Single silkie alone in coop - *cold* temperatures tonight and in coming days (sun zero)- advice please

[Gezellige_Poes]

I suppose I am not very good at describing my method of raising animals. I don't consider my approach is a way to shield my heart and soul from the loss of animals in my care. I think of it more as choosing what to focus on. I know my small animals will only have a short life of a few years, and they will usually die of sickness along the way. When an animal in my care dies, I do feel the loss, but I don't let it overwhelm me. I turn my focus on what may have caused the animal to get sick, see if I can change anything, or not, and then refocus my care on the remaining animals.

I grew up hunting animals from about 5 years old with my grandpa and learned how to take an animal life before I ever learned how to raise an animal. Like most hunters of my grandfather's age, they hunted to put food on the table to feed their family. They were always the first ones to protect wildlife habitat to ensure a healthy animal population for generations to come. Thinking of all the Ducks Unlimited clubs and mid winter feed drops for starving deer herds in really bad winters. Anyway, I grew up with a healthy respect for animals and the life we take for food when we hunt. I suppose that has influenced my approach to raising small animals even all these years later.

I actually think I understand very well. Essentially, we are all the sum total of our heritage, experiences, and our life philosophies, approaches, responses, insights evolve accordingly. I very much appreciate you sharing your background and insights. I grew up in a bubble, certainly shielded from hunting and used to feel so badly for the slain animals. Completely ignorant, I was simply not informed! A guy I worked with many years ago was an avid hunter. He educated me to where I now have a healthy respect. He abhorred the "yahoos" out there. He was fully licensed, hunted only on well-maintained lands, etc. You mention the starving deer herds. Man created this problem. The co-worker helped me understand the lifesaving culling of deer herds.

 

[member 615286]

I suppose I am not very good at describing my method of raising animals. I don't consider my approach is a way to shield my heart and soul from the loss of animals in my care. I think of it more as choosing what to focus on. I know my small animals will only have a short life of a few years, and they will usually die of sickness along the way. When an animal in my care dies, I do feel the loss, but I don't let it overwhelm me. I turn my focus on what may have caused the animal to get sick, see if I can change anything, or not, and then refocus my care on the remaining animals.

I grew up hunting animals from about 5 years old with my grandpa and learned how to take an animal life before I ever learned how to raise an animal. Like most hunters of my grandfather's age, they hunted to put food on the table to feed their family. They were always the first ones to protect wildlife habitat to ensure a healthy animal population for generations to come. Thinking of all the Ducks Unlimited clubs and mid winter feed drops for starving deer herds in really bad winters. Anyway, I grew up with a healthy respect for animals and the life we take for food when we hunt. I suppose that has influenced my approach to raising small animals even all these years later.

Also…I will contact you when I need help putting down a sick small animal as I’ve accepted with the two sick hens that just isn’t something I can do lol. (And so paid a vet). I read up on how to do it myself as I wanted to save them a stressful kind of long car trip to the vet but decided I couldn’t. My family hunted but I did not, so never gained that skill and in the last year wish I had !

 

[gtaus]

Also…I will contact you when I need help putting down a sick small animal as I’ve accepted with the two sick hens that just isn’t something I can do lol. (And so paid a vet).

Well, I have had to cull a few animals, but mostly I have butchered animals for meat. In either case, you just want to be as fast as possible and not let the poor animal suffer. I grew up with that in my background, but I understand some people not having that ability to put an animal down. When I started raising small animals, I understood it was my responsibility to put an animal down if required. We did not have vets anywhere near my small rural town where I grew up. We had to do it ourselves.

 

[Freedomrange]

Here is my livingroom slumber party setup Silkies and Polish are just not cold tolerant enough. Lucky for them, mama likes to waste money on natural gas, so we will be warm!
View attachment 2981670

That's Great!