•1 min read•from Raising Chickens or Other Poultry for Eggs, Meat, or as Pets
Please make me feel better
Our take
Oh, dear friend, what a rollercoaster of emotions you've just experienced in your garden! It's completely understandable to feel gutted after such a traumatic moment. You were simply trying to provide some cluck-tastic leaf litter for your feathered friends, only to stumble upon those tiny, wiggly babies. Your instinct to help and snuggle them back into their nest shows your kind heart. Nature can be both beautiful and brutal, and it's tough when our efforts to nurture lead to such heartache. Remember, it's okay to feel upset; you're not alone in this. Your love for all creatures shines through, even in the face of nature's fowl play.
I've just had a really traumatic 5 mins in the garden. I was getting a bit of leaf litter compost to take for the girls. They love picking through it, keeps them happy for days. And will be good for planting them some chard in a bit.
Long horrible story short. I disturbed a nest of babies. Tiny babies. Very cute, soft, wiggly babies. I think mice babies.
I did my best to snuggle them back up with the dry nesty material that had caught my eye in the first place. Checked though the bit I had in the wheelbarrow.
I missed one. Bantam chicken shot of like a rocket with another on her heels. I realised what she had. By the time they had it on the ground there was blood. No saving it. I had to walk away.
I know, I know. It's just nature.
But I still feel absolutely gutted. :(
[link] [comments]
Read on the original site
Open the publisher's page for the full experience
Related Articles
- Sad day todayI sit outside with my chickens and have a pretty good relationship with them. They always run to me and let pick them up. Today I went inside for a quick second and I came outside to feathers everywhere, specifically in their dust hole. After investigating, I knew she was gone just by how many feathers there were, but I called my husband to help me find her. Found feathers across the street and followed them into the woods. Found 3 separate piles along a game trail, but no little Henrietta. I feel absolutely devastated. They are my little flock and Henrietta was the leader and always the first to run to me. I am pretty sure it was a fox because when I was in the woods across the street a realized there was a perfect view from the woodline and have seen a fox peering over the Ridgeline a couple times since. When they're not outside they have a coop and run inside of our garage. We're supposed to move them outside to an outdoor run, but I'm so scared this fox (strong assumptions because my neighbors have told me after the fact that a fox killed 19 of theirs in one day) is going to make it its personal mission to kill other girls, and my heart is broken over poor Henrietta. submitted by /u/WrenchJrNerd [link] [comments]
- Abandoned Chickens and my worst nightmare for themI placed this as NSFW bc it involves the death of a chicken. I just need to vent... I'm so sad. History Around October, some asshole abandoned an entire flock of chickens near our house. The chickens took up residence around the neighborhood, spending nights in trees and days in our yards. Initially, I did not clock that they were abandoned.... I thought they were just adventurous with a poor excuse of an owner not keeping them properly. I did not understand they were alone until I saw them retreat into my own trees. That's when I contacted animal services... At the time, there were around 9 chickens, 2 of them roosters. I put out feed for them in one location to try to help keep them in a predictable area. The city managed to catch 4 before they gave up the case. And I don't blame the city for giving up; these chickens are fast and agile. But how dare someone just leave them like this???? Anyway. Since it became accepted here that they would just be the neighborhood chickens, similar to the insane amount of stray cats in our area, I accepted one day, I would likely be the one to find them dead when they die of natural or otherwise causes. (They really like our evergreen trees.) I do not have the resources to care for these guys, but I do watch over them. I count myself as a "chicken lady" vs all the other "cat ladies" on our street. I have even spoken with my dog's vet about these little ones. She is equally as upset at their abandonment. They are a resilient, dedicated, and loyal bunch. There is 1 rooster and 4 chickens now. 2 of the chickens are black, 2 are tan. The tan ones would come up to me when I used to feed them... it was so sweet. I never pet them, and I stopped feeding them when the city gave up. They graze and are healthy on their own. Today: Anyway... Today, a chicken found her way into my yard severely injured. She was the smallest and sweetest. I saw her from my window in my backyard for the first time in a month. She couldn't walk straight. Couldn't fly. She couldn't lift her head. It was obvious she'd been attacked by something around the neck. I could see it clearly from inside before I rushed to her. Once I was with her, it was evident she also had a serious head injury; it was not scabbed or bleeding, but it was a goopy black. For every step she tried to take forward, she would take several backwards. She was also swarmed with flies, which she would peck at periodically to no avail. Her state was grim. I tried to give her water, and she was so thirsty... she tried to drink, but couldn't reach the water no matter how she tried and how i tried to help her. So I found an exotic er vet to take her to, and they were wonderful given the situation. I spent about an hour in the yard with her before I collected her into a carrier. During that time, she would come to me every so often, eventually sitting beneath me in my chair. She had the most curious brown eyes. She let me place her in the carrier without any hesitation, and i was devastated to see how she relaxed immediately upon being inside... She'd been alone for so long. She hadn't felt safe enough to rest in idk how long. This little girl trusted me enough to know she would be safe at my house and with me to pass. I'm honored to be a safe space, but I'm also incredibly angry. I just cannot fathom doing this to any animal, much less so many. I know I did the right thing for her, keeping her company and giving her a peaceful death.. I stayed with her till they put her to sleep. She seemed to take comfort in my presence, and I didn't want her to be alone.. and she's not my chicken, never was. But goddammit. Watching this happen and knowing it's only a matter of time for the others... idk what to do. I feel powerless. Thanks for letting me vent. I am open to suggestions on how I could capture the remaining flock, but I have tried many strategies over the months. None have been successful. submitted by /u/xprincessmuffin [link] [comments]
- Lost my first chick todayFirst time chicken owner. Got 10 little chickies on Wednesday and all were doing great. Yesterday morning one started not feeling very good. We tried electrolytes, egg yolk, and tried feeding wet starter grain. Nothing was making any changes. I cuddled her last night for a while and put her back in the brooder knowing she wouldn’t make it. Buried her out by their future coop this morning. Only knew this chick for less than 48 hours but why am I crying so much? I hope she felt loved and safe before she passed. submitted by /u/Gravitys_Bitch [link] [comments]
- Left my chicken run door open yesterday and caught some squatters...I just had a very bizarre Sunday. I leave my run door open for my girls whenever I'm home and check on them throughout the day. Yesterday afternoon, while doing the rounds, I spotted one of these little babies running around inside the run cheeping her little head off. Absolute flabbergasted, I did a sweep of the yard and found another one huddled in a deep corner on the fence line. We live in a standard fenced-in suburban neighborhood with no real water sources nearby, so I'm very confused as to how they happened to end up in my yard that coincidentally has all the facilities to care for chicks. I'm guessing mama duck had a nest in my neighbor's yard, tried to march her new brood to water, and these two somehow got under the fence. The loud one must've heard my chickens and ran to the coop for safety. I drove around the neighborhood looking for mama, but to no avail. Once it started getting dark I brought them inside to the brooder and got them set up for the night. I immediately started imagining the movie-like scenario of raising them and eventually releasing them to a nearby pond where I could visit them for years to come, but unfortunately I understand that the best thing I could do for them in reality is to turn them over to a wildlife rehab to ensure they have the best chance in the wild. I've contacted a local facility and plan to turn them over today. I'm told they're going to be raised by their resident duck mother, Ingrid, along with her adopted flock. Just wanted to share with some folks that might appreciate it! I know every time I see some Mallards I'll imagine it's them. And who knows. Maybe it will be. submitted by /u/treasurebeard [link] [comments]