Is it better to let them die?

[LaurEliz]

She's a lovely looking hen. What breed is she?

She is a rainbow dixie. I've heard it's a newer breed that is actually a mix of many things. She's one of the friendliest chickens I've ever owned.

There were a couple weeks at my house where some sort of predator got one chicken every few days. My white turkey went missing. My golden laced and silver laced wyandotte went missing. One of my easter egger mixes went missing, and a couple days later, another one of them did. My bronze turkey went missing. My ISA brown went missing. All within a few weeks after little to no predator issues. I noticed feathers of the brown one trailing into the cornfield the same day she went missing and tried to follow them and didn't find traces of any of the others, but did find feathers of a turkey I had before that went missing first. Since the turkeys were so large and I saw a couple paw prints, I figured it was likely a coyote. I stopped letting the chickens out for two days, and then after that, only let them out for a few hours (and tried to be outside during those hours a lot) per day. Now I'm still not letting them out as long as I used to, but I think the predator might have moved on.

I am not completely sure my "if I don't let them out, it will leave" system even worked and I'm sure later, as winter comes closer, more predators will come here looking for food and discover that my yard is basically a fast-food drive thru, and want to stick around. Unfortunately, more frequent losses are part of free-ranging. But I do think the chickens have a higher quality of life when they free-range. I've done it both ways, and I don't think I personally would ever want to keep mine in a coop/run 24/7 again. Besides, every time I've done that in the past, the end result is a predator somehow finds its way in eventually (sometimes years and years after never having predator issues) and then kills every single chicken inside because the chickens cannot escape the run. At least they have a chance to try and get away free-ranging and we only lose one or two per day otherwise... Just part of owning chickens I guess.

 

[townchicks]

You keep your chickens in a coop and run if my memory serves me don't you townchicks?
Have you had any get sick?

Yes, @Shadrach , I live in a suburban neighborhood, and my three girls are pets. They do get some time to "free range" in my fully fenced backyard, when I am out there. They have a pretty large run, 10'x12' and a fenced off yard adjacent to that which is approximately 15'x20'. We do get hawks on occasion, and I have ordered poultry net to cover the yard, that should be here anyway. I have taken them to the vet on several occasions, but they are healthy overall.

 

[chickendreams24]

Hi there. This isn't an easy topic.

We free range and have a large number of birds. I'm not going to lie most of our birds are a food source for eggs or meat. I give each bird the care I can but of course there are birds that become more like pets to me and it's terrible when I lose one.

We've had a lot of losses in the last couple years. Fox, mink, raccoon, opossum, rat. We've never had a confirmed hawk kill but have had to chase some hawks away.

Most of the losses we've had just disappear and we never find the bodies often not even feathers. It's hard.

As flock guardians we too do our best to care for our birds. Yes if I think a bird has a chance of recovery I will treat tentatively waiting to see if there's improvement. I usually give them a few days to improve. Some make it and some don't.

It's true sometimes the kindest thing you can do is end their suffering but chickens can be quite resilient. I do feel the losses of any birds but I also know for our flock of around 180(those are summer numbers winter numbers are more like 70-90) we could never create a run large enough for them to be happy. They're miserable not foraging in nice weather. Their lives are so much better outside foraging and free ranging; just being chickens.

I really try to remember that when I'm feeling down after losing a bird. They had the best possible life they could have ever had even if it was cut short.

 

[aart]

I'm not going to lie most of our birds are a food source for eggs or meat.

I think it's sad that food growers feel they have to apologize for this here.

 

[Chickassan]

@Shadrach, I can't give much advice i'm pretty much the same chasing every alarm and dreading the outcome. Iv'e only had one attack that I assume was a hawk I only saw the aftermath on my rooster the wound was much like your Hannah's. I spent three weeks nursing that rooster back I owed him that. So I guess I don't really cope. I handle and help if possible if not then I will take a loss. It is difficult either way.

 

[chickendreams24]

I think it's sad that food growers feel they have to apologize for this here.

I agree it's unfortunate. So many people ask me all the time, "How could you eat a bird you raised?" Well I know that the birds I've raised have had a much much better life and will have the kindest end possible.

Just because I hatched and raised them doesn't mean I can just keep hundreds of cockerals and roosters. I have neither the space nor the money for that.

It's a true disconnect in our food chain these days when people don't know where food comes from and can't stand the thought of an animal they've seen dieing. A nameless and faceless one sure but one that trusts you "that's betrayal to kill it". That animal that trusts me has a kinder, faster, more relaxed end and because of that gives me better meat.

I suppose I just didn't want to come across as cold to the people who have 2-8 or whatever the number is.

It's much different when you have a dozen or more cockerals terrorizing your flock(we place ours in bachelor growouts). Having a number of cockerals running around forcibly dominating/breeding your hens and pullets will change your mind about eating them real fast.

I love my birds by they can't all be pets. They serve a purpose.

 

[micstrachan]

@Shadrach, I guess I’m not totally clear... do you only want suggestions/ideas/experiences on coping or are you interested in preventing the attacks? A guard dog would cut down your losses if that’s an option for you.
I admire that you try to make them comfortable and answer their calls. However, I’d probably be a basket case in your shoes. I suppose you might need to find a way to numb yourself to it if you can’t intervene.

 

[AquaDuck]

I constantly worry about attacks from birds of prey, and personally I couldn't have taken the stress that you describe. Since I moved to where I'm now (also with a national park as next door neighbour) I've had attacks every year, the first victim being my beloved pet duck Nibbler. Still hurts, 3 years later.
I'm putting up more and more nets, ropes and cover over their 2 acre outside area by the year...

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach, I guess I’m not totally clear... do you only want suggestions/ideas/experiences on coping or are you interested in preventing the attacks? A guard dog would cut down your losses if that’s an option for you.
I admire that you try to make them comfortable and answer their calls. However, I’d probably be a basket case in your shoes. I suppose you might need to find a way to numb yourself to it if you can’t intervene.

I'm interested in how other people cope. Chickendreams24, Chickassan and in a way, aart all make the point that there is a difficult area between pets and livestock.
I don't know for example if aart would take a sick chicken to a vet, but I suspect he wouldn't let it suffer. I eat these chickens occasionally. Despite the predators other than myself, I believe the chickens here have a far better life than most. I think for me at least there is a change in view when I've got a sick or injured chicken; they move from livestock/study subjects to pets. Mrs.K for example doesn't think doctoring should be part of free range chicken keeping and in many ways I agree with her. However, I can't help wanting to tend the sick and injured.
No, thank you, I don't want suggestions for preventing attacks. I've been here looking after chickens for quite a while now and have a good idea of what works and what doesn't.
I'm going to lose chickens. I think most peoeple who free range do. I don't want to become numb to it either, numbnes leans towards indifference imo and I would hate to become indifferent about a great many things including the welfare of these chickens.

 

[Shadrach]

A bit more while I'm here.
I can't recall how many chickens I've doctored since I've been here; it's a lot.
I do save some, many more die, if not directly from their injury, then from long term effects that make them more vulnerable to predation; a chicken left with a limp for example.
I've got to the point where I'm wondering if my interference is an example of the human arrogance that leads us to believe we can fix everything, when it's apparent that we can't.
Pinch, in the original post would have been better served if I had just cut her throat; nine days of struggling to survive, being syringe fed, there is no way in the 'natural' course of events this would have happened.
I suppose what I need is a notice to predators asking if they could finish the job.