Chicken boarders

[LittleOwl]

We got our first ever chooks in December, and absolutely love them. We both find watching them relaxing and amusing, and definitely see them as pets and a positve additon to our lives. A month ago Sybil got sneezy and rattly, and after a vet trip and 2 lots of Baytril, she appears to be ok. It wasn't contagious, she just appears to be a rattly chicken sometime. A couple of weeks ago Elizabeth seemed poorly, hunched and not eating, and we worried about what to do for her, then suddenly she was well. Yesterday we discovered Treacle has a rattle and the sneezes, so it's probably more Baytril for her.

 

My question is, is it always like this? Are they frequently off-colour? I knew they had shortish lives, I know that by the law of averages, seeing we have 9, there will be one a bit off colour reasonably frequently. But last night when I saw Treacle wasn't well, my heart sank. There's the worry for her, and whether it's contagious, and how to treat her, and what to do if she's ill next week when we're on hols....etc, etc! It just feels like I'm always worrying about one of them - and I don't mean I'm worried about the hassle, I mean I think I may be too soft for keeping chickens - I don't like them to be suffering. Does anyone else feel like this? Does it get easier? Or am I just a total wuss?

 

It doesn't help when you get some people laughing at you and saying you should just wring their necks and get new ones.

 

Sorry if I sound a bit silly I suppose I just wanted to say how felt to a bunch of peeps who at the very least know where I'm coming from!

[Daffodill]

Hi LittleOwl

I am just the same as you, you can see from my post "Toffee is no more" that I lost one this morning and Iam feeling guilty that my lack of knowledge has caused my hen to suffer, but I have always been like that about pets, Im glad I didn't marry a farmer I would be terrible.

I think you have to remember that their lives are so much better than those kept in intensive farm facilities and on the whole having chickens has been a real positive for our family, everyone enjoys watching them, my son home from university at Easter found them so relaxing to watch inbetween study breaks.

I do know where you are coming from and its good to have a forum to off load

[scarlettohara]

What she said apart from the son I posted on the above post too as I'm new too and have had one with an infection. You do relax a bit after a while

[chickenanne]

I think you've maybe had a run of bad luck, to be honest. I've had my 4 a couple of years now, and in that time none have been ill, although one did damage her beak, and another cut her toe. They are generally healthy creatures, and I do think the problem you have is nothing more than a run of bad luck.

Don't worry, it will settle down.

[Lo]

I totally understand. In 3 years out of 9 hens, we have lost 6. Within a couple of months we lost some to Mareks - something that came from the breeder. Then we had one with a prolapse and then one killed by a dog. These are all things that we didn't have control of but still hurt. At Christmas we long another possibly it was too cold for her (we were away). Every time I feel so guilty. I am constantly watching them and their poo and asking my husband if he thinks it is the right colour etc.

 

Other chicken keepers have said that I have been unlucky - and hopefully it is just that because I try my best to give them a lovely clean home.

 

So sorry if you are anything like me the worry will stay but hopefully so will all of your current hens!

[cluckingmad]

Fear not, the worry does subside (slightly) after a while We lost one of our girls Martha last week (she died in my arms, bless her) and I spent the whole week-end anxiously watching over my remaining girls like the proverbial Mother Hen! Only when all was obviously fine did I relax a bit - poor OH says I worry more about them than him

 

Does sound like you've had a bad run - in the two years we've had our girls we've lost 3 (two ex-batts and one hybrid) out of 13, however as our 4 remaining hybrids are between 2-3 years old expecting to lose all 4 over the next year or two... and remember that you're only worried for them because you love them x