Ribh's D'Coopage

[BY Bob]

We had a 4 hour round trip to visit my mother yesterday. I was up super early to see to the animals & I tossed a bale into the coop to amuse the girls for the day. We got home about 5ish ~ which was late for everyone but I rushed out to the coop to check the girls & everyone was fine. There was still plenty of available water, the straw bale had been demolished, the feed tubs emptied. Everyone was happy to see me & get fed & hoed down happily. I was a little late out this morning as yesterday was exhausting. Regan had made it downstairs this morning, headed to the food & water but was dead ~ & had been for some time. I am sorry to lose her. She was shaping up to be a terrific lead hen. She looked happy & peaceful & the Littlies seem to be doing ok without her.

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Probably Wednesday we will head out to pick up another 4 & try again. All my research says it's just one of those things. No predicting it. No preventing it. She wasn't sick, so no treating it. She just suddenly died, reason unknown.

And Soda is broody. Soda! This is the 1st time ever she's shown any inclination & now it's been twice in one year when it is looking more & more like her laying days are over. If she persists she will have to have a few days in the little coop before I bring the new girls home.

Oh no. Poor dear. I'm so very sorry. I wish I had better words.

 

[Ribh]

Oh no. Poor dear. I'm so very sorry. I wish I had better words.

Thanks Bob. I've racked my brains but there's no rhyme or reason for it.

 

[BY Bob]

I know. I'd think I was an absolutely terrible chickeneer only My older girls are getting up there now so it's not my keeping or something I'm doing/not doing. It's chickens. I wish they didn't but they do.

I think that is correct. Something is wrong inside and you never know. You are clearly a good chickeneer. It's not on you.

 

[Ribh]

I think that is correct. Something is wrong inside and you never know. You are clearly a good chickeneer. It's not on you.

Thanks, Bob. I appreciate that because I always do feel responsible, as if I've failed them in some way.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks Bob. I've racked my brains but there's no rhyme or reason for it.

Just for comparison. I'm not trying to make this about me. But the statistics are interesting

Most of the time I have had 4 or less chickens in my tribe. Since Daisy, the greatest hen ever, passed, I had not gone 12 months without losing someone until the anniversary of Maleficent's passing in January. I just passed the one year anniversary of going to 6 hens.

I had Daisy, Patsy, and Lilly together for 19 months. That is the longest I have gone without losing one in the 7+ years I have had them. You have many more chickens than I do at any one time. I'm afraid it's the way of the chicken. I struggle to accept it but it is so.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Most of the debate is based around why people think chickens dust bath. People believe it's to rid themselves of parasites. They dust bath to soak up the oil that gets secreted and applied for their feather condition.
There is no way chucking a handful of dirt on a chicken is going to kill any parasites.
I've read people stating that DE kills red mite. Red mite doesn't live on the chicken.
You might just dislodge a louse or two by rolling in the dirt. However, when the chickens here have had lice no amount of dust bathing has got rid of them. They need to be picked off; usually by another chicken. Bad infestations need chemical attention. Some of the rescue hens here have arrived with lice. It takes a couple of treatments to wipe them out, Getting the eggs is the hard part.
So, my view is whatever DE does, it won't tackle a bad infestation of lice, or any other parasite.

Well, when I first started out, I wanted to do everything right. Someone somewhere wrote an article on how to make a perfect dust bath for chickens. They advised to put DE in it along with wood-fire ash, sand, pete, and regular soil.
So I did that. I dug out a nice area in their run, and put all the ingredients in it and waited.
Anyway, they all turned their beaks up at my fancy dust bath and proceeded to dig one or two of their own wherever they pleased. Anywhere but the one I made them.
I have a partly used bag of DE in the shed.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

My mug showed up today. I call him Shadrach.

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I'm ready. What day is going to be chicken mug day?

I love your mug! Where did you get it?

 

[Ribh]

That's a good comparison. Thanks, Bob. I have many more hens & so far as I can tell everyone is now healthy. My older girls [thanks MJ] are now 5ish plus & I have 5 out of my 1st 2 intakes. Lavender was one of my older girls ~ which it is easy to forget. So was Suyin & even Lottie was not a really young chicken, though not old either. I need better perspective.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

I don't need any more mugs but this has me making excuses.
I saw this one when I was browsing...
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I love it!

 

[FransGran]

Regan had made it downstairs this morning, headed to the food & water but was dead ~ & had been for some time. I am sorry to lose her. She was shaping up to be a terrific lead hen. She looked happy & peaceful & the Littlies seem to be doing ok without her.

All my research says it's just one of those things. No predicting it. No preventing it. She wasn't sick, so no treating it. She just suddenly died, reason unknown.

Oh no! I’m so very sorry. It’s a heart break every time.