Dead rooster

[ORChick]

I'll commiserate. I bawled when I lost my first hen, Marigold. Of course it had to be the one that hopped in my lap when I sat down and was more a pet than the others, right? Now I don't name them.
I have two old hens that were given to me several years ago. They're still laying and I don't have the heart to put them down. Since they free range almost every day, feed costs are a minimum. But I did get rid of my last two roosters because the old grey hen had taken to living on the roost rather than have to deal with the frisky roosters.
Everyone is more relaxed and maybe laying better since they aren't streaking across the property, trying to stay away from the roos.

I have several hens that spent most of their time in the coop, on the roost, rather than come down and "do their duty". I think all the girls in his coop will be more relaxed now that he isn't there any longer. I am not planning on replacing him soon. I know I am soft hearted, but all my girls have a home here into retirement. I think I have reached the stage where I could raise meat chickens - though I haven't done it yet - but the girls who have spent their best years producing eggs for me - somehow I just cannot think of them as meat, only elderly dames who have earned retirement. And little Griet, the Silver Spangled Sussex, has shown that even into their dotage they still produce enough eggs to earn their keep. Also, her personality has developed over the years. In the beginning she was flighty and stand offish, and, had the neighbour's dog got her I would have been sad but not terribly upset. Now she and I have bonded (in a certain sense); I would be quite upset if anything happened to her now.
They do all get names. And they are varied enough - I like a mixed flock - that all their eggs are identifiable. I know, all the true farmers and/or self sufficient types are laughing at me now, but I'm OK with that.

 

[ORChick]

I'm so sorry for the loss of your Rooster. Like Marianne ... I cried at the loss of my first chicken. I work for a family who live on 4 acres, who were given some chicks as a house warming present almost a year ago. They were given some barrd rocks and when they were probly 2 months old, one was getting picked on and one morning, when getting to work, I noticed his neck kept twitching badly. I isolated him for a few days and he seemed to have healed. Well, they put him back with the others too soon and the next morning, I found her twitching again in the cage. I wrapped her in some paper towels, held her as I walked into the house and with tears rolling down my cheeks, asked my boss to put her out of her misery as she was twitching badly again and was so lifeless. He just looked at me and said ... Seriously? but he did .. he's a compassionate man but didn't realize how attached we would get to the chickens. And yes ... we stopped naming them because each that had a name, was either taken by a hawk or a coyote or their *&^(^)&^ puppy. I am raising 4 each of Barrds, Buff O's and Silver Laced Wyndottes and will NOT name them! I just call them babies or will cluck for them to come...
take care

That is very sad about your chicken, especially knowing that things might have been different if she had been kept isolated for awhile longer. I must admit that when I got my first lot I was thinking "eggs", and not much beyond that. My intention was, of course, to treat them well, and feed them properly, but I had no thought that I might become attached to them as individuals. Little did I know! The little dinosaurs are really very attractive in their way.

 

[cheepo]

very very sorry 4 your loss ..

unfortunately we have that in common today
i had a hawk fly into the coop through about a 6 inch side gap...
only got one...but unfortunatly our favorite, feather footed gall
couldn't believe i was so sad over a chicken...oh well excuse to be able to get more...

 

[Hinotori]

It seems it's usually the favorites that bad things happen to. My first girl who died from a heart attack was my favorite. I bawled my head off when I had to put down my brahma cockerel because of paralysis from botulism poisoning. He was a very friendly, non-aggressive boy.

I totally understand being upset at the loss of a chicken.

 

[Denim Deb]

Yep, I don't know that I could eat one of the girls, or Ralph. I might not get many eggs in the winter, but as long as I have enough for me, that's what matters. And the roos that I'm going to eat, I don't spend much time with. Much easier to do the deed if I don't.

 

[LilacSpring]

Sorry for your loss.

I lost a Buff Orpington hen (my favorite..Willow). Let them out into the run in the AM, and 4 hrs later she was dead.
She showed no sign of sickness in the previous days. I cried, and cried. These are my first chickens. She was 11 months old when she died in March.

They are in a run that is enclosed with 1/2 in hardware cloth on the top, bottom,sides, and the run is attached to the coop. They are protected from predators.

Now, everyday I fear coming home from work, afraid the same thing will happen to the other three...... just up and die.


Again.... sorry for your loss.

Lisa
CT

 

[ORChick]

very very sorry 4 your loss ..

unfortunately we have that in common today
i had a hawk fly into the coop through about a 6 inch side gap...
only got one...but unfortunatly our favorite, feather footed gall
couldn't believe i was so sad over a chicken...oh well excuse to be able to get more...

I'm sorry about your hen.

The second one that the neighbour's dog got (before we were able to determine just what it was getting the chickens) was my favorite EE. She would run to meet me, and hop and down in front of me like a little child - "Me!, Me!" - and eat out of my hand. (The first one was the Silver Spangled Hamburg rooster - I cried over him, because he was so handsome, and a gentle little fellow, and he was the first ... but I was very torn up over the EE) Then we realized what was happening, and came to an understanding with the neighbour.

 

[ORChick]

Sorry for your loss.

I lost a Buff Orpington hen (my favorite..Willow). Let them out into the run in the AM, and 4 hrs later she was dead.
She showed no sign of sickness in the previous days. I cried, and cried. These are my first chickens. She was 11 months old when she died in March.

They are in a run that is enclosed with 1/2 in hardware cloth on the top, bottom,sides, and the run is attached to the coop. They are protected from predators.

Now, everyday I fear coming home from work, afraid the same thing will happen to the other three...... just up and die.


Again.... sorry for your loss.

Lisa
CT

That is exactly what happened with my two - confined to a totally enclosed run.
I'm so sorry about your Willow. Don't live in fear though; that will limit the enjoyment you get out of the rest of them. Over the years I have had to remember with my cats: they never live long enough, and it is awful when they reach the end of their lives (some sooner than others), but the only thing worse than that pain would be not ever having known them in the first place. I think of the chickens in the same light; its just that their short little lives are even shorter than the cats. (And, to be honest, the pain isn't as bad. They are attractive little creatures, and I miss them, but not in the same league with the soft furries that purr on my lap)

 

[PacasNChicks]

I remember reading articles about chickens so I'd not kill any of them .. .seeing as I was in charge during the day! One article in particular talked about how chickens made good pets and how most people didn't realize this until getting some. That is so true ... I'd sit out on a chair and cut up apples or have pecans to feed them as they gathered around my feet. One Barrd Rock thot she WAS my Fave and would hop up on my lap ... well, one time, I was tossing pecans to some of the newer chicks and she wasn't going to have that!!! She hopped off my lap, walked under the chair, hopped up on one chair behind me and just as I bent over to hand feed a chick, she hopped onto my back, walked up to my shoulder and LOOKED at me!!! I miss her.
But, I have another Barrd that is a young one and when I walk up to her, she sits down, fluffs her wings and waits for me to pick her up! I absolutely love seeing a flock of chickens come runnin, half flying across the grassy backyard when I do a lil cluck cluck sound... who would have thot!

 

[Denim Deb]

Mine will do that if I head towards their pen and call, "Here, chick chick, come on, chick chick." I love it as well.