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I am a 42 year old woman that is about as happy and content as one person can be. My husband of 21 years and our 15 year old daughter live on five and a half acres out in the country. We moved from the city four years ago and never looked back. I homeschool our daughter. We also love our animals. Our daughter has a miniature horse and two rabbits. We also have a border collie, two cats (again), two pot belly pigs, four peafowl, three emus, 2 llamas and an undetermined number of chickens, lets just say ohhh about 200. I have many breeds, from layers to fancy chickens. I love poultry shows, I love fowl in general as I have come to find out through having more than just chickens. Chickens will always be my first love though. I do show some of my birds occasionally.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Sad News

I have some very disheartening news regarding the baby pigeon chick.

Yesterday I went out in the afternoon like I always do to feed and water. One of the first stops were the pigeons. I said "Hey Mama and Daddy...how is your baby?"

After sitting and watching for a few minutes she got up to eat, and there was no baby. :(

The other egg was still there, but no baby.

I looked and looked all around their pen. The bars are too close together for any of the chickens to poke their head in and take the baby.

The whole time I am like no no no...because I knew what had happened. I didnt have to see it happen to know.

There was a small space dug out on the side under the bars in the dirt.

The baby somehow must have gotten out of the nest and over towards this space that was dug out on an earlier occasion. My guess being the pigeons dropping seed and the chickens pulling it out from underneath the bars.

That is the bad thing about chickens. They can be very cannaballistic. Just as they eat those mice...I believe they ate the pigeon chick. They had to, it was just....gone.

I have blocked it up all the way around their pen now. No more chicken beaks digging around the outside of their pen. I know it is too late now, but I hope they will try again with success.

Mama was still sitting on the remaining egg. I candled it and it was not fertile, no baby in that one.

I am so sad that this happened. It was preventable and I totally blame myself. I should have thought about this.

It won't ever happen again, that I can promise. I will make sure of it. I am thinking of making them a whole new enclosure, yes, I think that would be wise.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Kelly this is so sad ~ I know how bad you must have felt ~ poor little chick ~ I hope they will have some more fertile eggs so you get some of their babies ~ Ally x

Anonymous said...

oh this is just awful!  I am so sorry Kelly...

Anonymous said...

AWW Poor baby!  And I bet mommy and daddy are wondering where it went too!  Things like that happen.  you did your best to keep the baby safe...I guess we all live and learn!  I will find that out soon enough with my chickens.  

Anonymous said...

oh I am so sad about this, poor little guy.  I know it's hard when we feel it is our fault but don't beat yourself up, we do the best we can.  So sorry.  
xx
Lisa

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear this hon. I know from when my mother used to keep chickens if one of the chicks was sickly they would kill it in a heartbeat. (Hugs) Indigo

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry to read about this.  So sad.  Right after what you had wrote me too.  It was encouraging but I do feel your pain.  The facts of life are so harsh.  

Nelishia

Anonymous said...

Aww that is sad. Poor little thing. In my prayers. Janie

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