Family Best: Life, Family, Farm, Fun, Food and Everything Else Under The North Georgia Mountains Sun!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Sad...
I cannot find the words to describe how I feel today. Sad is all I can muster. Two of our dogs got into our chicken pen and killed several of our adult, egg laying hens. I feel so many emotions over this and not one of them good. I want to get rid of these dogs, they are the sweetest pets a person can have, but they are killers and I cannot look at them the same way ever again. All of our other dogs were traumatized from the situation and the entire household is just quiet and depressed. I have 3 hens left and one rooster and the hens have some minor injuries that I am treating. I pray that they make it through this, right now they are inside and in my bathtub where I can watch them and keep them warm. I feel so guilty, as a chicken mom, that this happened. We really tried to create their pen as safe as possible, but obviously we did not do a good job. I look at my new baby 2 1/2 week old chicks and I do not want anything to ever happen to them. I don't want them to live in such a scary, dangerous world with other animals finding them to hurt them or kill them. I want to keep them in the house and never let them outdoors. I know that isn't feasible, but right now I just feel like locking them away somewhere safe. We didn't have many hens, and just started getting our eggs from them, and now we will not have anymore eggs until the new babies grow up. There just aren't words to describe how my heart aches today, thinking of my chickens and missing them so much already. I am at a loss, all I can do is put my feelings into one word, Sad. My prayers and faith in God will help me to understand and learn from this experience in time, but right now I just feel horrible!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Sorry to hear about your losses. It does make you want to take a step back.
Sorry for your loss, I'm sure the dogs didn't know what they were doing. Can they be trained or introduced to the chickens?
I have my Border Collie and Aussie Shepherd and to them the chickens might as well be invisible because they don't even notice them.
Sorry about your hens.....I've had the same experience in the past.
I had the experience today! Not one that I was wanting to have that's for sure. We had our little peep out trying the new run and our lab quick as a wink was inside the coop and out the exit door into the run with the peep in his mouth. I followed hot on his heels but I wasn't fast enough. I was able to get the peep out of the dogs mouth but not without damage and really stressed out peep. She is resting now and I have dressed her wound but I think we may loose her tonight - she was very stressed. Time will tell. I have had an upset stomach since. No option on getting rid of the dog. He's part of our family and will remain. We just have to have better protection between him and peeps. Will be building an outer fence. Hope you feel better soon.
@ 3Beeze Homestead
I'm so sorry. Sometimes it's hard to know what to do... I'm praying for you right now.
Blessings, Debbie
I'm so sorry to hear about your chickens. Sometimes dogs see little critters moving and don't know better. Their first instinct is to catch the critter and they really don't mean to harm. Give yourself a couple of days before you make any decisions. Take care and I truly hope you feel better after a couple of days.
We have been through the same identical thing several times.I feel your pain. We now have all new chickens and a new dog, but even this dog loves to chase the chickens and find and eat the eggs. Our chickens are running loose for now since we are having some new ground cleared up with bulldozers. We've had to move the chicken pen for now. The new dog is really a house dog(chihuahua mix)but she is outdoor with us while we work, and she loves to chase anything that will run from her.It is impossible to teach anything at all,but we are still trying.
Im sorry for the loss of your chicken , its a double blow when its your pet dogs involved,lifting you in prayer!!
Blessings
Heidi
I am so sorry this happened to you! I can understand how heart breaking it is. I had a similar situation happen last year and my own dogs wiped out most of my best layers. My Boxers are now behind an electric fence. I love them all, so I just couldn't part with any of them. But getting them to all live in harmony can be tough. I was able to break one of my dogs from killing my chickens, but not the other. They act on instinct - it's natural, so I try not to get mad at them or blame them, but it still really hurts.
I do hope your new ones are doing well.
I too have been through this. My last hen was a pet and the dogs got her. I took her to the vet and after looking her over we decided it was kinder to end it for her. It took me weeks to be able to look at my dogs without anger and something akin to hate. I love them again of course. Always did but I was so angry. In the end I had to accept it was my fault....not saying it's yours....but my situation was my fault. Live and learn. Hope your hurt isn't too long.
Post a Comment