WHY is this so hard?!

[TrialNerror]

Just ranting...
6 years, countless birds.
Hawks galore, inundated with raccoons. Dog attacks. Foxes, bobcats, coyotes. Chickens killing other chickens. Random deaths. You name it.
Lice so bad they went up my arms when I treated for them. Neverending mites. Permethrin resistant bugs. Internal worms. Fresh laid rotten eggs. Flooding run. Today I discovered bumblefoot. At this point I'm thinking of raising the white flag.
Sorry, I just wanted to complain to people who actually get it!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm so sorry you've had such a rough go of it! *sigh* I can only hope it gets better for you.... keeping chickens should be satisfying, rewarding, and a blessing. I'm sorry that it hasn't been all that, and more, for you. Nobody can decide when enough is enough but you. But ... maybe you'll still hang out here with us anyway. Share your hard-won experience with us? Then at least others could benefit from what you've been through..

 

[flygirl1973]

Yeah, wow! Where are you! We have raccoons lately and have been hunting them. Also saw some rather large scat that could be bobcat/mountain lion in middle TN. Crazy...and I’m also discouraged at the mere task of just integrating chicks into the larger flock and I’m only a newbie!

 

[chrissynemetz]

I think many of us can relate, at least to some degree, the headaches and heartaches that you're dealing with. If it helps you to get through it, then you go ahead and complain all you need to

 

[TrialNerror]

Yeah, wow! Where are you! We have raccoons lately and have been hunting them. Also saw some rather large scat that could be bobcat/mountain lion in middle TN. Crazy...and I’m also discouraged at the mere task of just integrating chicks into the larger flock and I’m only a newbie!

We're in Wilson County . Maybe as well be the jungle with all these predators!

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

If you are having losses, behavioral issues, & chicken related illnesses it might be time to dig deep in your chicken husbandry methods.
Not meant to be harsh, just saying like it is.

 

[TrialNerror]

If you are having losses, behavioral issues, & chicken related illnesses it might be time to dig deep in your chicken husbandry methods.
Not meant to be harsh, just saying like it is.

No offense taken at all! I do take great care of them, I've just made dumb decisions over the years. Unsupervised free ranging & I had a second hand junky unsafe coop when I first started is where predators come into it. Worms & lice came when I bought pullets from the county fair & didn't realize I was supposed to quarantine & treat them first. No idea about the bumblefoot though. The flooding is due to grading the area when we built the much nicer coop & run. It's just been a comedy of errors.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

No offense taken at all! I do take great care of them, I've just made dumb decisions over the years. Unsupervised free ranging & I had a second hand junky unsafe coop when I first started is where predators come into it. Worms & lice came when I bought pullets from the county fair & didn't realize I was supposed to quarantine & treat them first. No idea about the bumblefoot though. The flooding is due to grading the area when we built the much nicer coop & run. It's just been a comedy of errors.

Everyone has ups and downs when raising poultry. You need to be able to see past the bad times so you can enjoy the good times. When I had my first flock and had just started out with poultry I bought a Silver Phoenix pullet at a county fair. Sweetest, kindest, gorgeous pullet, but she had a horrible lice infestation. I was a newbie and didn’t know what to do. My mom didn’t want to treat her so we ended up surrendering her to a local animal park.

 

[drumstick diva]

Aw that had to hurt. I had to give up my first puppy(a freebie from a relative) because my mom decided he had big feet and would be enormous. She also said he wasn't eating - baloney he was so chubby it was surprising he could walk. She had my father take him to the animal shelter (on the bus) and he told me someone saw and wanted to adopt him right away. I fell for that when I was a little kid - I didn't believe it at all once I got older.

Turns out through my young years it was my mother that kept me from having a dog. I had thought my father was being mean. I got to have my Cocker breeding kennel after all. Funny with my last litter my mother was furious she never got to name any puppy.
Who knew she even wanted too. I kept a gorgeous red male. She said he reminded her of a 'little bull,' so she named him "PUGGY!" Huh????

 

[Aunt Angus]

I am so sorry! I don't think anyone facing all of that would feel any differently! I know I have been incredibly lucky (so far - knock on wood) when it comes to predators! There is a persistent Coopers hawk that I have had to scare off numerous times. Used to do unsupervised free ranging, and once I saw that hawk stalking my girls, I realized I was just lucky he hadn't killed my chickens. I just saw him again this evening, but I stopped allowing free ranging without very very close, vigilant supervision. In the past few months, I've had mites, worms, shelless eggs, 2 bouts of bumblefoot, and I'm in the midst of a dry fowl pox outbreak. My last shipment of chicks were all DOA. I guess what I'm trying to say is that many of us understand!


It sounds like you have learned and dealt with most of your issues. But, gosh, that has to be so frustrating and disappointing! NO ONE would blame you for wanting to run up the white flag!