Upset: Putting one down today

[lularat]

I am so sorry that there was nothing to be done for your girl. You did the right thing releasing her from her pain...and also the hardest. Sending you huge hugs.

 

[Flybybirds]

So sorry, you tried. She's at peace and you will feel peace in time.

 

[scooter16]

Casportpony--what is the length of time for a fracture to heal on a chicken? In other words..how long do they remain in a sling? I will add this to my injury/surgery book of tips. Thanks, scooter16

 

[casportpony]

Casportpony--what is the length of time for a fracture to heal on a chicken? In other words..how long do they remain in a sling? I will add this to my injury/surgery book of tips. Thanks, scooter16

That's a good question and one I don't know the answer to... I've had a few with breaks that have healed on their own and some that I have splinted or wrapped, but I didn't take any notes on them.

-Kathy

 

[LTygress]

She is gone, but I guess that wasn't enough bad news.

This morning, I found her sister dead in the smaller breeding pen. I put her and the gold polish roo in there together to protect them from the rest of the flock, and in hopes that they would breed and give me more buff polish hens (50% chance in first generation to get more buff polish).

But something got in last night, somehow, and killed the hen. The roo is fine - not even touched. But the buff hen was missing her entire tail end (everything past her legs) and had blood all over her head too.

I don't know what it was. I don't even now how it got in! I had seen one of my cats on the tarp that covers the top, so I laid plywood up there so it wouldn't cave in and make an opening. The gate was shut, and there is even chicken wire along the bottom to prevent animals from digging in.

I just don't get it. But I have now lost all SEVEN buff polish hens that I bought this past spring.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for you losses... I don't have much experience with predators, but I can tell you that I have seen skunks squeeze through 2x4 welded wire and I read that a raccoon can fit through a 4x4 hole, so I'd check my pen for holes in that size range if I were you.

-Kathy

 

[realsis]

I am so so sorry for your losses! What a terriable tragedy! My heart goes out to you! I recently lost four of my girls very close together and I know what your going through. Its never easy loosing a beloved pet. They remain in our hearts forever. ! Maybe when your ready you can look into getting more polish for your flock? I know its hard to think of at a time like this but when your ready maybe you can rebuild your flock with new polish? Again I'm very very sorry this happened to you and I am sending prayers your way. Also a HUG (()). What a very sad day.

 

[LTygress]

I was actually planning on it before I lost these two. I had a predator problem before, which is how I lost the first five. But with the help of my sister and a neighbor, we built a giant pen for the chickens using sheet metal from an above-ground pool. We even added landscape netting to the top to prevent hawks from getting in.

These last two girls lasted a good while in there. I didn't have any problems prior to the one with the broken leg.

And with the LACK of predator attacks, I placed a $200 order for live chicks from McMurray Hatchery. I still expected to still have these two girls, plus adding another 3 buff polish with them, and 3 silver-laced hens. I was just going to give their roo a few more to play with.

I'm not going to cancel the order. Mr. Roo will just have to wait for the new ones to arrive and grow before he can have his own kind now. And the order won't come in until around April 7th! Although he's got leghorns and sumatra that he can play with in the meantime.

So I will re-establish my polish flock. It's just a matter of time. I am glad it is not right after putting the one down though.

 

[Justicedog]

I'm sorry. You did the right thing.