Our dog kennel shelter filled with water so the chicks went outside to avoid drowning (they had perches inside but...)and smothered each other to death.
We lost 10. Our lack of foresight usually ends up hurting somecritter.
Chicken Raising 101 - The How To Thread
Oh grow so sorry to hear that. Yes alot of the deaths I have had has been due to my ignorance, just not looking ahead. I say live and learn.
That lesson kinda hurt to learn definitely. I long for the day when they live when I learn....:-/
Oh gosh I so hear ya.
Oh Grow, so sorry about your chicks :-(. Yes..I admit....I am a true redneck at heart. Born in small town Tennessee. Funny my DH is completely city born and bred. He is so afraid to try unconventional things. Well ...he started the run yesterday...I guess my "improvising" got him moving ;-). He does care about the way things look, even if no one can see it.
The next hatch after them we still have every single chick -16 weeks old now. DH and I are still recovering from that mistake though. Heartwarming story- The next older hatch was out there wings outspread protecting the little guys from the weather. One has a permanently out of join leg as a result of that night -We call her Gimpy.
I've decided I prefer Rednecking. I lived in Tokyo for close to seven years acquiring the skills to be an interpreter. Every kind of cultural access imaginable, but somehow I get much more food for thought out here in the boonies. The sphere of interest there may have been more 'cultural' but the caliber of problems I run into trying to outsmart 'dumb beasts' here is far higher and a much more satisfying pursuit.
YES! That trying unconventional things comment! That's what I've been trying to put my finger on! Enjoying the urban lifestyle is soo about convention. (Not that I haven't enjoyed it myself, just don't underestimate the country)
This message was edited Aug 4, 2008 11:24 AM
I am redneck too.... here is my chicken pen... Mind you I live on a old ranch, and someone before me built this for chickens. I cleaned it out somewhat but left alot of the bushes for them to play around... You can see there are old bed rails holding up the wire... It is all enclosed with plenty of room to run around. It kind of fits in the ranch's name Ecectic Charm Ranch... My chickens are happy and healthy and away from the coyoties.
I'll try to get a picture of our coop that DH built and the run when it's finished. I don't think hurricane nor earthquake will tear it down! Myself...I like the old bedrail idea! I'm being hard on DH...his grandfather and father were tool and die men...they measured things with calipers. Its fun teaching him to be country folk! He just thinks I'm crazy.