Chickens are like tattoos

If you've gotten a tattoo, you know the feeling of wanting more. It's a phenomenon that is difficult to explain. You finally get the courage to go get that first tattoo, and afterward, you find yourself wanting another one, then another one, and then another. Seriously, how does this work? Why does this happen? But it does, and I can't explain it. It seems most people who have tattoos have multiples, not just one.
This same circumstance occurs with chickens. I started with two chickens a few years ago now, and since then, I can't get enough of them. As with tattoos, there's a bounty of choices and a never ending supply of ideas, types and options. With chickens, there's so many varieties and the ability to house them is quite easy. I have found each of my chickens to have a distance personality, just like my cats, dogs, and any other animal I have. My chickens run up to me just as the other animals do, many of them want to be loved and petted, while others want to just be around and observe. They all want treats, certainly, and they all want to express themselves for who they are.
And just like with getting a tattoo, you want different ones at different times of your life. There are regrets for some you have chosen, and others that you absolutely love. I also have made many great choices on picking chicken breeds that are conducive to the farm. Matter-of-fact, I was on a roll with making great choices! I started with Butterscotch and Ginger, two sweet Rhode Island Reds who are a couple of our tamest chickens. They allow most everyone to hold them, and are well adjusted and hearty. Then, we picked two Orpington's and two Plymouth Rocks to join them. Everyone did wonderfully.
As time has gone on, we have added chickens into the mix. I blogged about our rooster mistakes, and what we did to correct that problem. Since we do not have roosters here, finding them a new home was imperative. And luckily we found them a home before they turned into chicken soup. And my search for more hens is always on my mind. Who would be the next great addition to our flock?
My desire for more chickens has never waned. It's simply been managed at best. I accidentally came across two beautiful Brahma's, Peaches and Cream, not long ago who joined in on the fun. They lay dark eggs, and get along well with everyone. What happens is, you get these great chickens, and you just want more. Our chickens have come from many different sources, and we have had great success with them in regards to safety, health and cohesion.
Can my success not last? Do my tattoos have to fade? It's only a matter of time before the bad catches up with the good. The downturn of bad-chicken-luck all started when I purchased two beautiful, sweet Polich chickens. We named them Sugar and Spice. They were not like our other chickens, as they were fancy ones. They had a "top hat" on (fluffy feathers atop their heads) and a smaller body frame. They were friendly, and when we transitioned them into the flock, they did wonderfully. What we didn't know at the time, was that Sugar would succumb to Mericks disease. It's a neurological chicken disease whereby paralysis takes over. It's horrible, and we lost Sugar to it. The bright side was that no other chicken fell victim to it. Amazing! But this death left Spice alone, without her best friend. Most of our chickens have come to the farm in pairs. We have found this is the best way to incorporate new chickens into our flock. Everyone transitions new chickens into existing flocks differently, and we have found our niche in how best to do it here. Typically, you don't just throw chickens together without first allowing them to acclimate slowly to each other. And we have a process that we use here that works well. If we bring new chickens in as chicks, we finish raising them in the guest bathroom shower, until they have all their feathers and can keep themselves warm. Then, we move them to the Little Girl Coop in the barn for a period of time, locked in safely while the flock adapts to them, and gets to know them. Any pullets (not chicks) we bring in will be isolated in a caged/fenced area by the Big Girl Coop, and this gives everyone a chance to adjust.
Just as a ferris wheel turns, so does the likelihood of our chickens falling victim to disease, illness and/or predators. We have gone several years without any incident, and our chickens live each day as happy chickens who are essentially pets-that-give-back (eggs) with the ability to free range as they desire. We enjoy holding them, petting them and giving them plenty of mealworm treats and scratch.
Lately, we have had several incidents of predators. After we lost Sugar #1, then Sugar #2, then Spice, I was distraught. Quite frankly, I was beside myself. Just after these incidents (which I can’t bring myself to cover in detail) I noticed Peaches coughing. Within a few days, Butterscotch showed respiratory symptoms such as runny nose, cough and wheezing. Then, it started consuming Sunshine and Pebbles. They were lethargic, had goopy eyes and all had similar issues. It seemed as if it were the chicken cold or a respiratory infection of sorts. Or possibly the chicken flu?! During this progression, I took Butterscotch to the vet to see if they could do anything to help her - and the flock. The vet listened to Butterscotch lungs, and decided it was best to prescribe antibiotics. The whole flock would be treated with antibiotics in their main source of drinking water. There was no guarantee that anyone would survive, as only time will tell what is happening.
As a few days passed, it seemed our "infected" chickens were getting worse. Those that had caught this illness were wheezing, coughing, had a runny nose and even had an eye that was closed due to mucous and swelling. I had looked online to see what other things I could do to help this situation. A couple of suggestions were to clean the coop completely, keep them isolated, and make sure they were comfortable and warm. So I did those things.....all of them. I completely cleaned out their coops, and any areas they nestle and roost. I keep their water clean, and include fresh with antibiotics in it. I make sure they don't have a draft, and are warm enough. I'm doing all I can.
What's interesting is that I can't tell if they are getting better? Or getting worse? It's an unusual phenomenon, but whatever progression is being made, it's slow. If they are turning a corner and getting better, it's a very long corner because I can't see the progress. If the illness is progressing, it's invisible to me. So each time I go to the barn and check them, I really don't know what to expect. All I can say at this point is if they live through this, it will be a miracle. Chickens are so fragile, that when disease and illness take over, there's only so much you can do.
As I wait this out, I can tell you that Ginger, Butterscotch and Sunshine are affected the most. They each have one eye swollen shut, are congested and coughing. You can hear them breathing, almost like a rattle. A couple of others have this illness, but it's not as bad. Everyone is drinking from the antibiotic water, and since everyone has been exposed there's no isolating anyone at this point, according to the vet.
As this first flock illness continues, I'm learning more about my chickens and what they do - and what I do - in times of chicken strife. Another nurse at my work (her name is Cindy, too) asked me a interesting question, " If you lose your flock to this illness, will you get more chickens?". She knew someone who had a similar situation and ended up losing her whole flock to illness, and she did not chose to get more chickens. It was just too hard. I understand that, as these are our pets, too.
I can't answer that question in absolute just yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll always have chickens. I'm banking on NOT losing my whole flock. It will be a miracle if they make it through this, but I have faith. I'm not sure what my chicken-future holds, but for now, I'm giving extra TLC to my chickens as they hang on for another day.
My favoritest thing to do in the morning is go to the barn, and now-a-days I really can't wait each day to get out there. When they make that final turn of the corner to getting better, I want to be there.

I'll keep you posted,
Cyndi