NY chicken lover!!!!

[Lynzi777]

Thanks everyone,
As of right now I do not plan on getting another rabbit to replace this one. The reason we got the two when they were both young was so that they could be housed together. If I got another one I would now need a third hutch to go with other two that are out there now. We still have two, a male and female that are kept separately. We planned on breeding them in the spring so if he still wants another one to call his own at that time I will of course let him keep one of the babies. So maybe I'll put that idea in his head when it comes time to telling him so he doesn't dwell too much on what happened to his bun.

 

[rancher hicks]

Thanks everyone,
As of right now I do not plan on getting another rabbit to replace this one. The reason we got the two when they were both young was so that they could be housed together. If I got another one I would now need a third hutch to go with other two that are out there now. We still have two, a male and female that are kept separately. We planned on breeding them in the spring so if he still wants another one to call his own at that time I will of course let him keep one of the babies. So maybe I'll put that idea in his head when it comes time to telling him so he doesn't dwell too much on what happened to his bun.

That sounds like a good idea. Plus a lot of fun.

 

[Lynzi777]

Got the cheeps out to free range a little with the adult birds...

 

[java girl 2]

Hi all! i was wondering if anyone would like a sweetgrass or fall fire/ fire/tiger bronze tom turkeys? I have one of each for sale, they need to go soon or they will be going to the auction on march 9th. if you do, please PM me!

 

[Gramma Chick]

Thanks for the tip about the opossum . This is the 1st time I have seen it .
It does explain why my cat is up on the car at night .
He was just walking past ..last night . I was as surprised to see him as he / she was me
Chickens are almost in Fort knox ..
it would have to get through the horse fencing run which is totally enclosed .
I will keep a eye out for it . I think it went by at about 2:am or so

 

[Gramma Chick]

Morning Everyone,
Had a rough day yesterday...I went out in the morning to check on the peeps and also the rabbits (we have three holland lops) and it seems as though something got into the hutch with our two females and killed one of them. It was my son's rabbit and he is going to be devastated, I still haven't figured out a way to tell him. I'm just glad he didn't get to her before I did. That was the worst site I've ever seen! I still don't totally understand it. Two female buns in one cage, one was attacked the other unharmed. They were both fine and hopping around the day before and these two have been living together fine since we got them as kits earlier last summer. I plan on getting some hardware for the cage today to make sure the top on it can't be lifted up unless it's "unlocked". It's just so heavy as it is, I can't imagine what on earth would have lifted it up and then again to get out of the cage. Anyway, I thought of telling him that she somehow got loose but I don't want to leave him with hopes that maybe we'll find her or maybe she'll come back. He knows that we have predators out here and that one of our hens was recently attacked by a hawk but she turned out to be ok. So maybe I should just be honest with him and tell him that something did in fact get into the cage. I don't know, time to get this day going...I woke up with a headache and can't stand to do anything at this point.

Be honest with your kids ! as heartbreaking as it is to know that you lost a beloved pet . It gives you closure .
It is worse to keep looking for it to show up . & it doesnt ..& keep hoping

Quote: Only admitting I have the disease ..LOL

Quote:

I totally LOL !

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Yes. You are already a member of it. This thread. We are all enablers. (Hey, you didn't say what kind of program)

It's called "Morehens Disease" and just about everyone on here has it. Even TOB who hasn't even built her coop yet has gone up from a few to several to maybe 10. LOL

LOL @ Cass! You called a spade a spade early on when you dubbed all participants here "enablers". And you're right: I have gone up from "maximum of 4" flock to "is 8 too much?" -- and I haven't even gotten the coop up. (However, the nesting boxes are done. Isn't that hilarious?!)

TOB

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Note to Lynzi ...

First, I'm so sorry to hear that your son's rabbit was killed -- that's horrible, and as awful as it was for you to discover, thank God it was you and not your little guy who saw it first.

Just my 2 cents, as a mom of two boys -- the younger of which is very sensitive. He might be "extra" disturbed to know his rabbit was attacked. At such a young age, this info might be a little much. I definitely would come clean that his bunny had died, rather than "gone missing"...I think your instincts are right there. But I might concoct a little white lie that the rabbit got sick and died. This might not work if he wants to see his pet and it's mauled. Obviously, you will do what you think is best. I'm just sharing what would work best for my son, who has some exaggerated fears at bedtime about bad things. He would dwell on the "attack" part and might become frightened of other animals. He would also feel extra bad for his pet knowing it died frightened. When kids are this little, it's OK to lighten the load for them. As it is, he will need to grieve, and that's OK. Just spare some of the more horrible details. Again, I'm really sorry...

TOB

 

[Tough Old Bird]

I got to Farm & tractor in auburn today ..they are getting ready for chicks .
I asked where they got the chicks from ? Mount healthy hatchery .
They are shipped USPS when they are 1 day old .
http://www.mthealthy.com/
I also got some rubber boots ...ON SALE ! 9.99 Perfect for mucking around in a chicken coop


do opossums bother chickens ? I just saw a opossum go past the shed / chicken coop when I let the cat out ..
The motion light was on .

I have been thinking about heading to TSC to see if I could get a pair of funky rubber boots just like these! Great price! Hope they have a few pairs left. They are so easy to pull on & off, as well as simple to clean. My boys always had boots like these to wear (minus the pink ponies) while stomping around in the spring or at the lake, but of course they wouldn't be caught dead in them now. Definitely not cool. I, however, love them! Another reason for my boys to be embarrassed in my presence....hehehehe.

On opossums....according to one of my chicken bibles, they are definitely a predator to be wary of. They will clumsily maul a single chicken at a time and eat it starting at the vent. The book says they will eat young poultry whole. Eggs are on their menu, and they will even try to eat the chicken grain or feed left unattended. Opossums leave behind a musty stink, too.

Good to know...!?

TOB

 

[rancher hicks]

Crocs have holes in them. I just want something I can slip my feed into in the morning without tying it. Right now I have a pair of loose fitting boots.

I did find something down in AL at the Academy Sports store but they only had womens. They were out of mens and I can't find them on their site.

I'll find something.


Lynzii - for what it's worth and as a former boy, I agree with Gramma. Children are much stronger than we give them credit for.

I'd say something like this . "Honey something got into the rabbit hutch and killed bunny." No details or anything of the sort. Depending on his age. OR "Honey something got into the rabbit hutch and bunny died". Of course you'll want to substitute honey and bunny for their real names but you get the idea.

Give him time and then mention letting Bunny # 2 and Pappa have babies.

You'll see he'll be fine. If he's young I'd buy a copy of "Night Rabbits" to read him a bedtime.

(children of parents who read, are more likely to be readers too) (children who read do better in school as well).