Chicken Tragedy

{ 10:15, 2 June 2008 } { 5 comments } { Link }

The other evening we drove 30 miles to the nearest big town to do some shopping. I had just fed the hens and they were all in the hen house and yard, my dog was tied up and off we went. When we got home, we found several dead hens laying on the ground up and down the road next to the fence around the hen yard. It was awful. At first the kids noticed 3 laying right in front of the gate to the yard, and then as they walked down the path they found more, and then more, and then more. I couldn't believe it! It was so horrible. And then my daughter noticed the neighbor's dog who had a chain hanging from it's collar and the chain had gotten wrapped around a post, trapping her in the orchard. Even though we hadn't been there when this all happened, we assumed she had something to do with this.

My kids were crying, I was holding back tears, this whole thing was so beyond my experience and knowledge base, I didn't know what to do. I knew I had to pick them all up and dispose of them but how? I called my husband and he said to put them in the burn barrel. It seemed so horrible but I knew it made sense.

Even though we had been handling all these hens for over a month, the thought of picking them up now just bothered me. And it was so dark outside, I had no idea if there was blood or not. I looked for the shovel, which I did not find since apparently my sons had taken it out to their play area we call "the dirt patch" and they hadn't put it back, which is a "no-no". I had no idea how to pick these hens up. By this time all the kids were in the house and crying and I was wandering around in the dark looking for something to use to gather them.. I finally opted for one of the kids' big plastic sand shovels and a stick. You take my shovel, I have to take yours.

It was awful trying to pick them up. Getting the shovel underneath their limp, lifeless bodies was almost too much for me. I tried to fit two on at a time to lessen my walks to the burn barrel since it was getting darker by the second. As I was trying to lift one it started to make a noise. It wasn't that sweet peeping noise I was used to, this was more anguished, I felt so horrible, what do I do with this one? And then there were two others that were also just barely alive. My heart just sank deeper into my chest than it already was. I couldn't believe I was standing there in the dark faced with this? !!

I have not grown up on a farm. I'm still adjusting. While some people who have lived this life since childhood may have found it easy to kill these hens to just quickly end their suffering since they were going to die anyway, I just couldn't bring myself to even think of doing that. I took them into the hen yard and laid them in these big empty black planters which the previous owner had left here.

I had taken 13 to the barrel, and so that was 16 including the 3 that were just barely alive. The next day, the group of hens seemed quite a bit smaller than 61 so we assume there are more out there that we just haven't found yet. We expected to lose some hens, because everyone told us we would. But losing so many in this way seemed so tragic to us. The three I laid in the planters were dead in the morning, which was no surprise.

At this point, I seriously don't know if I could eat a butchered chicken from our flock. Actually, at this point I don't even think I'm ready to eat any chicken from anywhere. I'm a wimp, I know, but that's how it is. I still don't know what exactly happened or how it happened. And I feel like I can't even leave the property now and leave these hens at all. But from now on I'm making sure they are locked up in the hen house at night and if and when I ever go anywhere again.

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{ 11:16, 2 June 2008 } { Posted by rildapeel1 }
I know all things happen for a reason and God does prepare us ahead of time although some times we aren't aware of it at the time nor the connection. I will say that Fear of leaving them or losing them is something we all have to face at some point in our journey. I find comfort each time I leave home to pray protection over our property and our Kitty Joy. We never know what will happen and we can not shelter all ourselves so I trust Father to hear my prayer, and answer it without doubt for it is impossilbe to please Him with out faith. Lovingly, rilda *U*

So Sorry to hear

{ 11:35, 2 June 2008 } { Posted by browns71280 }
I am so sorry you had to go through this by yourself. I know that if it had happened to me, it would be like loosing a family member. I have been told over and over again, that you can't feel that way about your farm animals but how do you not! I hope that this doesn't stop you from bringing in more chicks later. I can't wait until next spring to bring home our chicks. I have learned so much this year by reading everyone's blogs here about raising them.

Debbie

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{ 02:01, 2 June 2008 } { Posted by Arla }
I am so sorry for the tragic end to your day. I too am very tenderhearted when it comes to animals and I would found that difficult to deal with. I hope the rest of your hens will be safe from the animal responsible.

Blessings,
Arla

How Sad!!!

{ 02:24, 2 June 2008 } { Posted by hmfarris }
I too know how you feel about your chicks! I hated the thought of putting mine outside when they were old enough, I liked hearing them chirp when I first woke in the morning. In our county(we live in Delaware County in OK) it is not uncommon for the owner of the animal that has done the damage to have to pay for the loss that their animal caused. Whether it be human or an animal. If a dog kills a cow, the owner of the dog pays for the cow. If a dog kills a horse, ( which has happened to newborn colts) the owner of the dog pays for the horse. If it be a cow that causes a car accident because it escaped a fence, the owner of the cow has to pay for the damage that it caused. And it it be our humble hens, the owner pays for the hens. Our livestock and farm animals are part of our lively hood. If we don't have hens we don't have eggs or chicken to eat. I wonder if you talked to your neighbor and explained all of the damage that their dog caused would they be understanding? I would hope that they would!
My Grandpa had a neighbor that had an awfully mean rooster that would not stay in it's pen. My Grandpa asked the neighbor several times to please keep it home and in the pen. The neighbor refused. One day the neighbors rooster came up missing, that evening My Granparents took thier neighbor a big pot of chicken and noodles. Grandpa told them they could have their rooster back and to not worry about fixing the pen.They never had anymore trouble from that neighbor. ( And yes it was the neighbors rooster that was in the noodles. And yes my grandpa is the one who killed and cooked him.) My grandpa was a wonderful Christian man, but he could only do so much to make the neighbor understand. I know you can't eat a dog, but surely there is something you could do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ladies, thank you SO much for you wonderful comments and sweet empathy. It really is so comforting. I appreciate you all being so kind with your words, it truly does help. Thank you again so much. :)

Edited by Agsd7 on 2 June 2008 at 03:11

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{ 03:51, 3 July 2008 } { Posted by SeasonChanging }
That's so disheartening. My boss's dog got loose the other day and killed my co-workers hen, who was sitting on her eggs. It was horrible (though I wasn't there). Jim (my co-worker here) said that my boss's wife was freaking out and appologized so many times. Jim was very forgiving about it but it was pretty awful considering she was sitting a clutch and was his only laying hen.

I've assisted with the slaughtering at my parent's farm (they usually process about 200 birds at a time). The first couple to go were difficult for me but after the 150th, I admit I got over it. I like to think it's different than them being attacked by a dog or something, though. It's quick, you know? They aren't being mauled to death.

I wonder if it was your neighbors dog? It might have been coyotes? We have them here, I don't know if they are an issue up where you are. Coons and possums will go after chickens, too.

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Page 1 of 130 † Last Page \| Next Page †	Chicken Tragedy { 10:15, 2 June 2008 } { 5 comments } { Link } The other evening we drove 30 miles to the nearest big town to do some shopping. I had just fed the hens and they were all in the hen house and yard, my dog was tied up and off we went. When we got home, we found several dead hens laying on the ground up and down the road next to the fence around the hen yard. It was awful. At first the kids noticed 3 laying right in front of the gate to the yard, and then as they walked down the path they found more, and then more, and then more. I couldn't believe it! It was so horrible. And then my daughter noticed the neighbor's dog who had a chain hanging from it's collar and the chain had gotten wrapped around a post, trapping her in the orchard. Even though we hadn't been there when this all happened, we assumed she had something to do with this. My kids were crying, I was holding back tears, this whole thing was so beyond my experience and knowledge base, I didn't know what to do. I knew I had to pick them all up and dispose of them but how? I called my husband and he said to put them in the burn barrel. It seemed so horrible but I knew it made sense. Even though we had been handling all these hens for over a month, the thought of picking them up now just bothered me. And it was so dark outside, I had no idea if there was blood or not. I looked for the shovel, which I did not find since apparently my sons had taken it out to their play area we call "the dirt patch" and they hadn't put it back, which is a "no-no". I had no idea how to pick these hens up. By this time all the kids were in the house and crying and I was wandering around in the dark looking for something to use to gather them.. I finally opted for one of the kids' big plastic sand shovels and a stick. You take my shovel, I have to take yours. It was awful trying to pick them up. Getting the shovel underneath their limp, lifeless bodies was almost too much for me. I tried to fit two on at a time to lessen my walks to the burn barrel since it was getting darker by the second. As I was trying to lift one it started to make a noise. It wasn't that sweet peeping noise I was used to, this was more anguished, I felt so horrible, what do I do with this one? And then there were two others that were also just barely alive. My heart just sank deeper into my chest than it already was. I couldn't believe I was standing there in the dark faced with this? !! I have not grown up on a farm. I'm still adjusting. While some people who have lived this life since childhood may have found it easy to kill these hens to just quickly end their suffering since they were going to die anyway, I just couldn't bring myself to even think of doing that. I took them into the hen yard and laid them in these big empty black planters which the previous owner had left here. I had taken 13 to the barrel, and so that was 16 including the 3 that were just barely alive. The next day, the group of hens seemed quite a bit smaller than 61 so we assume there are more out there that we just haven't found yet. We expected to lose some hens, because everyone told us we would. But losing so many in this way seemed so tragic to us. The three I laid in the planters were dead in the morning, which was no surprise. At this point, I seriously don't know if I could eat a butchered chicken from our flock. Actually, at this point I don't even think I'm ready to eat any chicken from anywhere. I'm a wimp, I know, but that's how it is. I still don't know what exactly happened or how it happened. And I feel like I can't even leave the property now and leave these hens at all. But from now on I'm making sure they are locked up in the hen house at night and if and when I ever go anywhere again. { Post a Comment } Untitled Comment { 11:16, 2 June 2008 } { Posted by rildapeel1 } I know all things happen for a reason and God does prepare us ahead of time although some times we aren't aware of it at the time nor the connection. I will say that Fear of leaving them or losing them is something we all have to face at some point in our journey. I find comfort each time I leave home to pray protection over our property and our Kitty Joy. We never know what will happen and we can not shelter all ourselves so I trust Father to hear my prayer, and answer it without doubt for it is impossilbe to please Him with out faith. Lovingly, rilda U So Sorry to hear { 11:35, 2 June 2008 } { Posted by browns71280 } I am so sorry you had to go through this by yourself. I know that if it had happened to me, it would be like loosing a family member. I have been told over and over again, that you can't feel that way about your farm animals but how do you not! I hope that this doesn't stop you from bringing in more chicks later. I can't wait until next spring to bring home our chicks. I have learned so much this year by reading everyone's blogs here about raising them. Debbie Untitled Comment { 02:01, 2 June 2008 } { Posted by Arla } I am so sorry for the tragic end to your day. I too am very tenderhearted when it comes to animals and I would found that difficult to deal with. I hope the rest of your hens will be safe from the animal responsible. Blessings, Arla How Sad!!! { 02:24, 2 June 2008 } { Posted by hmfarris } I too know how you feel about your chicks! I hated the thought of putting mine outside when they were old enough, I liked hearing them chirp when I first woke in the morning. In our county(we live in Delaware County in OK) it is not uncommon for the owner of the animal that has done the damage to have to pay for the loss that their animal caused. Whether it be human or an animal. If a dog kills a cow, the owner of the dog pays for the cow. If a dog kills a horse, ( which has happened to newborn colts) the owner of the dog pays for the horse. If it be a cow that causes a car accident because it escaped a fence, the owner of the cow has to pay for the damage that it caused. And it it be our humble hens, the owner pays for the hens. Our livestock and farm animals are part of our lively hood. If we don't have hens we don't have eggs or chicken to eat. I wonder if you talked to your neighbor and explained all of the damage that their dog caused would they be understanding? I would hope that they would! My Grandpa had a neighbor that had an awfully mean rooster that would not stay in it's pen. My Grandpa asked the neighbor several times to please keep it home and in the pen. The neighbor refused. One day the neighbors rooster came up missing, that evening My Granparents took thier neighbor a big pot of chicken and noodles. Grandpa told them they could have their rooster back and to not worry about fixing the pen.They never had anymore trouble from that neighbor. ( And yes it was the neighbors rooster that was in the noodles. And yes my grandpa is the one who killed and cooked him.) My grandpa was a wonderful Christian man, but he could only do so much to make the neighbor understand. I know you can't eat a dog, but surely there is something you could do. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ladies, thank you SO much for you wonderful comments and sweet empathy. It really is so comforting. I appreciate you all being so kind with your words, it truly does help. Thank you again so much. :) Edited by Agsd7 on 2 June 2008 at 03:11 Untitled Comment { 03:51, 3 July 2008 } { Posted by SeasonChanging } That's so disheartening. My boss's dog got loose the other day and killed my co-workers hen, who was sitting on her eggs. It was horrible (though I wasn't there). Jim (my co-worker here) said that my boss's wife was freaking out and appologized so many times. Jim was very forgiving about it but it was pretty awful considering she was sitting a clutch and was his only laying hen. I've assisted with the slaughtering at my parent's farm (they usually process about 200 birds at a time). The first couple to go were difficult for me but after the 150th, I admit I got over it. I like to think it's different than them being attacked by a dog or something, though. It's quick, you know? They aren't being mauled to death. I wonder if it was your neighbors dog? It might have been coyotes? We have them here, I don't know if they are an issue up where you are. 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Chicken Tragedy

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So Sorry to hear

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How Sad!!!

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