When they die....

[Sarjeanp]

First let me start with, please do not let this thread turn dramatic. Respect your fellow member. Like Momma always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say...."

I am just so curious, because I feel like I/my family are the exception, not the norm. We started with 11 chicks a little over 1 week ago, and 2 of them have passed. It hurt us. Us, as in me and my youngest son. The first chick got super still on Tuesday night. There was no apparent injury or illness with her, she was just weak. I dipped her beak in vitamin & electrolyte water, and she did take a couple sips on her own. By morning, she was gone. The next afternoon, her sister (got both at Tractor Supply-California Whites) started acting the same way. I literally went from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. holding her, stimulating her, giving her brown sugar sticky water, vitamins, electrolytes, egg.. etc. I swear, she died in my hands like 20 times but I told her to hang on and kept jolting her and she "came back". I was SHOCKED to see her still standing and alive the next morning. On my way home from work, I grabbed VetRx, Corrid, and Amox. but she was gone when I arrived. Don't laugh... I gave her chest compressions for 30 minutes, hoping to "bring her back" yet again. Anyway, my my boys and I buried them and my 12 year old put flowers and a little head stone and even wanted to do a moment of silence for them, as he cried. Oh my gosh, how are we going to do this?! I KNOW they will all die, chickens die. We seriously need to get thicker skin. I have gone through animal deaths before, we have a pet cemetery on our property here basically. We have a designated area for when this happens again with "the girls". So after all of that rambling...for the ones who don't eat the chickens, what do you do and how do your kids respond?

 

[Sarjeanp]

Actually, let me also add... last night, I noticed that both buff orps are making a very slight clicking sound when breathing. They were purchased together at a different place than the other chicks, and are 1 week older (2.5 wks now). I can't let them go downhill too. Different symptoms than the other girls, which is random and sucks. Brooder is cleaned out once or twice a day, water changed daily, no pasty butts and temp is just right.

 

[chicklove14]

We usually tell them to appreciate the life that the chicken has had and that sometimes we buy a new chick to replace them..

 

[Roo5]

We don’t eat ours but yes it can be sad,I would cry as a kid but after a few a years I just got over it.Unfortently animals die,and chickens don’t live as long as some dogs or other animals, typical chicken life is 6-8 (and that depends on the breed),years and they would be lucky to make it to 10-12 and up.And Unfourtently you’ll still probably lose a 1 or 2 more along the way, maybe not a lot if you keep things clean and feed them right.I guess I don’t do too much other then bury it.We as well have a designated spot for animals,I guess after losing 3 puppies I just get over a small chickens death(even though I am close to them),I grew thick skin by just thinking positive, their in a better place and atleast not suffering.Thats what I do with all animals, even our dogs,I don’t even cry anymore, I just say goodbye and glad their out of their misery.Kids are probably gonna cry and there won’t be anything you can do about it, but the best thing to do is tell them to keep their head high, or replace the two who died.Something New always makes a kid feel better.

 

[IamRainey]

It's actually a good lesson for kids in mortality. This is something that they ARE going to have to deal with. Better (for lack of a better word) that it should be a chick who is only briefly in their life than a dog, for example, that they've had more time to be attached to or, in time, a beloved family member.

We've got to let them have and express their grief. My grandson made a picture of one of our hens to go in her carton "coffin". My daughter once held a funeral for a pigeon the flew into a large glass window and we buried it. Before school, as it happened. She recovered and went on to class. By the end of classes she brought all her friends to see and share her loss. They did that by digging up the pigeon and holding a second funeral. By the time she was holding the third one we removed the "coffin" and buried it where she could no longer find it.

My point is, they will each have their own way of processing it. And we dignify that for them. Also, we often find that they are both stronger and more deep than we necessarily anticipate.

An excellent book for kids is The Tenth Good Thing About Barney. It makes it very personal and warm and respects many points of view about what happens after death. Bet you'll both enjoy it. And bet you won't be able to finish reading without your voice cracking.

PS: Me? When I'm finished crying I bury them(deep) in my compost pile. ...which is the same thing I'd have someone else do for me when my time comes.

 

[kristi54]

You're singing to the choir. All of our girls had names, had personalities and had funerals when they died. We also used to raise pigeons and ditto for them. I also have a Pet Cemetery in my back pond area and it is dotted with little headstones we make from concrete and shiny glass pieces. This area includes our puppies and kitties. I like to sit there in the summer. It's a lesson of our life; no one body is forever but the spirit remains in the grass, the trees, the air, nature. That's what I told my kids. And yeah, we cry our eyes out and then move forward. You're doing great.

 

[Anime2lover]

First let me start with, please do not let this thread turn dramatic. Respect your fellow member. Like Momma always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say...."

I am just so curious, because I feel like I/my family are the exception, not the norm. We started with 11 chicks a little over 1 week ago, and 2 of them have passed. It hurt us. Us, as in me and my youngest son. The first chick got super still on Tuesday night. There was no apparent injury or illness with her, she was just weak. I dipped her beak in vitamin & electrolyte water, and she did take a couple sips on her own. By morning, she was gone. The next afternoon, her sister (got both at Tractor Supply-California Whites) started acting the same way. I literally went from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. holding her, stimulating her, giving her brown sugar sticky water, vitamins, electrolytes, egg.. etc. I swear, she died in my hands like 20 times but I told her to hang on and kept jolting her and she "came back". I was SHOCKED to see her still standing and alive the next morning. On my way home from work, I grabbed VetRx, Corrid, and Amox. but she was gone when I arrived. Don't laugh... I gave her chest compressions for 30 minutes, hoping to "bring her back" yet again. Anyway, my my boys and I buried them and my 12 year old put flowers and a little head stone and even wanted to do a moment of silence for them, as he cried. Oh my gosh, how are we going to do this?! I KNOW they will all die, chickens die. We seriously need to get thicker skin. I have gone through animal deaths before, we have a pet cemetery on our property here basically. We have a designated area for when this happens again with "the girls". So after all of that rambling...for the ones who don't eat the chickens, what do you do and how do your kids respond?

Unfortunately it is bound to happen. My recent hatch ended up with the deaths of two chicks and one duckling. It isnt easy at all, sometimes there is simply nothing you can do but try. I cried when I had to put my little duckling out of its misery.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Death, unfortunately, is a part of this life. It is part of the "circle of life." When one of our hens got sick we brought it into the house in a dog crate and tried to care for her. Sadly, we failed and after a day or two she died. We live in a national forest area where there are many predators. We took her body to an area away from the house, so as not to lure any of those predators to our remaining chickens (although we are sure they know where the chickens are!) and placed it where the wild critters would find it. In this way she returned to the Great Circle, as nature intended. The children (10 and 15 at the time) took this in stride. I think we have too many chickens for them to get emotionally attached to them; instead, they just see them as the producers of eggs. And our beliefs about death are quite comforting, so do not lend to feelings of fear or dread. Perhaps they take their cue from Grandma; since I accept death as a normal and natural part of life, they accept it as such, too.

 

[Tortoise]

Personally it's okay if you cry at every loss. I cried over a marine fish that I had for a long time. He was more like a pet that recognized me and was happy too see me. I cry over every animal. They are part of my family not just an object. I dont have my chickens yet, but they will be pets and family. I will cry and not ashamed to say so. I am proud of the love and care I give my animal family. I still cry over my four legged best friend I lost over 25 years ago. Animal lovers are the best people in this world. Be proud you care so much and be happy they had a great life and love for whatever time you had with them.

 

[Sarjeanp]

Thank you guys! Although we only had those girls 1 week, they too had names. "Mint" and "Chip", because they were white with just a few little black speckles. SO cute! All of ours gets names and we bond. I love what you said about the spirit Kristi. You guys are awesome!