pens that they love to scratch through. Sometimes I put flock blocks under their rain/shade tables for them to peck at. I made a chicken ladder which the birds enjoyed getting on. When the mowing season is over I buy bales of alfalfa and put them in the pens and the birds love to scratch in the alfalfa. You can hang heads of lettuce or cabbage for the birds. When we harvest the birds get the plants such as the broccoli. Just because they are in a pen doesn't mean they have to have a bad existence. When I have let the birds out it isn't long before they're all back in their pens, their safe place. I have lost too many birds to predators in the past and I can't be out watching over them constantly to make sure they are safe and I don't want to loose any to predators. My situation is different than a lot of peoples. I have a few hundred birds where most don't.

Not judging. Just an observation. I have no reason to think basic needs are not being met. They could be old birds that just don't want to go out much.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Things happen. Inevitably. So why is this random person so caught up in something that wasn’t this other persons’ fault?? The whole, “I hope you feel pain after blah blah blah”? Seriously I don’t understand when people come on this site (the site where chicken people come together to help each other) and randomly come on threads to be jerks. But you know what goes around comes around.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Things happen. Inevitably. So why is this random person so caught up in something that wasn’t this other persons’ fault?? The whole, “I hope you feel pain after blah blah blah”? Seriously I don’t understand when people come on this site (the site where chicken people come together to help each other) and randomly come on threads to be jerks. But you know what goes around comes around.

Sorry I’m being kind of mean too.