Omg you are scaring me

Remember Vtchicks, people will write in for Hellllllllllp! much more often than write posts saying---today was a very nice day, all the chicks, chickens etc. are doing just fine.

That said, raising chicks, a little like hatching eggs, they don't all make it.

Everyone on this forum though is still involved with the keeping of chickens -- so it must be more rewarding than discouraging in the end.

Trying to say---don't be dis-heartened... go for it and start enjoyng chickens.

 

If you're reading the emergency/illness section - then that's what you're going to see. Of course you're not going to hear nearly as much about all the healthy, happy chicks out there - folks don't generally write in saying "What's going on with my chicks??? They're just to daggone healthy!!" The majority are healthy, which is why it's so hard when a few aren't...

 

When things are going well, most of us don't write until something happens. Don't be scared just enjoy!

 

I stay out of that forum unless I'm in the mood to be paranoid.

 

I think it really depends on your abilities as caretaker, the type of bird, and the weather in your area. We lost 23 of 26 chicks in a shipment because the package was put on a cold mail truck for several hours. You will lose more if they are shipped during the cold or hot months, but that large amount of loss is not the norm. My grandfather said that back in the day, they would expect 10% to not make it through shipping and the first few weeks. Usually, a 1-3 or so lost during shipping is closer to the average.

 

Quote:LOL

 

I've lost birds from old age. They have to have earned their place in my heart or paid their dues as a show bird or breeder. They mostly die on the roost like they fell asleep there, or while they were nesting. They suddenly are just gone.

 

14 chickens all healthy and Egg number 8 and 9 another good day in the chicken coop.....

 

I've had my original four chickens over a year now. One was injured by a bald eagle, but I got to her in time, and she's fine. I have ten juvenile chickens as well. They're all good.

Maybe we need a "my chickens are fine" thread to reassure newbies. It would be a thousand pages long before the week was out.