I almost didn’t post this because of the brutality of it, but I decided that if I’m going to be completely honest about what happens on the farm…on any farm really…death is a part of it. Although its lovely to post beautiful photos of delicious vegetables, flowers, food and happy animals–those images only portray a part of the reality.
We lost our first chicken today. I wish there was something that I could have done to prevent her suffering. Sometimes things happen that could not be anticipated. One of the chickens escaped the fenced in area and met a pretty rough end. Three big dogs got loose from our neighbors yard and you can imagine the rest.
the crime scene.
I’m just thankful that I didn’t let out the entire flock that day to wonder the farm. Our chickens will remain protected but still free ranging.
Sorry to hear about this Meg!
It was very shocking when Donna’s son Michael lost 3 chickens when a raccoon reached in under the roofline of his chicken coop.
I was worried that the red-tailed hawks in our area would pose a threat to our free-ranging chickens, but they seem pretty smart about seeking cover when hawks are in the area. We can’t protect our livestock all the time and it’s so hard to lose one.
Yes, you are right. I guess its a lesson in keeping livesock. These are things we honestly didn’t consider when we got them.
Yuck! I fortunately have never lost one to a 4 legged varmint. But Like JoAnn I have lost hens to birds of prey. They make it really hard to balance free range with protecting them. Like her ours head for protection when any bird flies overhead. Though gruesome, it is important for folks to realize this is a possibility. Thanks for being totally honest….it isn’t all always fun.