Mrs

[fried-or-boiled]

Woke at 2am Friday morning, and looked out into garden (a usual habit). Had trouble getting back to sleep so lay there until 2.45am when I heard a chicken noise. Looked out again into garden and saw a solar light that had been leaning on the eglu was laying on the ground. Assumed the noise of it falling had spooked the hens until I saw an animal disappear into the run. Ran downstairs and it came out of the run and I made a shooing noise - naughty cat sniffing around the eglu.

 

NB. My 3 ex batt girls take themself off to bed and I go out to them, open egg port and stroke each head to make sure I have 3. This is because one morning I spotted my best girl Violet wandering down the road because I hadn't checked they were all in before I locked the door.

 

Anyway, I peered into the run which (foolishly) I don't always close and to my horror saw that the eglu door was open and there were feathers. I turned around to see Honey dead on her back and an injured Marmalade flapping. No sign of my beautiful Violet - rushed to open the eggport praying that she was hunched at the back where she sleeps - but nothing. Found her dead by the low fence where I think she may have escaped the garden that one time.

 

Got a blanket and carried Marmalade into the kitchen where she died immediately.

 

I am so traumatised that I cannot stop crying - the guilt is overwhelming. I had gone out to close the eglu door and say night-night as usual but for some reason took a torch to peer into the eggport so I didn't have to stroke their heads (one hen really didn't like being touched so thought it would be kinder). However, this change in routine must have made me forget to close the eglu door - how stupid I am.

 

I can't believe that I was laying there awake whilst my sleeping girls were being killed - they didn't stand a chance - all because I didn't take enough care of them.

 

I had to put the hens in a box and lock the back door so my ten year old, who lets the girls out every morning, didn't see the blood and feathers everywhere. I was all alone because it was the middle of the night and I couldn't call anyone - it was , and still is, a total living nightmare. I now have to go to my allotment and dig a big hole to bury them in.

 

I am sorry this posting is so long but I am hoping that by putting my feelings into words I may somehow come to terms with what I have done.

[Egluntyne]

Very sorry to hear it. There but for the grace etc go many of us I'm sure.

 

I forgot to put mine away once, and mercifully got away with it, but it could so easily have gone the other way.

 

Don't beat yourself up.

[Tulip]

Please please don't blame yourself - I'm crying just reading your post - I'm sure we've all done something similar at one time.

 

Hopefully being able to talk on here will help you feel less alone.

 

Hugs from us xx

[Redwing]

I am terribly sorry Please don't beat yourself up over it

[Jennyhenny]

Please, please don't blame yourself, I'm crying just reading this As the others have said it could happen to any of us

 

 

"Hugs" xx

 

Jennyhenny

[peggotty]

So sorry to hear your news. Be kinder to yourself, you are only human. You saved your girls from a much worse fate (I have inspected battery farms and a chicken abattoir and honestly I can't think of a more gruesome fate for a hen.) If they experience only 1 day's freedom, it has been worth it to them to be out of the sheds.

 

Love to you.

[Janty]

I have forgotten to lock mine up several times over the past 19 months but I have got away with it as many others have too. It's not your fault. Mistakes happen. I feel rotten at the moment because my two cochins have got a bad case of scaly leg mite. As Hubby says, it can't be down to me as none of the others have it - just the cochins. It doesn't stop me from feeling rotten though so I know how you feel.

 

I hope that this doesn't put you off keeping chickens again.

 

Best wishes,

 

Jan

[LaPoule]

My heart goes out to you! I have forgotten to lock mine in at night in the past (and OH has even forgotten to let them out in the morning - that did not go down well ).

 

I am sure they had a lovely life with you, and although you clearly feel awful now, you mustn't forget that either.

[half dozen]

That is so so sad,I am very sorry to hear your terrible news. Please dont beat yourself up about it ,it is something that we all do. Remember their good times with you around the garden. Take care,Clare x

[Egg Lou]

Oh my heart goes out to you.. what a horrible thing to happen and worse as you have had to cope alone and in the night. As others have said it could happen to anyone you are only human after all... don't be hard on yourself you obviously cared for them very well and gave them a great life. Hope you get some more girls to fill the gap.

 

Take care x

[Guest]

Easily done...my ducks were killed by a fox whilst they were all tucked up in their wooden house..I must have just missed the commotion as they were all warm when i found them.. so may folks on here lose chickens whilst they are out free ranging and they had a good time up til now.

These things happen we live and learn and I really hope you get some more chickens and are not put off. Easily done.

 

[Space Chick]

Bless you, what a traumatic experience. However, just think of the incredible time they had in freedom and retirement with you.

 

Sending you big hugs xx

[wiblick]

A terrible thing to have happened, but as everyone says don't beat yourself up. I know you are eaten up with guilt, I would be too. We all would. But try to be kind to yourself, you gave them a great life.

[redfrock]

sorry to hear that. It sounds a horrific experience for you. As others have said, we have all made mistakes and you were simply unlucky and many of us have been foxed. They had a good time with you and if it is the slightest consoloation nature took them rather than a horrid battery farm set up. Sending you big hugs xxx

[speckled hen]

Oh this is so sad, but as others say you shouldn't be too hard on yourself, they had the best possible chicken mummy and sound as though they had a very happy retirement with you.

 

Take care, big hugs xxx

[Henhathnofury]

Look after yourself....don't let yourself be consumed by guilt after all the good you have done taking in ex-batts, who have gone from grimness to sunshine and love. They had a short life but you made it happy. All of us here are capable of forgetfulness...it just makes us human.

 

Hugs from a fellow chickeneer....

[Chook n Boo Mum]

I can't add anything else except more {{{hugs}}},

 

Sha x

[dancing cloud]

Lots more ((hugs)) to you and yours from me too.

 

Please dont blame yourself - we've all made mistakes - and try to remember you gave your girls a life of love they would never otherwise have known. Too soon yet, but maybe in time the empty eglu can be a dream home for some more ex-batt girls.

 

Be kind to yourself.

[half dozen]

Whatever we all say today wont help you at all,you will still cry and cry. But tomorrow you will be much stronger and will be ready to read all our messages and will hopefully feel comforted by them. These little creatures manage to get to all our hearts and make us feel so so sad. But we must also remember the great times they had x x

[half dozen]

Whatever we all say today wont help you at all,you will still cry and cry. But tomorrow you will be much stronger and will be ready to read all our messages and will hopefully feel comforted by them. These little creatures manage to get to all our hearts and make us feel so so sad. But we must also remember the great times they had x x

[Phoebe]

lots of hugs xxx

 

Phoebe

[Guest]

what an awful, awful thing to discover on your own, I'm so sorry Like you say, it was an accident and we all make mistakes sometimes. It's not as if you left the door open constantly without any regard for your girls safety.

 

When time has healed some of the pain, I hope you get some more girls xxxx

[Blackrocksrock]

We have all been there and not shut them in at one time or another and as others say we have just got away with it - they had a good life with you and saw the sun on their backs and were very well loved. Big hug

[katieadams]

My goodness how horrible for you but how easily done, it could happen to anyone (although I'm sure you won't see that right now, you will though in time). A change of routine makes us all forget things it's so easy to miss something. I reckon we've all done it, just most of the time we get away with it and you were really unlucky.

 

Loads of hugs from me too, I really feel for you xxxxxx

[chick wiggle]

Oh, I'm so very sorry this happened to you. My heart and love goes to you and yours. However awful this is, please remember you gave them such a lovely life full of love and sunshine even on the rainy days. Dont, please, let this put you off. When you feel ready, give some more hens the chance of happiness with you.

 

Lots of love and hugs