still think about my 2 hens i lost everyday

[ILuvMyFlock]

You're welcome, and remember we all heal differently and in our own time, never feel rushed, just take your time.

 

[Hotchickenmomma]

I am so sorry for all of your losses. I am a new/first time chicken mom. I had a flock of 4 hens, 2 roos, and 2 peking ducks. I have had them all for 6 weeks, since they were just days old. They have been in my house since we brought them home and I just started letting them out in the yard about 2 weeks ago and they loved it! I only let them out while I was out there and they all stayed together and just off the patio area. About a week ago, I started putting them out before we left for work/school. And they still all stayed right off the patio and near the house. Never venturing out too far. We have been working on their coop and run every free day we get and it's almost complete! Well, I put them out yesterday morning like I've been doing and I went out a couple hours later to give them some feed and noticed 2 of my girls were missing. My dog and I immediatley checked their usual hangouts. I ran to check the front porch area and my dog ran another direction with her nose to the ground and I looked to see what she found and it was just feathers. Alot of feathers! I started looking around the bushes nearby and one of my girls came out to me chirping. I grabbed her up and she was fine. But, no sign of the other. I'm sure that a chicken hawk got her. I can't stop thinking about her and feel just awful for not being there to protect her. They went through the gate to the front yard which they never do and even my dogs couldn't have saved them because they can't get in the front yard. My girls are Isa Browns and I call them the golden girls and they are named after them. Sophia is the one that is gone.

 

[ILuvMyFlock]

I'm so sorry - group hug.

 

[michelleh2294]

im so sorry, people dont realize how attatched you get to these chickens.....i still cry when i talk about luna and dahlia, its just so darn hard to lose them and to not have that fear and to be willing and able to try again, take care

 

[Hotchickenmomma]

I've always been an animal person so I get really attached to them. I used to love seeing the hawks in or near my yard, now I shoot darts at them (with my eyes). I can't imagine losing one after 3 years. I know you must be devasted. I feel like I don't even want mine to go outside anymore, but they love it and it's not fair to them. They will have a completely fenced in run but I hate to always cage them. But I want them safe. This chicken mama business is harder than I thought.

 

[michelleh2294]

i hear ya on that, my 3 used to go thru the fence to the neighbors pond and they loved it, and she loved seeing them, then they would go to the other neighbors wood pile for a bit, they had a great, free, fun life but its too darn hard when you lose them, with ruby now and the 3 new ones the reins are gonna be tighter for sure, there are just so many things that can happen to them

 

[Hotchickenmomma]

Aww, sounds like they had a good life.

And I am learning so much on BYC. Things I hadn't even thought about. Mine are in their run today and my mom lives next door and she will be checking on them for me. But, they will still come inside for the night until I feel their coop is secure from predators, high and low! I'm gonna be so nervous when I do finally let them stay outside.

 

[donitaf]

I just joined today.
We got our first 2 girls - Ida and Josie - little over 2 years ago. I never expected them to have such wonderful personalities. A few months after we got the girls we got a puppy. We feared she would mess with them but she didn't. Until a month or so ago. She started wanting to play with Josie - she was the more friendly of the two. We didn't raise them from chicks. The dog would constantly want to play with Josie which I now know totally stressed her out. Not long after this 'play with me' behavior started Josie started acting lethargic, didn't eat as much and stopped eliminating (pooping). I thought this would pass but it didn't. She died in my arms this past Tuesday. It was a cold, gray day here that day....and will remain so in my heart for a very long time. The last few days have been tough. Ida has been all over the yard calling for and looking for Josie but obviously not finding her. It makes me so very sad that I was not able to detect the impact that the dog was having on Josie in time to save her.
Now the issue is do we get another hen and figure out how to get the dog to leave them alone again or do we find a home for the one we have...
Josie's loss has impacted my husband and I more than either of us expected.

 

[FrankieDoodle]

I'm so sorry, I lost my chicken Frankie in January. I am still torn up about it. I miss her every day, & will probably never get over it. I hope you can though.