Saturday, June 30, 2012

Protecting Your Animals and Human Error

Try as we might, we can't always protect our animals.  Weather and predators play a huge role, but at some point, human error comes into play as well.  Human error is the hardest to accept.

We are in the middle of a heat wave.  Yesterday at 5:00 p.m. my car thermometer registered 110.  At 9:00 p.m. the temperature was still 100, and the low last night I think was around 80.  Right now, at 1:35 p.m. it's 101, and the high is expected to be 105.  Tomorrow is expected to hit 103. 

At times like this, I am so thankful for the technology we have to predict the weather.  In anticipation of this week, I plucked Olivia and Blue Moon, my angora rabbits, and trimmed them down to the skin.  All of the rabbits got frozen 2 liter water bottles in their cages yesterday while I was at work.  The rabbit shed is in deep shade, so I know that helps.  They all made it through yesterday.  Today I am repeating the frozen water bottles, and I've brought Olivia and Blue Moon inside. 

The chickens seem to be holding their own against the weather; however, we lost our Pearl this week.  We are so sad because she was one of our original two chicks when we first started keeping chickens over 3 years ago.  She was the end of our beginning, and I love to say she was one tough bird.  She was our special needs chicken who hobbled around the animal yard on her deformed talon.  She got special preference from us.  She survived two night attacks when we were new to chicken keeping and a hawk attack.  We saved her about two weeks ago from drowning when the coop flooded.  She seemed to have as many lives as a cat.  So, to lose her because of our mistake is especially brutal to take.  We forgot to close the coop door last Sunday night and a night predator got her.  Only once before have we forgotten to lock them up at night, and that was at the beginning of our chicken keeping experience.  We could chalk that up to a beginner's mistake, but after three years, we have no excuse.  We just plain forgot.  And, because of her disability she would not have been able to run from it.  
























RIP Pearl. We're sorry, and we love you.

Candace



6 comments:

  1. So, so sorry about losing Pearl. Please don't be hard on yourselves. I think it was her time to go after all she'd been through. We had a special bantam hen from our very first batch of chickens some 40 years ago. She lived to be five years old and her end was one I still don't like to think about. Just remember Pearl had a great life with you.

    And please take special care of yourselves in your terrible heat. It's not healthy for us humans to have to deal with those high temps.

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    1. Thanks, Mama Pea! I suppose there has to be some sadness to balance out the joy, and she will always be remembered. We have been staying inside as much as possible. I've let the garden fend for itself too. It's looking pretty ragged, but the temps should be cooler in the 90s as the week progresses, so I can probably do some damage control then.

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  2. Candace - Oh no! I am so sorry! Don't beat yourself up too badly! This is the third chicken death I've heard of this week. Two sets of friends lost chickens here in PA - one to getting hit by a car (wandering too close to the road during free ranging), and the others killed by what the owners think was a raccoon squeezing in under the eaves of the coop. You are so right, though - as owners we try our best to protect and nurture our animals, but the reality is that there are so many factors out of our hands. You and Nate have done a superb job of providing a wonderful life for these animals. I salute you both for that.
    I haven't commented in a while, but I still faithfully am keeping up with your posts. You're doing an amazing job- and still serve as an inspiration for us!
    We are coming to the area soon - later this week. Let's make sure we get together!
    Carrie :)

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    1. Thanks for the kind words, Carrie! We would love to see you guys and catch up if you have some time when you come to town, just let us know.

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  3. We lost a 4 month old New Zealand buck on Friday due to the heat. We were so broken hearted. Our New Zealands are our pride and joy.

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    1. Oh, I'm so sorry! Many of the local hobby farmers I know have been losing animals left and right. I just hate to think of any animal suffering like that. Hopefully the heat here has broken for the time being. The rest of the week is forecast for the 90s.

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