May 1, 2021

Chicken News


Our Dominique hens are now residing in Dan's chicken tractor. You may recall we initially moved them in as chicks. We had twelve chicks, however, so they quickly outgrew the chicken tractor and were moved into the chicken coop. Turned out nine of those twelve were roosters. We kept one and thought all was well until a hawk or owl got the rooster. Then a neighboring allowed-to-roam dog killed one of our three hens, so we're down to two. 

Our ideal number of chickens is six hens plus a rooster, so I looked around for more chicks. I finally found a breed we liked at our family-owned feedstore. 


These little gals are Speckled Sussex, one of Dan's favorite breeds. I was hoping for another batch of straight run (unsexed), but all that was offered was pullets. These come with a 90% guarantee of correct sexing, so I'm hoping we got at least one cockerel in the bunch! We need a rooster! I've got them in the house for now, and will move them to a brooder box in the chicken coop when they get a little bigger.

The other chicken news involves our neighbor. The other night I went out onto the kitchen porch and heard loud crackling and popping. I looked outside toward the noise and saw a humongous ball of fire next door. One of our neighbor's chicken coops was on fire. 

Dan and I ran over as fast as we could to help. The little building was made of plywood and pallets, and had created a ferocious blaze. My neighbor was hysterical and crying "They're in there! They're in there!" Someone had the garden hose going, but the water pressure was so low it wasn't making much of an effect. Fortunately, these neighbors have an above ground swimming pool, so I grabbed the nearest container to dump water on the adjacent chicken houses, while Dan started shoveling dirt to smother the spread of the fire. Miraculously, we were able to keep the fire from spreading to the other two little wooden chicken coops and the trees overhead. 

Turns out she had just moved 30 new chicks from the house into the coop. The extension cord for the heat lamp was apparently faulty and started the fire. The cord itself was burned about halfway to the house. The adult chickens survived because they were out in the yard, but all the chicks were lost. My neighbor was devastated. All I could do was give her a big hug. We don't plan for bad things to happen, but they do anyway, and we always feel responsible. Unfortunately, bad things happening are a fact of life.

As you can imagine, I was extremely careful to check our heat lamp and extension cord when I set up for our new chicks. They're about a week old now, so they'll stay in the house until they outgrow their tote. Then we'll set them up in a brooder box in the chicken coop. We can anticipate them starting to lay in September. In the meantime, I'll have to adjust our diet to what two hens can produce. 

21 comments:

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Leigh - How horrible for your neighbors, and completely unforeseen. I am sure if they had the slightest idea it was actually a risk they would have completely checked extension (reason 545 why I am, in general, not a cord fan).

But yes, sometimes bad things happen and we cannot do a thing about it.

Gorges Smythe said...

Sometimes it's like Hee-Haw, "If it weren't fer bad news..."

daisy g said...

I'm so sorry for your neighbors' chicks. Glad you were able to lend a hand. At least they still have some of their flock.

Dan's chicken tractor is very impressive! He could sell those as a sideline.

Have a lovely weekend!

Leigh said...

TB, ordinary well-meaning folks don't plan to have accidents, that's for sure. Sad reminders that our world isn't perfect.

Gorges, it's a good reminder to count our blessings.

Daisy, I was glad too. They were so stunned that they were just standing there when we ran up. It seemed our action stirred them to action, so the situation was prevented from being worse.

SmartAlex said...

That's awful! A year ago a friend lost his whole horse barn that way along with boarder's horses.

But on the happy news - we had a Speckled Sussex once and she was the smartest, friendliest chicken ever. Her name was Sparrow and she would go on walks with my husband. Sometimes you'll get an unidentified rooster, but never when you really really want one.

Leigh said...

Alex, what a great story about your Speckled Sussex! Our's was named "Sister" and she would follow Dan to where he was milling pine trees. He'd peel off the bark and she'd feast on pine bark beetle larvae. She was killed by two roaming dogs and sorely missed.

wyomingheart said...

Yes, it is part of what life gives us, but it is still so very devastating. Quick action from you and Dan, certainly did prevent a bad situation from becoming worse! It is amazing how emergency situations can make some folks have feet that are stuck in muck, and they just stand and watch. We have been faced with that type of reaction, many times, as we both retired from government, and have witnessed many emergency situations reactions. Glad you and Dan were there! Still love that chicken tractor! It’s perfect! Have a good weekend!

Nancy In Boise said...

Sad about the fire, what can you do. We always have our chicks inside in the house to watch the heat, etc. Atleast they didn't lose all of them or their house.

Leigh said...

Wyomingheart, now that you mention it, I remember studying about that in an emergency management course in nursing school. I'm just glad Dan and I were able to help. We've had a dry spell, so if the fire had spread to the other two chicken houses or the trees overhead, it could have gotten wildly out of control in a hurry.

Nancy, that's very true. It could have been worse in so many ways. Lots to be thankful for in spite of the tragedy.

Lady Locust said...

I sure do miss my birds. I might figure out a way and place to put them, but this isn't a great place for them. Glad no greater loss from the fire. That is scary no matter how large or small!

Cockeyed Jo said...

I honestly like raising broods in the summer... no heat lamps required.

Leigh said...

Lady Locust, chickens add so much fun and usefulness to our lives! But you do need a good place to keep them.

Jo, it's too bad they don't sell chicks in summer. Actually, I prefer to let mama hens raise them! But, not having a hen interested in being a mama is the reason we got them in the first place.

tpals said...

I'm sorry you lost your rooster. My parents have had to 'disappear' a neighbor's dog that developed a taste for chicken.

Leigh said...

Tpals, thanks. This one will experience something similar if the opportunity arises.

Mama Pea said...

You've had such heartache from the dogs around you that are allowed to roam. Such frustration! Those neighbors who had the unfortunate fire owe you and Dan big time. I know you don't feel that way but it could have been even more of a disaster if you two hadn't taken charge. We get out first (of two) batch of chicks this week and will be all the more vigilant now about their brooder set-up and heat lamp. For sure!

Renee Nefe said...

When I was a kid our neighbor had set up a chicken brooder box in an old window unit air conditioner box that was still attached to their house in the window. I don't know why they did this. It caught fire from the heat lamp, killed the chicks and almost burned down the house. The chicks were the ones they used to sell at feed stores that were dyed for Easter. Lucky for us they didn't ever try to raise any other animals.

Leigh said...

Mama Pea, unfortunately, that's true. We live just outside of town limits, so technically there's no leash law. So a few folks let their dogs run freely. We fenced our garden to keep roaming dogs out, but they still come up the driveway. Guess what the next project on the list is - a gate!

Renee, that is really tragic. Kind of seems beyond dumb, but I've made my own dumb mistakes; thankfully, nothing deadly.

Ed said...

Heat lamps and space heaters always make me as nervous as a fox in a hen house, pun intended. We used to use heat lamps in our farrowing building but it was all concrete, stainless steel and pig and so not much to burn if one shorted out.

Leigh said...

Ed, concrete and steel would definitely be the safest. I always like to think I'm careful, but something like that makes one rethink and double-check everything.

Chris said...

I feel bad for your neighbours. Those hard lessons, hurt. No way around it. Just reminds us to be more vigilant next time. I'm glad some chickens were saved, thanks to your quick response. I will have to check out Dan's chicken tractor build. They look great!

Leigh said...

Chris, so good to hear from you! Yes, these lessons are always hard. But a good reminder to not get lax or take things for granted.