In every backyard chicken keepers life there will eventually be the overwhelming sadness of losing a bird.
It's a part of life and its an unavoidable part of raising livestock of any kind. We know this going in, but it still doesn't make it any easier.
I unfortunately had to do just that this week. I had been noticing for the last week or so that one of my barnevelard chicks wasn't growing. She had been eating or drinking well and playing with the rest but something just wasn't right. We called her Reba because of her very red head, but little Reba wasn't growing at all.
On Tuesday I noticed that she was more by herself than normal and by Wednesday evening I knew we were losing her. I held her out of the pen on Wednesday and she snuggled in and fell asleep for awhile. I said my goodbyes and by morning, she was gone.
Failure to Thrive is heartbreaking but I take peace in knowing that everything that I could control was done to insure my flock was healthy and happy. I take their respiratory health VERY seriously and use Chick Fresh for ammonia control. Don't let something you CAN control take one of your chicks.
Until next time,
Stay Safe and Healthy!
Patty
