Omg you are scaring me

[Miyashi]

I've never lost a chick unless it was a charity case...
I find chicks that are sickly or deformed and try to give them a good life and hope they make it to adulthood...
I'm sure my time will come...but so far so good.
Relax, do your best. ^_^

 

[Mrs. K]

It is a risk, and when they are brand new, is when they are most fragile. Truthfully, I have never had one die in the coop. Honestly I have fed way too many wild life. but I think they are healthier when they free range, and that is a trade off.

Don't feel terrible if you lose one, learn from it and adjust. It sucks, but still having chickens and losing one or two, is better than not having chickens at all!

MrsK

 

[southerndesert]

Quote:
I'll second that!

 

[yinepu]

I have had chickens since 1960.. my mother kept a flock of 30 to 40 chickens as I was growing up.. over the years she had a few cases of feather picking, lice, and a few losses due to a weasel.. she did lose one rooster to a heart attack and when he was younger that same bird had pneumonia.. she lost one hen due to egg binding
When I moved out of my mothers house I got my own birds.. had a run in with a opossum with one flock.. a neighbor's beagle took out a few.. this year we have had to deal with raccoons and foxes killing our freerangers
I have never had any disease in my birds.. and the only deaths were from predators and an occasional "failure to thrive" chick (or when we have sent birds to freezer camp)
my current flock consists of over 100 birds.. they are healthy and happy (at least they haven't come to the door with a long list of demands and complaints)
my hatch rates usually run 90 to 100%.. this hatch has been a little less due to using shipped eggs for the very first time

so I guess you can add me to the list of those who have never really have problems with their birds.. we just don't often write about it because there really doesn't seem to be any reason to

 

[Mattemma]

I had to kill a hen that was a bit over a year old.The thought of doing it was worse than the actual deed.I have dealt with URI in the girls.Prolapse,Lice,and constant bickering.Hawks and other predators are a worry.

Despite all the issues I would not want to be without them.

My advice is to stock up on supplies before things occur,so you won't be like me running to the store for Blu kote,hemrhoid(sp) cream,antibios,sevin....and so on.