Quids,Dollars, Pounds or,Markka I agree with this, seems like the whole world is out to have fresh chicken for dinner!
Yes, So Sorry about the loss.
Scott
Our introduction to keeping chickens, the high's, the lows and pics of our journey.
- Thread starter Bens-Hens
- Start date
Yes, So Sorry about the loss.
Scott
- Thread starter
- #3,802
Sorry to her Joanne. I hope the last of the little ones were ok when you got home.
We have more news, none of it it good, well, on kind of is I guess.
Firstly, Ginger the Cochin, has laid about 5 eggs now and she seems pretty intent on staying on the nest today, she was on there at about 5am too when I checked on the girls. I think her instincts have kicked in already. We were enjoying her 'salad sized' eggs along with Tas the Wyllie's. Might come in handy later, but a bit irritating so soon.
Moving on to the more drawn out story, and certainly not good.
I will start with a question. Could two bigger b*&ch birds kill a smaller lowest on the order bird while on the roost?
Tuesday night, the family and I have running training. I run a free community session at a local park. We had a great night with almost 40 people show up. On these nights, we don't normally let the girls out when we leave, especially with the local cats recent appearance.
We don't get home until just before 8pm. My brother got home just before 7pm, noticed the girls were not out walking the yard so he opened the gate and free they all sprang. Sunset was just after 7pm. He went outside for a smoke somewhere around 7:30ish and saw all the girls perched on the hand rail. He had forgotten to open the coop door, so he went down and opened the door, but no one rushed inside. We were due bad weather, so he one by one carefully placed them onto the roosts, closed up and 10 minutes later we were home.
We threw the kids in the shower and rushed about to get some rice on to go with the dinner we had already made in the slow cooker, while eating I asked him about the girls and he told me what happened. I said something like "I will go down after dinner and check on them" and he made a comment that seemed like I did not trust him, or I doubted him. So I asked "are you sure it all closed up, no worries" "Nah mate, its all good" Which, honestly, I was happy about. I had just got home from a hard training session, then had a big dinner. I felt lazy.
I didn't go down, I would have noticed the wrong order on the roost.
Roll on 4:40am, the sun was just coming up and I could hear a heap of noise in the coop from bed. Not usual for us, so I went down to make sure that dam cat had not found a way in.
Marrie the French Wheaten Maran was stiff as a board under the roost. Perched above on either side were the Rock sisters, in their usual roosting place. Marrie normally roosts far away from them.
She has blood spots about her face, and very advance rigour, but from what I could see without opening her up was in relative good condition. Only marks were around her face.
She had laid a perfectly fine egg on Tuesday so I doubt it's that. Only thing I can think of that goes with the marks is that she was bullied to death in the dark.
A sad loss for us, she was so timid, and a family favourite as she was the type of girl who would run up for a pat, eat from the hand and laid lovely large dark brown eggs for us most days. Never had an issue with her. Alicia favourite.
To add salt to the wound, it was my youngest sons birthday that morning, I had to make sure everything was cleaned up and sorted before he saw it, then find the right time to explain to the family. We didn't say much to my brother, not sure if it was his 'fault', he was not to know. Even still, I don't want to place blame, I just want to understand whats happening so we can stop it from happening again.
I am starting to wonder again about this chicken keeping thing, certainly takes it's toll.
We have more news, none of it it good, well, on kind of is I guess.
Firstly, Ginger the Cochin, has laid about 5 eggs now and she seems pretty intent on staying on the nest today, she was on there at about 5am too when I checked on the girls. I think her instincts have kicked in already. We were enjoying her 'salad sized' eggs along with Tas the Wyllie's. Might come in handy later, but a bit irritating so soon.
Moving on to the more drawn out story, and certainly not good.
I will start with a question. Could two bigger b*&ch birds kill a smaller lowest on the order bird while on the roost?
Tuesday night, the family and I have running training. I run a free community session at a local park. We had a great night with almost 40 people show up. On these nights, we don't normally let the girls out when we leave, especially with the local cats recent appearance.
We don't get home until just before 8pm. My brother got home just before 7pm, noticed the girls were not out walking the yard so he opened the gate and free they all sprang. Sunset was just after 7pm. He went outside for a smoke somewhere around 7:30ish and saw all the girls perched on the hand rail. He had forgotten to open the coop door, so he went down and opened the door, but no one rushed inside. We were due bad weather, so he one by one carefully placed them onto the roosts, closed up and 10 minutes later we were home.
We threw the kids in the shower and rushed about to get some rice on to go with the dinner we had already made in the slow cooker, while eating I asked him about the girls and he told me what happened. I said something like "I will go down after dinner and check on them" and he made a comment that seemed like I did not trust him, or I doubted him. So I asked "are you sure it all closed up, no worries" "Nah mate, its all good" Which, honestly, I was happy about. I had just got home from a hard training session, then had a big dinner. I felt lazy.
I didn't go down, I would have noticed the wrong order on the roost.
Roll on 4:40am, the sun was just coming up and I could hear a heap of noise in the coop from bed. Not usual for us, so I went down to make sure that dam cat had not found a way in.
Marrie the French Wheaten Maran was stiff as a board under the roost. Perched above on either side were the Rock sisters, in their usual roosting place. Marrie normally roosts far away from them.
She has blood spots about her face, and very advance rigour, but from what I could see without opening her up was in relative good condition. Only marks were around her face.
She had laid a perfectly fine egg on Tuesday so I doubt it's that. Only thing I can think of that goes with the marks is that she was bullied to death in the dark.
A sad loss for us, she was so timid, and a family favourite as she was the type of girl who would run up for a pat, eat from the hand and laid lovely large dark brown eggs for us most days. Never had an issue with her. Alicia favourite.
To add salt to the wound, it was my youngest sons birthday that morning, I had to make sure everything was cleaned up and sorted before he saw it, then find the right time to explain to the family. We didn't say much to my brother, not sure if it was his 'fault', he was not to know. Even still, I don't want to place blame, I just want to understand whats happening so we can stop it from happening again.
I am starting to wonder again about this chicken keeping thing, certainly takes it's toll.
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Sorry for your losses Joanne & Ben. I've had my moments when I've had doubts too, mainly when I've been sleep deprived, but I think in the end you have to make sure you are getting what you want out of the experience for all the work you put in. Otherwise it isn't worth it. Although I think I've been put off barred rocks permanently. Perhaps it's not chickens in general but a troublesome twosome. I hope your son had a good birthday despite what happened!
- Thread starter
- #3,804
He did thanks very much cwrite. Between the joy of presents and birthday cards and getting a lunch order at school seemed to be the right time for him. Didn't stop Alicia's tears though.
ALicia's desire for vengeance may win this time as one of the Rocks is not a very good layer (malformed eggs most days), and she has been spotted a few times dominating the flock.
Lesson learned, I won't let that sort of thing happen again.
ALicia's desire for vengeance may win this time as one of the Rocks is not a very good layer (malformed eggs most days), and she has been spotted a few times dominating the flock.
Lesson learned, I won't let that sort of thing happen again.
Ben, not trying to dismiss the possibility that the rock sisters are ' bad to the core ' , but I have had rats do similar damage. If Alicia feels that way , it's probably best you sell the ' twisted sisters ' . You shouldn't have any trouble selling pullets at this time.
I'm currently battling a case of impacted crop and what appears to be a vitamin deficiency in one of my SILKIE pullets.it's easy to feel guilty, as I do for being too busy to have noticed the crop impaction but life sometimes gets busy. To add insult to injury, I put the straw around to make the garden look good for the garden walk. I'm very pragmatic and I know that my actions have resulted in this but It was not intentional and I will learn from this mistake.
So don't beat yourself up buddy, we all make mistakes.
I'm currently battling a case of impacted crop and what appears to be a vitamin deficiency in one of my SILKIE pullets.it's easy to feel guilty, as I do for being too busy to have noticed the crop impaction but life sometimes gets busy. To add insult to injury, I put the straw around to make the garden look good for the garden walk. I'm very pragmatic and I know that my actions have resulted in this but It was not intentional and I will learn from this mistake.
So don't beat yourself up buddy, we all make mistakes.
Very sorry to hear about Marrie, Ben. Condolences to you
Glad though that your son had a nice birthday.
I have lost 4 of my girls to my dogs - A lovely Coro, an SS, an Ara and my dear little Rock bantam. All my fault though, poor containment on my part that I have learned from and won't make the same mistakes.
I hope you get to the bottom of her COD.
Glad though that your son had a nice birthday.
I have lost 4 of my girls to my dogs - A lovely Coro, an SS, an Ara and my dear little Rock bantam. All my fault though, poor containment on my part that I have learned from and won't make the same mistakes.
I hope you get to the bottom of her COD.
Sorry for your losses.
Scott, nice touch with the "markka". (Although since 2002 we've moved over to the euro).
Scott, nice touch with the "markka". (Although since 2002 we've moved over to the euro).
It wouldn't do to overlook my F F F (Favorite Friendly Fin) you know. I thought using the older Ruble in bad taste.
Scott
Scott, or perhaps riksdaler?
By the way, a fish or airplane has fins, Finland has Finns.
By the way, a fish or airplane has fins, Finland has Finns.
Good to know Vehve. I just finished a book claiming that Finland has the highest percentage of introverts. Sounds wonderfully relaxing to me. What do you think?
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