Sunday, after letting the chickens roam the garden day they put themselves to bed and Bottom chose to go in with the other girls. I let them into their run yesterday morning and all was fine. When I came home from work to let them out in the garden I found that Bottom has had all her gorgeous new feathers pulled out and she was bleeding. The last two months I've spend getting her into good shape with special vitamins etc is wasted. I'll never be able to put her back with the other two. Also Izzy has had loads of feathers pulled out from her crop no idea who's doing all this.
I can't sit there all day and watch them to see who's guilty so I'm calling it a day with them, my father-in-law is going to slaughter them for the pot. It's a hard call to make but they're not here for pets they're here for eggs which I'm really not getting after they've been eaten or now laid covered with blood from feather picking!
There's a little hope as someone from my work my give them a new home with her large flock.
I am going to start again with the whole chicken keeping though. I'm going to by some point of lay hens maybe some Buffs and also some Light Sussex Bantams for the other run. I'm really sad about the whole thing and feel like I've failed them.
:-(
V x
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
You haven't failed them at all sweetheart. Perhaps there is some trauma in their previous home thats created all the negative behaviour.
ReplyDeleteSorry you are having to feel the sadness and dissapointment but at least you can have a good meal know you did your best. Also the point of lay hens will most likely be well behaved and give you a good yield of eggs.
Much love
H
x