Goodbye Bobster

rick

rick

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Just lost Betty the CLB this afternoon. Very suddenly in the same way as teabag - semi digested egg, floppy bluing comb then gone within 48 hours.
I have a habit of picking the most down at heal pullets so I'm not looking too far for a reason but wont be getting more in a hurry - let things settle. There's plenty of space in the run now for Aerial, Bonnie and Linden. Aerial has laid two eggs in 3 weeks and has been sleeping in the spare(ish) nest box for the past few days, tonight one of Bonnie's eggs and complaining in the strongest terms when I try to remove her.
Did love that funny little chicken.
 
Always sad when you lose an old friend. :(

Of course, you could get some new girls.....
 
Hens do become friends, don't they! You could always get some fertile eggs if one of your other hens go broody.
 
Rick so sorry to hear about your little girl.

My hens, all of them are very close to my heart. I don't think I could now ever be without a few, they are funny, comforting, quirky, and chatty.

I am overflowing with bantams at the moment, I have three identical golden girls, I believe Pekin hybrids, that are eat out of your hand friendly, about
15 weeks old, they were the same hatching as the already laying Pekin girl, Shimmer.

I have not idea where you are. They are a happy little trio, bright over friendly, and frankly I have too many bantams.

If you are interested, and not a million miles away I could meet you half way .

Can email you pictures of them.
 
Sorry to hear about your girl, they all make little nest holes in your heart don't they?
Funny, feisty, good layer, it doesn't matter they all gladden our days in so many ways
 
Sorry to hear this, Rick - you've been having a difficult year with your chickens, haven't you? What a lucky girl she was, though, to have spent her time with you, Rick.
 
Sorry to hear that Rick. Once you get back from your holiday, think about what you want to do and if you don't fancy the three bantams then you can have either one or two of my LF girls, who aren't particularly friendly if I'm being honest..
 
Thanks all - your stars!
Im in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire Valerie, very near Warwick. Cheers to you and Dino for the offers - very much appreciated.
Obviously, it will be after going on holiday that I do anything and it does feel like there's a bit of a t-junction in the road ahead.
For the moment, Aerial (blacktail) is very friendly with me but a bit of a tyrant with other hens. While she's around bantam hens wouldn't be a good idea. Bonnie (orp) is the complete opposite - resilient but subservient to everyone. I even think bantam hens might out rank her. Linden is himself! (tough little cookie but no match for a LF hen with attitude)
Bamtams are appealing and I did find a breeder of Nankins in Worcestershire but that would mean going in for the whole hatching and firm hand of selective husbandry side of things. For the good of a breed I think I could do that (well, would have to once committed) . Of course, wouldn't have to take it so seriously but with those birds it would seem a shame not to and could be very rewarding (chicks!!!.) Aerial would hate the idea and so that would have to be when she wasn't around any more. Again, as you pointed out before Dinosaw, it may not actually be so easy to get started and find enough diversity out there for a strong flock... (I think, with some effort, there would be if I kept the hens and went out to find them mates.)
Or, I do like commercial hybrids and could take in ex-batts from BHWT. I'm kind of used to the hybrid Achilles heal and it would be rewarding to give them a home. Wouldn't be fair on Linden or Bonnie though.
Or something else but the limited space I have makes me think that they need to handle confinement well and be sustainable with only the usual pecking order to sort out - I've basically had enough now of micro managing bad matches without the space to do it!
So I'm almost in a position where we could go either way - but not quite.
 
Hello Rick

no hurry, no worry, half way to Warwick is OK for me. Been dying to take my new Corsa on more than a 5 mile journey.
They really are lovely little girls, a really charming trio of almost identical beauties, came from ebay eggs sold as purebred Pekins, ha ha! One of them does have a sneaking touch of Pekin tail though.

My granddaughters are in love with them, so no hurry to be rid of at the moment, take your time. As soon as I can take some decent photos of them I can email them through PM if that is OK with you. My email is playing up as usual, my new laptop is coming on Monday, thank goodness.
 
They sound lovely Val. My OH has a pref for bigger eggs, not top of my list - time to mull it over.
For the record - I'm becoming quite convinced that it was the dust bath that got her (and probably Teabag also.)
The day before she got ill I recall that she had unusually black patches around her nostrils and the day before that I had lifted out a piece of dry turf that I had put in there (was still fresh at that time with short grass on), thinking it just had more soil on it, but when I lifted it to throw out it was dropping some particularly fine dust.
The dust bath is, perhaps, covered too well and dry. Going to dig it out today and remove the cover with the chooks out of the way.

I have got them some turf from time to time when it was cheap at Homebase. Wondering now what its grown on.
 
It's when I read threads like this that I wonder if I'm emotionally damaged in some way. Though I applaud good stockmanship and abhor cruelty for me dead is dead and mines a pint of bitter, thanks.
Years ago when I kept terriers and had them die people would ask me where I had buried them. My reply of 'in a bin bag in the dustbin' was never well received.
A couple of years ago when I got married I explained it to my brother in terms of dog shit that sticks between the cleats of ones boots for 30 years so I might as well marry it, He was similarly askance.
Maybe I'm missing out on some rich vein of human experience?
 
Hen-Gen said:
Maybe I'm missing out on some rich vein of human experience?
Click to expand...

Well, yes, maybe, Hen-Gen. Although its a vein that is often indulgently over mined!
 
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