R.I.P. "Yellow"

"Rainbow", "Francesca", and "Yellow"


"Yellow" and "Francesca"

Well, what started as a very exciting day for the chickens ended in tragedy. :(

Today was the first day we let the chickens out of their cage and into the "big world". We started by carefully securing both dogs inside the house, and then we took the chickens outside. We let them roam around the backyard for a while, and we then put them in their chicken house and locked it up tight to keep the dogs out.

All was well - they seemed bright and interested and happy to be out and about in the big world. We left them in the chicken house all afternoon with the intention of bringing them back in before dark when it would dip below freezing. [I know they would probably be fine, but we just wanted to be extra careful].

So, at 5:30pm I went out to get the chickens, only to discover that one of our dogs [I feel certain it had to be the lab/husky mix, I don't think the collie has the strength for this] had actually *chewed through* the wooden wall on the back side of the chicken house enough to make a 6 inch by 6 inch hole - enough for a chicken to come through, but not enough for a big dog to get in.

Immediately I realized that "Yellow", my 2yo's black and white "Dominique" hen was missing - the other 5 hens were all running up to me excited to see me, but she was no where to be found. I quickly got the 5 surviving chickens back into the house [into the dog crate where they are staying], and sent the children upstairs.

One quick survey of the back yard and I found "Yellow's" poor dead body. One of the dogs - I couldn't say which one, but probably Tyr, our lab mix - had gotten her, I guess when she strayed out of the hole they made. The dog did not chew her up or anything, just appeared to have broken her neck. She was still perfect and beautiful, just dead.

I didn't know what to do with her, but I didn't want the kids to see her and be mad at the dog [who is, after all, just doing what retrievers have been trained to do from the beginning of their breed]. So, I put her poor little body in a trash bag and put her out in the big trash can.

I felt really sad and tried hard not to cry because I didn't want to upset the kids. I know I am supposed to be "tough" about these birds and not let their untimely deaths bother me, but she really was a sweet little hen and I feel very sad that she is gone.

Monkey4 hasn't realized that her chicken is gone - we just said she "got out" [this was before I found her dead]. Monkey1 realized what happened and was devastated, but I didn't feel like I needed to tell the little ones - is that bad?

I guess Monkey4 can have my little hen.

And now we have to figure out what to do about having chickens [who really, REALLY can't stay in the house much longer, they are getting too big] and dogs who are motivated enough to eat through wood to get to them. :( How do we keep them both safe and healthy?

Here are the chickens [we thought safe and sound :( ] in their chicken house:



Here they are eating out of Monkey1 and Monkey2's hands:





Here is "Buttercup" in Monkey1's jacket:



Chicken Tragedy aside, I went for a second opinion today with a Urologist I liked much better than that other one, and I am scheduled for "Lithotripsy" this Thursday to get rid of kidney stones [which have now formed in both my kidneys]. I have to be put to sleep to do it, but it is less invasive than the other thing the other doctor wanted to do, so I feel better about it.