Just had to give away three of my four chickens because we discovered that they were roosters this weekend. Now we have one lonely hen, who is stressed and will be unhappy. Unhappy hens mean no eggs. We are struggling to find anyone who will sell at least one hen to us.

I am an animal lover and hand raised all the chickens in my house for two months. We got them when they were two days old. They all had names and would come when called. Even the roosters were docile and friendly. They all loved to be pet.

Now they are off to someone's farm and as cheesy as it sounds, I miss them and am sad.

Thanks for letting me vent my sad sob story. I know, I know, I should just buck up.

Of course you're sad...they were your pets and now they're gone. It's only right that you would be grieving. And it's only right that your remaining hen will be sad--I'm the only hen in my environment and I'm stressed about it. (Sorry, but when I read your post I thought, "Well, I sure know how that hen feels.")

Anyway, hope you can find other hens soon and that you feel better about the loss of the roosters.

Thanks. It really sucks.

Sorry fidget. So the hen went from 3 boyfriends to 0? - I'll bet she's mad.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/2012 04:51PM by bc.

She has been standing at the coop door furiously clucking for the last hour.

Where's Joseph Smith when you need him?

Oh I didn't...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/2012 04:58PM by bc.

Oh you did. You also received a small chuckle from my depressed self.

Good that's almost what I was after - I was more going for a cluckle - he he, get it cluckle...

Yeah, that's why my family rolls their eyes at me too...

lmao bc...chicken polyandry, baby! Fidget, you missed the opportunity to be the leader of a new chicken cult.

You have a heart 10 sizes too big with abundant room to love creatures of all kinds. I'm not surprised you're sad. You raised them and loved them, even if they were pretending to be chick chicks.

You remind me so much of my niece that if I didn't know the city where you live, I would be thinking you were her.

Thanks Surrender Dorothy. I hope that is a good thing :)

It's a fabulous thing! Your kindness warms up the board, and like I said the other day, you bring a lot of fun.

Thank you. That means a lot to me.

It's not about who you love, it's about your ability to love.

I love animals. LOVE'em. I know how you feel.

"It's not about who you love, it's about your ability to love."

I really like that blueorchid. That is a beautiful saying. I'm glad someone understands.

"It's not about who you love, it's about your ability to love."

just echoing it again

I loved my chickens.... loved them
Chickens are better than many people, they are. They contribute more than many people.

(hugs)

tried Craig's List? I got my chickens off there



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/2012 05:02PM by mindlight.

Thanks mindlight. I'll have to look on there. I agree that they a better than many people. They have quite the personalities. I miss the other three terribly.

Honestly, I know this is insain, but if you really want some I can probably round 1 or 2 up. Are you in or near slc? My sister has chickens and so do several of her friends, I can put the word out for you just lemme know.

Or check this out!

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=231&cat=113&category=104

I live in southern Utah. If I can't find any down here, I may just take you up on that.

There is something about nurturing an animal who needs your help. I'm not a mom so it helps me to get in touch with my nurturing side. I imagine it would be hard to let go.

I got it!!!

lol... :)

So, why couldn't you keep one male to keep the hen happy? Isn't a rooster essential to the whole egg-producing process?

All I know about roosters comes from Foghorn Leghorn, so I know squat about poultry :-)

Hens lay eggs without roosters. Roosters ftilize the eggs and keep the hens a little happier. Unfortunately city ordinances state no roosters unless you are already grandfathered in. I would have loved to keep all of them(not possible they were starting to fight, but at least one), but I couldn't.

Well, the things you learn on RfM!

I live in a city (Fair Oaks, CA) that has wild chickens, and city law forbids anyone from harming them. It's a lot of fun to watch them wander around the old downtown area.

One day when I was leaving for work, I found a solid black chicken resting on the roof of the car! She startled me and we both panicked for half a second, but then I talked softly to her and she calmed down long enough for me to pick her up, pet her once or twice, and set her on the ground.

You only need a rooster if you are TBM.

j/k

Better your hen is stressed and unhappy than entertained by three cocks every night...

They weren't old enough to 'entertain' and I'd rather have her be a whore than have them all gone.

Were they crowing?

I know my mom was upset when one of her chicks turned out to be a rooster and she was going to have to give him away, until the day he started trying to figure out how to crow. Then she was much less sad...

Yes all three were crowing. I actually love that sound.

Well then I guess that's not helpful...

I hope you can find some more friends for your hen.

Both my mother and MIL had chickens for a few years and were so heart-broken when they died, they couldn't bring themselves to have any more.

When I was four, My first pet was a chicken named chippy.

We lived in town, not on a farm. This chicken was a true pet. She would follow me everywhere. I used to take her down the slide, she loved it.

My grandfather came to visit, and made chippy into Sunday dinner. I learned to intensely dislike him from that day forward.

Sounds like what my dad did to 'Charlie,' who was the cow I picked out. Dad brought Charlie home and butchered him on the table in front of my three year old eyes.

But we live half around the world from you. Couldn't you get some fertilized eggs and hatch them? The chickens are adorable and they imprint on you aswell. Ofcourse, you'll have to get rid of the males once again...

I've thought about that, but there is that chance of having roosters again and not knowing until I'm already attached to them. We've got to get her company though so we might just have to do that and hope for the best.