# I guess I'm a farmer now...



## Steampunked (Mar 23, 2015)

Came home to find 25 dead chickens and chicks. The cap on a pretty rough day, to be honest. Either the neighbourhood dogs that idiots let roam, or a fox - I'm in Australia, so no coyotes.

The saddest thing was that we lost the bravest, most ardently defensive mothers, of course. I have two chicks left alive in the house and a few hens out the back who somehow escaped. But my gentle rooster is gone, as are the silkies and the pure breeds.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm so sorry. How terrible.


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## Bansil (Jul 23, 2015)

R.I.P.
:tears:

Sorry to hear of your loss :hug:


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Oh no. I'm so sorry


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## CrazyDogLady (Aug 9, 2014)

I'm so sorry, how heartbreaking.


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

Aw, I'm so sorry. That's just awful. There are a lot of happy times in farming, but the bad times are about as bad as it gets.

I had a hen hatch two healthy peeps and I moved them to the barn to keep them 'safe'. A raccoon reached into the cage and snatched the peeps, and the hen lost an eye trying to defend her babies. I've never had so much contempt for an animal before!


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

I feel so sad for you & the birds. :rose::rose::rose: Do you have a safe enclosure for the survivors?


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## jaycee (Aug 3, 2011)

*Sorry*

I hate coming home to dead chickens its so deflating. I would get an LGD. You have to supervise them until they're maybe a year old because their instinct isn't to guard chickens and like any puppy they get too rough playing and don't realize chickens can't play. BUT... once they know that the poultry is part of our livestock, then you can run your farm like no-one else you know. Everyone I know around here is constantly safeguarding their coop fixing fence in their runs so critters cant get in or under... My chickens and muscoveys free range on 25 acres and they are all over the place everyone marvels that the possums, *****, foxes, coyotes don't wipe us out, but I don't even close the chicken door to the coops at night anymore and haven't in a year and lost no chickens because my dogs are on duty. You also save SOOO much on chicken feed when they can forage all over for themselves all mine get are some shelled corn on the ground in winter.


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## JK_Farms (Nov 12, 2016)

Sorry to hear that I came home one day with one of my pregnant does killed by a coyote or a dog it's hard to have an animal die!


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## SeventeenFarms (Dec 10, 2013)

I'm sorry to hear - know how that feels. Anymore, I keep mine locked up at night and penned when I am not home, otherwise they roam free when we are around.


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## trhewett (Nov 11, 2016)

I am so sorry.


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## Karen (Jun 22, 2010)

Sending you great big hugs, so sorry to hear this. More hugs and more hugs.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I am so very sorry.


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## GoatMama123 (Sep 9, 2015)

Sorry for your loss, I have lost 2 in the month and was bumming out but I can't imagine loosing that many.

Positive thoughts your way.


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