Silkies are some of the cutest and friendliest chickens, not to mention fantastic brooders of eggs from all breeds. I'm sorry you were so attached and had to experience that loss. Chickens do get into your psyche and we hate to say goodbye to them. We invite crows and ravens to nest hear us and they, in turn, repel hawks very well. I do name my chickens... oh, number 72 just went past the kitchen window :) This showed up as a recommended video, a coffee break well spent, thank you.
I remember when I lost my first chicken, I took it so hard. Now I realize it's a part of the cycle of life. Experiencing death on the homestead has a way of connecting you to your own mortality too. Thanks for sharing!
A tough topic, and thank you for addressing it so honestly. We easily forget our darker responsibilities. I recently adopted a teenager that wanted to bow-hunt, and came up with the equipment to do so. I imposed two rules (beyond ones regarding safety): He had to shoot to kill, and he had to dress and eat whatever he shot. He decided to use targets instead.
Jamie so sorry to hear about Gary he will be missed by us too your followers. I am sure making this video was hard but I am so glad you did because what you said is 100% true. As homesteaders ourselves there has been times when we had to deal with a accidental death on the farm and we have to be papered to do what is right for that animal. No matter how secured the farm is there are still once in a blue moon when something happens. Again, so sorry
This might be odd to some but every-time I slaughter one of our livestock I have my own little ritual to keep my mind at peace before, during, and afterwards. First I spend some extra time with the animal days and even weeks leading up to the big day, I give them extra treats, thank them endlessly and always meditate near them. Then the day of I play soothing music (more so for me I guess) I pray for the animal in my own way thanking them for their sacrifice so that I may prosper, I tell them how grateful I am to have them in my life and I ALWAYS make sure my tools are the sharpest they can possibly be, "I sharp knife is a humane knife" my uncle always said. Then lastly I make sure to use EVERY part of the animal not letting anything go to waste, whatever parts i won't use or go to better use else where I pass on free such as giving all the feathers to my local tribe after slaughtering my turkey this year for Thanksgiving, and asking them to teach me how to make homemade carved bone buttons. The point for me is making sure to always show my appreciation every step of the way and to make sure that animal had the most comfortable life before I took that life for my own gain.
I love that you do this. I think if others don't do it already I think they should. It shows deep care for your livestock and shows that you really do appreciate their life. Thank you for sharing this. May you have a beautiful day ❤
Reminds of a Jewish law I heard. In order for a kosher slaughter to be done, the knife must be so sharp that when you run your fingernails up and down the blade you can't feel a single even tiny imperfection. It can take up to 2 hours to sharpen a blade like that.
very true Jamie...my Dad let my brother and I name animals, but with the understanding that they're food, and there can be accidents happen too! Now my Mom and Hubby at times say I'm Cold, because it's easier for me to put an animal down except for 2 of our horses I couldn't do that! I seen the love you guys had for your silky, and seeing you guys raise it, that was a sad video after his bath/spa treatment, but this is life choices that need to be made, and people need to know about all aspects of life on a farm! you did a great job speaking on this topic... TY for doing this! 😞😞😞
Spent most of my life managing dairy farms. It is hard to lose animals that you raise. I have a small flock of chickens and last year I lost my best layer to a weasel. Seems like the more you do to protect them, the unthinkable happens. Thanks for your honesty in this video. Blessings.
I'm so sorry for the loss of Gary! I am a homesteader prepper myself. When I started I didn't know how attached I could get to chickens. The loss of my first bird, Polly, was heartbreaking. I'm glad you were able to do right by the bird even though it was difficult. I have a white silkie just like Gary named Barb. She is such a sweetheart. RIP Gary.
Sorry for your loss and sharing with us what happened. It is a sad part of life. You handled it with great respect and dignity. I hope you and your family are doing well.
Never easy. Your right on. It is a teaching/learning moment, one to share, and tears to shed. Remember the happy moments...sorry for the loss. You did the responsible thing and it is NOT easy.
i respect you for being honest about the complexity of these issues. I think our ancestors developed emotional and spiritual ways of dealing with these things that we have to rediscover if we move back into a direct relationship with nature.
I really appreciate ur vid for what it took for you to do it on the very day of the event but also your thoughtfulness in sharing the info to help others. I know how difficult it is when any type of animal bird reptile whatever is a pet especially. It is so true that many don't consider such things when there are do many other types of things chores etc involved in homesteading ranching farming etc. I've faced it many times with beloved pets and others and it's never easy but necessary. Thx!
I have never heard anyone speak so beautifully on such a dark and difficult subject . I wish I could go back and have this talk with my daughter again after she lost her bunny . I think it would have been easier after seeing this . Great video !
It's not so much the how but , the mind set . You have to think in terms of putting a much loved friend to rest . To relieve pain . To set a hard moment right . It's NEVER easy but at times needed .
Homesteaders need to prepare the children as well as the adults - all who live or participate in the homestead. You did a great job speaking about a difficult, but real, issue.
We don't have any animals yet, but have been considering them. My husband grew up with chickens, so he is a bit more prepared for this sort of thing than I am....but certainly I am working on the mental preparation via videos like yours. Thank you so much for always being very *real* about homesteading....and bless you and your family as you take a moment to honor your lovely silkie and the difficulty in having to ease her over the rainbow bridge.
To put a loved one out of hopeless misery is a selfless gift of love. It's especially hard with animals that grow fond in your heart (a family dog, etc), but nothing compared to having to put down (assisted suicide) a family member you love. In some ways we treat animals better than humans. Life and death are a vital part of nature, much more evident to those that work the land.
Thanks for sharing, Jaime. That was a sensitively delivered talk describing the realities of "the cycle or circle of life." Shockingly, I had virtually the same experience except we lost 4 silkies at once and my youngest of 3 homeschooling boys came in holding silky organs in each hand with tears streaming. Unfortunately, I had opened up the chicken tractor at dawn--just a little too early because the corpuscular hunting resident owl family had been watching. My husband was working out of the country and it was all me with the boys and animals. Our chickens (buff cochins) were fine, as were the guinea fowl, but the silkies' were all decapitated. My lesson was that I rushed to do something that should have waited or alternatively, I should have already built a second chicken tractor. Several years later we had an entire colony of honey bees go through collapse; although they were "just bees" it was infuriating that we had no answers as to why (and still don't). I hope to go back to homesteading out of Tiny Home...I grew up in 4-H and the last of my son's has just left home (husband of 30 years divorced me and remarried 6 months later). However, I no longer own the 5 acres and would like to be in an area of like-minded people or a group that would welcome a returning mid-life, nature enthusiast, Tiny Home-steader with skills and experience. For those going through decision making, I homeschooled our eldest from 1st grade (he was diagnosed with ADHD and I didn't like the impact of meds...he successfully went off to university and is now halfway through med-school; middle had about half homeschooling and combo of public and private, as did the youngest. Middle is in nursing school and youngest just finished USMC bootcamp and SOT/MCT and is training to be a helicopter mechanic for his enlistment period of 6 yrs. At present I work at NIH in MD, but will be leaving shortly...deciding on whether to go back to Oregon (spent 11 years there when the boys were young) or find a welcoming place in NC or perhaps DE, unless my eldest convinces me that the Arizona mountains really are a place I could not melt. If anyone knows of a community looking for a very well-educated (including in practical life-enhancing nutrition and natural medicine), I'd love to hear from you. Take good care and hold each other through those rough times...the kiddos will run off soon enough. Chris
I wouldn't feel bad about the owl and letting the birds out early. We have seen owls hunt in the middle of the day. I hope you find what you are looking for in a community and in a place you will enjoy. Best of luck!
Chris Hafner-Eaton Good for you. I live in Canada and my kids are nearly grown, I just turned 47 and I desperately want to move someplace that I can be close to the land again. Before I had kids I lived off grid & it was some of the happiest times of my life. Wouldn't it be great to have a community of like minded ladies. Best of luck to you.
My condolences for you & your family. Losing a pet is so hard and having to put one down to stop its suffering is almost impossible. I had to put my dog down earlier this year and it's been the hardest thing I've ever had to go through.
I've definitely been there, and it was a hard but important lesson to learn. It really can quickly come to a point were inaction in inhumane, and you need to be prepared. I think the next time will be easier emotionally. Not easy, just easier. I doubt it ever gets easy. Good video, great message. Thank you for sharing in a time of pain.
We lost several of our chickens to a predator. It was not only upsetting for us but it really traumatised the remaining chickens to the point that they wouldn't go back into the hen house at night and choose instead to sleep on the roof of the house despite my husband's best efforts to get them down and tucked away safely at night. (They were allowed to roam free during the daytime). Eventually we caught a possum and a raccoon and the killing stopped. To add insult to injury the predators only killed the chickens and never ate them. You do your best but unfortunatly it's all part of the cycle of nature. Thank you for sharing.
Your Compassion is Commendable, and that's what life in all about .An Animal that is raised by someone with your Compassion is an Animal that had or has a Great Life. I have just started viewing You Series of Videos and this One has Convinced me Im on the right page
Perhaps the most important information about homesteading and life in general. There is life and there will be death. I hunt raised birds pigs and cows. Treat all with respect and keep suffering to a minimum. You did the right thing.
The human condition God has graced us with gives us the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Thank you Jaime for sharing your story of the often cruel(or at least from our viewpoint)- nature of things. Your love of creatures covers the whole gamut from living to dying and how caregivers are a part of that love. Blessings on you and yours.
I felt wrong giving this a thumbs up because of Gary, but it is important that we see and learn all aspects. I could see it was not easy for you, but you did what was best for Gary.
Thank you for sharing such important information. I am new to Homesteading and I have named all my 5 (Girls) Hens and I was searching for Silkies. This is when I found all of your videos. I am sorry about Gary and I am sure it was so hard. Thinking about you all.
So far, I have not had to do the deed. I've been involved in the butchery process, but have not been the one to take the life. I do feel a bit responsible and sad, especially when I'm the primary one raising the birds. But I think it does give me more respect for my food. And it helps to know that they had a good life up to that point. I almost feel worse if a predator wounds or takes one of my girls, because I was not able to ensure that they had a quick end.
We're so sorry for your loss! Gary was the cutest sweetest silky, we'll miss seeing him on your videos :(. We're aspiring homesteaders and the reality of death on the homestead is a topic that we really haven't focused on enough. Thank you for opening our eyes to such an important topic. About the pain and loss most of us feel when losing a beloved animal...I think for us, after having put down several pets we adored, we've noticed that the pain never seems to go away or lessen in intensity, BUT, but the duration of the mourning seems to lessen a bit each time, so in that respect it has gotten easier. What has helped us the most with coping, is focusing on how happy they were while alive, reminding ourselves that we gave them lives filled with love, care and fun. Most importantly, we believe putting them "to sleep" or ending their lives to stop suffering is an act of mercy (when healing them is an impossibility). Not sure the coping would be so easy if a beloved animal was taken by a predator...that's really hard. Our biggest hesitation is even attempting to take an animal's life for food. Any advice on how to deal w/ the aftermath of killing an animal for those of us who have never hunted or processed an animal? Not sure we're cut out for that, but would like to be.
I think the mental process is the same as you mentioned in focusing on the life you gave them. If you choose to be a meat-eater, then you are taking a life no matter what. It is better to eat an animal that you raised (or allowed that animal to be raised naturally as in a hunting scenario) rather than one that has had no life but a cage or pen. That is how we justify it. It is really all about how you mentally approach it. Good luck and thank you for the kind words
I have had dozens of northern harrier attacks and none of my chickens died. I had a few nasty looking wounds but was able to irrigate debris out of the wounds. One had a thigh muscle removed and another had her back of neck split from her head down to the back. I was absolutely amazed what seperation/stress free environment, free choice food, water and plenty of air shade/sunshine does. All of them recovered within 72 hours and with a couple weeks couldn't even see wounds. The one with the missing thigh muscle evolved to where you can't even see it limp at all. It's muscles strengthened in such a way it balanced out. It was amazing. I have a pretty wild resilient breed tho. Not sure how all chickens would fare. I'd recommend assessing each attack differently. If they look like they want to survive give them essentials and let them try to heal. They are amazing healers if you provide those essentials I mentioned. You don't need fancy poultry disinfectants or anything. You could add medicinal herbs and garlic to water and food but that's it. The neck injury girl is amazing now and she remembers that I saved her. My first instinct was to snap her neck to put her out of her misery because the neck wound looked gruesome but it was really just a large clean open wound that closed up lightning fast. about 3 inches long and neck width wide all the way to the neck bone. closed up all by itself in 3 days. Use your judgement. Something are obviously mortal but chickens are tough. They want to survive and it's good to breed the survivor genetics if you are a breeder
Oh Jamie. So sorry for your loss. Being the one to put an animal out of their misery is tough. You are a strong loving person for taking on the responsibility. Thank you for being so sharing with the ups and downs. We are learning a lot from you. Peace.
It wasn't easy, but it is unfortunately part of the deal when it comes to homesteading. I thought it was important to bring awareness to those who may be getting into homesteading. Thank you for watching
I have a personality disorder that gives me more intense emotional reactions than is typical and I have to say you spoke on this difficult topic very well. This is a subject I've been not thinking about as I have begun researching with the intent to set up silkie chicken keeping at some point. But living near woods like I do I'm sure I'm going to run into predation mishaps, so thank you for making this easier to think about!
A neighbor of mine has psudo-burbo-affect. He has a difficult time making, and keeping friends. Tell him a silly joke and he can't stop laughing until he cries. If he gets mad he gets disproportionately angry. So Jimmy, your not alone. In fact your quite common.
Growing up my dad would put a guinea fowl in with the chickens. They will make a lot of noise when a predator is around and give you an early heads up. We had issues with Raccoons, foxes, Red Tail Hawks, and skunks. The Guineas worked well at keeping them at bay and making a lot of noise when one was around.
We may be able to have some guineas at our next place, but we are still in the burbs and they are a bit too noisy for this location. Good idea though! Thanks for suggesting
I'm the dispatcher at my homestead. It's a terrible thing but it does get easier. You seem more disappointed about the hawk getting your chicken? One thing to remember There's no guarantee on a homestead or life for that matter! You can pencil out everything play by all the rules and still end up with a disaster at the end of it all! People are after adventure and we fool ourselves thinking if we have 100% control everything will fine! When in reality we have very little control and if we did it wouldn't be an adventure!
thank you for posting! i am sorry for your loss. I had a similar situation and I thought my husband would take care of it, but it wasn't so and I had to take the responsibility. was not easy and I was somewhat traumatized. new homesteaders do need to know all areas of having animals.
You can't live anywhere with those pred birds & a small animal unless you have a lead & otherwise have it under a wire net area to stop the pred from descending, I used to have a rabbit in a home with a balcony in a city & people asked me why I wouldent let on the balcony & guard it & I said because the peregrines in the area would grab anything higher up & that included small dogs, most people did not even know, different preds go for different prey at differing heights,. for example red kites will swoop for fried chicken but not for little dogs or cats, if u live in an area with hawks its terrible sad but you know the score, mother nature does not stop & the animal would of suffered because you did not ensure its safety.
So true. Death is a fact of life and the modern world hides these realities to most people.... nature is also cruel, never know when a predator is going to kill or seriously wound your animals. Thanks for the video!
We have lost two hens in the past few months. Now we have just one. She has since become a pet. A few weeks back a fox attempted to take her . Again we heard a noise in the garden. The fox ran off as we came out. The hen is being nursed back to health, she had a bite taken out of her back. Hens are very easy to become attached to. Good luck with the homestead from sunny Somerset in England. Great channel.
Yes one thing I learned as a kid on the farm is not to name your food it makes it much harder to eat them when you do. We had 2 huge pigs that we knew were being raised for food, and when it was time to take them to slaughter we were happy for the food in the freezer. I at 6-7 years old looked after those pigs. On the other hand I went with my dad to buy 2 calves and I named them Fred and Wilma, Fred got castrated and when they were about 2 years old my parents had decided to take them to slaughter I was absolutely heartbroken so now if there is any potential that an animal might become food they only get named after meals, breakfast lunch dinner, second breakfast etc.
I just wanted to squeeze you when I watched this. We are putting down a young cat today that we have nursed for the last week. We thought he was gonna pull through but today it became apparent that wasn't the case. My heart is broken but it is what has to happen sometimes.
Jaime I'm really sorry about Gary. Thank you for being responsible and putting an end to the suffering of him. When homesteading, it's never easy when there's an unforseen death. Even though you try not to become attached to your livestock, you are a steward of them and you vest a lot of time in them. There is a bond. Homesteading animals is totally different than the mass market of herding animals in for the slaughter and being cold hearted about it. Thank you for sharing this, especially for new or potential homesteaders. Blessings
We are sorry for your loss. we also have a Suburban Homestead. And just processed out a set of chickens.. it was not that easy for me and just to let you know I am a hunter but when it came to doing this it was hard. But this is all part of homesteading and we have come to love this lifestyle and can't wait until we can do it on a full time base. I am happy that we have stumbled upon your channel please keep the good work ..
Yeah I think people who don't homestead may not understand that hunting and processing game feels much different than a situation like this where you have raised the animal from birth as a pet. There is less of a connection to wild game that you are hunting specifically as a food source so it may seem "easier".
This is a very good discussion topic. There has to be a disconnect in order to be a responsible caretaker of poultry or any other farm animal that is mortally harmed or sick. We've had to dispatch chicks that we hatched that were deformed or had bad legs that couldn't be fixed. That's a lot harder for me emotionally than harvesting grown chickens and turkeys. I'm sorry for the loss of Gary and the pain your family had to endure due to a predator. tfs
+LilBit AtATime I haven't had to dispatch chicks yet, just had to bury one that a snake already strangled. It's a good thing to be aware of. Thanks for contributing to the topic
Even though I am only 14 I have gotten used to the idea of death from livestock to family at the point I’m at I’m just disappointed that something or someone died while it is still upsetting it’s just one of those things that is bound to happen
Growing up on a farm with every kind of livestock there is and all the barn cats and dogs that are just a part of it all you get to see everything. I was six and my dad was in Vietnam and I had to kill some kittens that were inbred and weren't right at all, I remember one had 5 legs. My mom couldn't do it so I did it for her and as hard as it was I understood it had to be done. So that's a life's lesson I learned very early, that is doing the hard things like it or not, but here is another life lesson that grew more and more through the years and that is how to appreciate life everyday in general. Appreciate and care for the life of everything that exists. Love and take good care for what you have while you have it, and accept and go on when their gone. With me it extended to people as well because tomorrow is not promised to anything or any one. I've put down a few animals and pets and butchered as well, of course, but really it all teaches something about life and our existence that nothing else can teach and no words can describe. I think it also made me fierce against predators (probably bullies too) especially when you see something like a coyote carrying off your bread and butter. Silkies are beautiful and I'm sorry you had to do that but yeah, it's good you gave a heads up to any who want to venture onto a homestead. But there's no living or even understanding what life is really all about until you grow and raise your own food and experience all that everyday has to offer, the lows as well as the highs. It's the only way of life that keeps it real. God Bless you and yours.
I guess my mother is just like yours. Decisions and actions were always left for me to take since so early but, although I became strong (because there was no other option) it has always been so tough...
Daniel, I don't know you and I just randomly put this video in my "watch later" list because it seemed interesting, but you made such an eloquent point that can be applied to life in general. Thank you and blessings to you for reminding us all.
Daniel, I don't know you and I just randomly put this video in my "watch later" list because it seemed interesting, but you made such an eloquent point that can be applied to life in general. Thank you and blessings to you for reminding us all.
I had to put down a mouse my cat caught once when i was a young teen. its stayed with me all these years. i phone my ex forces dad for advice on how to make it swift and painless. it may sound silly but every life is worth something. thanks for sharing your experience. :) Shropshire, england here. x
I've had chickens, ducks, turkies, rabbits for years. And I unfortunately loose a few every year. And at times I have to dispatch them. like you, I live in the woods. All I have to say is no matter if the animals are for pets or food, if you didn't feel any remorse, then I would think that you weren't human and don't deserve animals. Hope I said this right!!
Great topic it's hard for many farmers homesteaders my uncle would trade chicken cattle pigs with 2 other farmers it was cause they all had kids the would send "Bessie" to Abe's farm Kids get attached so rotating the animals to other farms they would harvest meat for the other. It was good & kept it from kids to old enough to understand
So sorry about the sweet silkie😔I have lost a few to hawks, one day my husband and I were literally scaring the hawks away with garbage cans and we are not in the country.
We lost 10 chickens in one day with our first flock, 3 separate animal attacks (coyote, owl or hawk, and likely bobcat). We made the fence higher, the coop more secure, and ran fishing line all over the top. Our second flock we didn't have secure enough and we lost 8 babies to a hawk in one month. A ninth was scalped, but she lived and is doing fine, though I'm not sure she'll ever grow feathers there. We do name our animals and birds, unless there are too many lookalikes to identify them. It doesn't matter, either way their early demise is sad.
We moved to our dream home on 11/20/16. We have 6.8 wooded acres. My goal is to have pet ducks (five females, and one drake added six months later.) I am doing everything I can to be sure that my ducks will be predator proof. I am doing the research and watching the difficult videos (i.e. slaughtering chickens for the dinner table) to make sure I can handle it. I really thank you for posting this video. Clearly, it wasn't easy for you. Please know that someone was listening... BEFORE I get any animals. My condolences. Sending love and hugs.
You must be so thrilled right now to be on your dream property! Congratulations! As for the video, I am glad it helped you. It is a tough subject, but an important one to be prepared for. Good luck on your homestead
Now that we're *finally* here... homesteading seems a lot more scary, lol. We decided to start with gardening! One step at a time. Thank you for the encouragement!
As a keeper of many kinds of chickens and person that doesn't mind too much to eat my own animals I can say that you can have compassion during their lifetime AND during the process of killing, prepping and eating them. The death and butchering process doesn't have to be a macho thing and could be explained with compassion to children. Though their presence is up to you, I started helping my dad at the age of 8 or 10 I think.
Great video. I have lost 3 hens in the last two months. One got her head caught under the coop door, the other two were egg bound. Dispute my efforts to help the two hens lay their eggs, they did not make it. My hens are considered older, the are 2 1/2 yrs old. I never thought about the 'dark' side when I got my cute chicks. Also important for new chicken keepers, is to have a first aide kit for your flock.
+Blissfully Frugal Yes the first aid kit is really important. We used ours for the first hawk attack (ripped comb and cracked beak). I'm sorry about your chickens too :0(
Being raised on a farm it was nothing taking a cow or pig to the butcher. About 10 years ago i took a butcher class, my first was a Pig wasn't to emotional but the cow was maybe because of the size of the animal it's like wow you took the life of this large animal. That passed with time. My kids have grown to be inquisitive when I'm butchering something and know where their food comes from.
It is so sad and hard to deal with. Ironically, just 15 minutes after watching this video, I hear a commotion outside my studio window and I looked to see all my chickens running top speed up the hill. Horses were alarmed and crows went crazy. I was on my feet and out the door WITH my dogs in a flash. It looked like a coyote from what I saw before my dogs had it on the run. My Buff Brahma, Olive, was on her back and I thought dead but no, I gave her a few minutes and she was still breathing. I think she was in shock. She had a big area of feather loss on her belly but no blood. She has eaten and has drank water. Very wobbly and shaken pus some funny noises from her throat but no blood. I hope that she will pull through. She is 4 years old and no longer lays eggs but she was my first chicken and I am not ready to lose her. I love, love your channel, I found it yesterday and have watched many of your videos. Thank you so much for sharing your life!
Thank you! So far so good but she is very quiet. The animal came back twice. I caught it right outside the coop broad daylight. neighbor set traps for me. it looked sick and starving.
I'm sorry for your loss. This is the part of homesteading that we aren't sue we can do. I'm a homesteader want to be, so I'm starting with gardening and preserving. :) Thank you for sharing the realities of homesteading.
Thanks for talking about this, it's probably not something that people may always think about when wanting to start a homestead with animals. I think it would be good to have a plan of how you will take care of situations like this. I also agree with what you said about not waiting for your spouse to get home to take care of it so you don't let the animal suffer. I hope your week gets better!
thank you for the video Jamie. very helpful and good advice. it's very hard. I'm sorry you lost your chicken nature can be so cruel. thanks for all the tips because I am hoping one day to have a homestead one day. it's a big dream for me an my family.
we have hogs right now. 6 of them. would love to hear more about pigs. I love all the advice and information I can get.we have 6hogs we are just starting out 6months of hog farming I hope to grow bigger and move and have my own property. right now we try to provide healthy quality pig meat to our community. we are about to have our first liter of pigs in April or may. very excited. I just subscribed to you I love watching family homesteading. very cool. it's not all easy but it's a really cool and rewarding lifestyle. I feel. thank you so much. I will stay tuned and try to catch up to you. thanks for sharing an do you raise pigs at all?
I'm so sorry for your family's loss. Do you have guinea hens ? If not , they may help prevent any potential further predator attacks. Or so I've observed.
I had a white leghorn hen I fell in love with. She followed me around and would cuddle when I sat down on the back steps. She died of old age. Other chickens we used for meat but not her. Mable. I buried her when she died.
I'm sad to hear about Gary. My Mom had a huge white rooster that we called "the white turkey." I moved away, and one night had a horrible nightmare. I was the white turkey, and I was going to be killed. I called my mother. Yes, they had killed the white turkey the day before. I was especially upset because, not being a young bird, he wouldn't even have been much good to eat. It was a blow.
I heard a rooster kept with chickens can make a difference. Rooster warns, protects chickens and fight hawks or other predators to death, often loosing it's own life! But I'm not a farmer, I read this on the net few years ago.
Seen a video on YT, how the rooster gives warning to chickens when predator is around. Chickens responded right away by running into the barn. In this case a large bird, eagle? was gliding around above. In another video, hawk got hold of a rooster, but after while hawk just gave up and flew off. Rooster was unharmed.
This was really good to hear. I mean, sad to hear, but when you are awaiting your first batch of new little chicks you aren't thinking about the other side ..and you really kinda need to be. THANK YOU!
It happens when you raise livestock. If it's a pet I think it depends how serious it's hurting, if it's hung up in a fence and mortally wounded or been have eaten by a predator, you need to dispatch it immediately.. If there is hope, get it to a vet, or call the vet if it's a horse or a cow.. It's a terrible hard thing to do, however, we have to put the animal first and ease the suffering.
My first exposure to you. My first impressions? I subscribed off this one video. It appears you are a hell of a lady, mother and wife. Just a guess. Now I get to see how I did. We are just starting our homestead but have the mindset to succeed in retirement. My wife will love learning from you also. Thank you.
One tip especially for kids is naming them food names so they do know. My hogs are bacon, pork chop, Ham bone, sausage. My daughter had a rabbit years ago that was named Stew. Anouther thing I heard from a friend is they would raise a calf so the kids are around it over a year before butchering is to swap it with anouther family at the locker so the kids are not eating there pet.
Adel Jeff, I remember some of our steers had names and they kept their names until they were completely consumed. My mom didn't like this but it didn't bother my sister or me.
Sorry you lost this Chicken and pet, I grew up on a farm and it is a way of life, Hard reality and one never gets over the fact that this happens. Thank you for this great video and just subbed.
When any of our pets die, in order to help my children deal with the death, we plant a fruit tree over their bodies when we bury them. My girls know that the pet's body will help to nourish the plant and will "become" part of a lasting valuable part of the planet. It doesn't erase the sadness, but it helps them to gain perspective on the circle that is life and death.
Wish I'd have found this video before I started my homestead. I've had some pretty awful deaths since I got here. I've had to put a rabbit out of its misery. I had 35 chickens taken by a hawk my first year. Where there is life, there is death. I finally stopped crying when things die. But I still feel the pain.
There have been a lot of contributions from others who mentioned situations that even I didn't think of, such as having to put down deformed chicks and the management of burying a large animal. It has been just as informative for me.
Guildbrook Farm | Simple Sustainable Living I keep my deformed chickens. I give them special treatment and separate them from the flock when it's time to hatch new babies(to keep bad eggs out). I give them silly names. I can't help myself. Life is important to me. And I allow them all to live it, even if it's hard. Eventually, crazy head must go to the freezer, maybe two years. But for these two years, her "crazy head" will be spoiled beyond belief. That's my choice. She may die before she stops making eggs.... If it happens, it happens, I bury "special" chickens near my orchard.
Crooked beak is already buried there. Killed by the hawk but prevented from being a meal by me. She has a large stone above her with her silly name carved in it.
About 3 weeks ago there was this baby antelope I kept seeing all around my property, alone. I just figured I was missing the mother showing up, until one morning I put my little boy down for a nap and went outside to fill a bucket I keep on the front walkway for the dogs to drink from. The antelope was off to the side and I got the feeling he was going to walk right up to me. Sure enough, it came right up, stopped, then kept walking past me. I thought at this point, if it's this desperate to come within 2 feet of me, it must be alone. I followed him and he didn't run, despite being again not 2 feet from him. He stopped walking, looked at me, so I reached out to see if I could pet him. When I raised my hand slightly, he blinked like I was going to poke him right in the eye. Hmm, maybe it doesn't have great vision. Again, I raised my hand & it pulled it's head back like I was really close to his eye, and blinked. At this point it started to walk, but looked drunk, like it didn't have good balance all of the sudden. That was when it fell over and had a full blown seizure, legs twitching, eyes, etc. I felt so terrible watching him going through that, and he wasn't even a pet. I grew up hunting, and thought about shooting it right there next to my driveway. But this just didn't seem right, it couldn't run away, and I couldn't bring myself to do it. He sat up and I offered him some comfort by stroking his coat, I'll never forget how rough and weird it felt! He laid there alert again, but didn't seem to mind at all. By the time that day was over I went out to find him and he was dead. My husband and I buried him near our chicken run and coop. Poor little fellow. Then yesterday I went to pick up a truckload of mulch and saw another antelope baby the second day in a row in the ditch, alone. It's weird how much this happens. Last year I was at a friends house around the corner and the same thing happened- a lone antelope baby was investigating us, considering coming up to us for help. Other than that I've had to put down a horse, and that was insanely difficult. He'd been in an accident and couldn't keep weight on due to the nature of the accident, so we had the vet out to put him down. Killed a few roosters too, but I was prepared for that, and they'd been flying up at my little boy so that wasn't hard. They needed to go.
Big hugs! Not everything can be unicorns and fairy dust. I feel like the animals around me are part of me in the metaphysical aspects. I have had to dispatch wounded pets and it was heart wrenching. This was a necessary lesson for my kids too. They are very aware of the responsibilities that come with bringing a stray animal home nowadays. Thanx for sharing this Jaime.
Dogs, goats, rabbits, cats, hens, even bees - they are difficult not to love, as pure, lovely life, and I've had an awful lot of deaths (from hawks, foxes, railways, cars, broken backs, hens pecking whole series of chicks to near-death (gah!), wasting sicknesses). It's our life with animals. But the hawks and foxes need to eat, too, and our dogs eat meat, and - most wild animals only live a few years (wolves, foxes, wild cattle, pheasants). We are giving them a lovely life for as long as we can...!!!
We have had both chickens and ducks that have been attacked and survived to live long lives because we chose not to put them down. I've seen deer get hit by cars, knocked unconscious, get up to hop away. These animals are more resilient than most people think. Think of the traumas humans have endured, and recovered from. It is definitely the call of the keeper, but I hope most homesteaders understand that and make the right call.
the first batch of chickens we got we named them, that was also the last time we named ANY of our animals aside from our cat and dog. Rule 1, don't get personal.
Thanks for sharing your story of homestead death. On my 1/3rd acre urban homestead we have lost 6 chickens this year. This first gal, "Red" was our first chicken death since beginning chicken raising 4 years ago, sour crop and our lack of knowledge to treat it early enough got her. I felt horrible cause she suffered and I learned that if this happens again, I need to step up take her life to end the misery. Our second gal, got crook or wry neck, which we tried to treat to no avail. After 3-4 weeks, her health was deminishing and she was starving so I put her down using dry ice asphyxiation. She didn't have a name except one of the Easter Eggers until this sickness and she was dubbed E-wry in her last weeks of life, which made the death harder but she was a pet after 3 year with us. The last most recent 4 were the most tragic as my wife came home to find 4 chickens slain. We determined it was our dogs as we are pretty protected from predators and they would've taken the chickens with. 3 of the gals were raised from chicks, one of which my wives favorite hen, Nessa-Rose. The worse was our poor silkie roo, Beauty, who was half ate, poor guy was just trying to protect his gals. Worse part is now we can't trust our dogs around the birds without keeping an eye on them. We had them all free ranging together. The culprit was most likely my old beagle Lady Bird who is going senile, 16 yrs old. Thanks again and yes, death will come and us homesteaders better be prepared for it.
That is a horrific story and I am so very sorry to hear it. Thank you for sharing it so we can all have a better perspective on things that could happen. It may save some heartache.
Yes it is important to discuss this with kids as well prior to getting animals and, of course, when an incident does happen. Ours got through it very well and are (more) ready for dual-purpose birds now.
Silkies are some of the cutest and friendliest chickens, not to mention fantastic brooders of eggs from all breeds. I'm sorry you were so attached and had to experience that loss. Chickens do get into your psyche and we hate to say goodbye to them. We invite crows and ravens to nest hear us and they, in turn, repel hawks very well. I do name my chickens... oh, number 72 just went past the kitchen window :) This showed up as a recommended video, a coffee break well spent, thank you.
It is all part of the deal. But I wanted to bring awareness to it since it isn't talked about much. Thanks for watching
I remember when I lost my first chicken, I took it so hard. Now I realize it's a part of the cycle of life. Experiencing death on the homestead has a way of connecting you to your own mortality too. Thanks for sharing!
A tough topic, and thank you for addressing it so honestly. We easily forget our darker responsibilities.
I recently adopted a teenager that wanted to bow-hunt, and came up with the equipment to do so. I imposed two rules (beyond ones regarding safety): He had to shoot to kill, and he had to dress and eat whatever he shot. He decided to use targets instead.
One of the most level headed discussions about the reality of homesteading/farm life that i've heard in some time. It's not for the faint of heart.
Because you have a heart, you have compassion, you have empathy. It's what makes you a beautiful person :-) God Bless Your Homestead.
Jamie so sorry to hear about Gary he will be missed by us too your followers. I am sure making this video was hard but I am so glad you did because what you said is 100% true. As homesteaders ourselves there has been times when we had to deal with a accidental death on the farm and we have to be papered to do what is right for that animal. No matter how secured the farm is there are still once in a blue moon when something happens. Again, so sorry
This might be odd to some but every-time I slaughter one of our livestock I have my own little ritual to keep my mind at peace before, during, and afterwards. First I spend some extra time with the animal days and even weeks leading up to the big day, I give them extra treats, thank them endlessly and always meditate near them. Then the day of I play soothing music (more so for me I guess) I pray for the animal in my own way thanking them for their sacrifice so that I may prosper, I tell them how grateful I am to have them in my life and I ALWAYS make sure my tools are the sharpest they can possibly be, "I sharp knife is a humane knife" my uncle always said. Then lastly I make sure to use EVERY part of the animal not letting anything go to waste, whatever parts i won't use or go to better use else where I pass on free such as giving all the feathers to my local tribe after slaughtering my turkey this year for Thanksgiving, and asking them to teach me how to make homemade carved bone buttons.
The point for me is making sure to always show my appreciation every step of the way and to make sure that animal had the most comfortable life before I took that life for my own gain.
I love that you do this. I think if others don't do it already I think they should. It shows deep care for your livestock and shows that you really do appreciate their life. Thank you for sharing this. May you have a beautiful day ❤
Reminds of a Jewish law I heard. In order for a kosher slaughter to be done, the knife must be so sharp that when you run your fingernails up and down the blade you can't feel a single even tiny imperfection. It can take up to 2 hours to sharpen a blade like that.
Thank you for sharing this. I completely agree with you. This is how it was intended to be. Blessings to you.
very true Jamie...my Dad let my brother and I name animals, but with the understanding that they're food, and there can be accidents happen too! Now my Mom and Hubby at times say I'm Cold, because it's easier for me to put an animal down except for 2 of our horses I couldn't do that! I seen the love you guys had for your silky, and seeing you guys raise it, that was a sad video after his bath/spa treatment, but this is life choices that need to be made, and people need to know about all aspects of life on a farm! you did a great job speaking on this topic... TY for doing this! 😞😞😞
Spent most of my life managing dairy farms. It is hard to lose animals that you raise. I have a small flock of chickens and last year I lost my best layer to a weasel. Seems like the more you do to protect them, the unthinkable happens. Thanks for your honesty in this video.
Blessings.
Thanks for commenting and watching Jim
I'm so sorry for the loss of Gary! I am a homesteader prepper myself. When I started I didn't know how attached I could get to chickens. The loss of my first bird, Polly, was heartbreaking. I'm glad you were able to do right by the bird even though it was difficult.
I have a white silkie just like Gary named Barb. She is such a sweetheart. RIP Gary.
Thank you
Sorry for your loss and sharing with us what happened. It is a sad part of life. You handled it with great respect and dignity. I hope you and your family are doing well.
Never easy. Your right on. It is a teaching/learning moment, one to share, and tears to shed. Remember the happy moments...sorry for the loss. You did the responsible thing and it is NOT easy.
+Dan & Lynn Dray Thank you
i respect you for being honest about the complexity of these issues. I think our ancestors developed emotional and spiritual ways of dealing with these things that we have to rediscover if we move back into a direct relationship with nature.
what a beautiful, heartfelt, honest vlog. thank you! and i am so sorry about your loss. new subbie!
+The Kneady Homesteader Welcome and thank you for the kind words.
I really appreciate ur vid for what it took for you to do it on the very day of the event but also your thoughtfulness in sharing the info to help others. I know how difficult it is when any type of animal bird reptile whatever is a pet especially. It is so true that many don't consider such things when there are do many other types of things chores etc involved in homesteading ranching farming etc. I've faced it many times with beloved pets and others and it's never easy but necessary. Thx!
I have never heard anyone speak so beautifully on such a dark and difficult subject . I wish I could go back and have this talk with my daughter again after she lost her bunny . I think it would have been easier after seeing this . Great video !
Leo! I'm not sure how to dispatch a chicken in this scenario.
It's not so much the how but , the mind set . You have to think in terms of putting a much loved friend to rest . To relieve pain . To set a hard moment right . It's NEVER easy but at times needed .
Thank you! I didn't mean to be morbid so if I have to do this I want it to be as quick and painless as possible for the chicken, and myself.
??? Morbid ? I'd never think of you in such a way . It never should be easy , they are loved family . It is simply our responsibility in the end .
So true. So good of you to bring this up.
Appreciate you watching :0)
Sorry about your Silkie. That's a tough one. We had a Silkie once and she was such a character.
Homesteaders need to prepare the children as well as the adults - all who live or participate in the homestead. You did a great job speaking about a difficult, but real, issue.
We don't have any animals yet, but have been considering them. My husband grew up with chickens, so he is a bit more prepared for this sort of thing than I am....but certainly I am working on the mental preparation via videos like yours. Thank you so much for always being very *real* about homesteading....and bless you and your family as you take a moment to honor your lovely silkie and the difficulty in having to ease her over the rainbow bridge.
Thank you for watching.
To put a loved one out of hopeless misery is a selfless gift of love.
It's especially hard with animals that grow fond in your heart (a family dog, etc), but nothing compared to having to put down (assisted suicide) a family member you love. In some ways we treat animals better than humans.
Life and death are a vital part of nature, much more evident to those that work the land.
Thanks for sharing, Jaime. That was a sensitively delivered talk describing the realities of "the cycle or circle of life." Shockingly, I had virtually the same experience except we lost 4 silkies at once and my youngest of 3 homeschooling boys came in holding silky organs in each hand with tears streaming. Unfortunately, I had opened up the chicken tractor at dawn--just a little too early because the corpuscular hunting resident owl family had been watching. My husband was working out of the country and it was all me with the boys and animals. Our chickens (buff cochins) were fine, as were the guinea fowl, but the silkies' were all decapitated. My lesson was that I rushed to do something that should have waited or alternatively, I should have already built a second chicken tractor. Several years later we had an entire colony of honey bees go through collapse; although they were "just bees" it was infuriating that we had no answers as to why (and still don't).
I hope to go back to homesteading out of Tiny Home...I grew up in 4-H and the last of my son's has just left home (husband of 30 years divorced me and remarried 6 months later). However, I no longer own the 5 acres and would like to be in an area of like-minded people or a group that would welcome a returning mid-life, nature enthusiast, Tiny Home-steader with skills and experience. For those going through decision making, I homeschooled our eldest from 1st grade (he was diagnosed with ADHD and I didn't like the impact of meds...he successfully went off to university and is now halfway through med-school; middle had about half homeschooling and combo of public and private, as did the youngest. Middle is in nursing school and youngest just finished USMC bootcamp and SOT/MCT and is training to be a helicopter mechanic for his enlistment period of 6 yrs.
At present I work at NIH in MD, but will be leaving shortly...deciding on whether to go back to Oregon (spent 11 years there when the boys were young) or find a welcoming place in NC or perhaps DE, unless my eldest convinces me that the Arizona mountains really are a place I could not melt. If anyone knows of a community looking for a very well-educated (including in practical life-enhancing nutrition and natural medicine), I'd love to hear from you.
Take good care and hold each other through those rough times...the kiddos will run off soon enough.
Chris
I wouldn't feel bad about the owl and letting the birds out early. We have seen owls hunt in the middle of the day. I hope you find what you are looking for in a community and in a place you will enjoy. Best of luck!
Chris Hafner-Eaton Good for you. I live in Canada and my kids are nearly grown, I just turned 47 and I desperately want to move someplace that I can be close to the land again. Before I had kids I lived off grid & it was some of the happiest times of my life. Wouldn't it be great to have a community of like minded ladies. Best of luck to you.
Chris Hafner-Eaton : Your husband was a moron to leave you! He obviously didn't appreciate was a gem he had.
My condolences for you & your family. Losing a pet is so hard and having to put one down to stop its suffering is almost impossible. I had to put my dog down earlier this year and it's been the hardest thing I've ever had to go through.
I am sorry to hear that Shannon.
I'm really sorry for your loss. Thank you for not letting her suffer longer than she already did.
Thank you
A video well done on a subject not so easy to talk about, Thanks for sharing
No it isn't easy, but talking about it helps me and hopefully helps others know what they are getting into. Thank you
I've definitely been there, and it was a hard but important lesson to learn. It really can quickly come to a point were inaction in inhumane, and you need to be prepared. I think the next time will be easier emotionally. Not easy, just easier. I doubt it ever gets easy. Good video, great message. Thank you for sharing in a time of pain.
We lost several of our chickens to a predator. It was not only upsetting for us but it really traumatised the remaining chickens to the point that they wouldn't go back into the hen house at night and choose instead to sleep on the roof of the house despite my husband's best efforts to get them down and tucked away safely at night. (They were allowed to roam free during the daytime). Eventually we caught a possum and a raccoon and the killing stopped. To add insult to injury the predators only killed the chickens and never ate them. You do your best but unfortunatly it's all part of the cycle of nature. Thank you for sharing.
Your Compassion is Commendable, and that's what life in all about .An Animal that is raised by someone with your Compassion is an Animal that had or has a Great Life. I have just started viewing You Series of Videos and this One has Convinced me Im on the right page
Perhaps the most important information about homesteading and life in general.
There is life and there will be death. I hunt raised birds pigs and cows. Treat all with respect and keep suffering to a minimum. You did the right thing.
Exactly.
The human condition God has graced us with gives us the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Thank you Jaime for sharing your story of the often cruel(or at least from our viewpoint)- nature of things. Your love of creatures covers the whole gamut from living to dying and how caregivers are a part of that love. Blessings on you and yours.
I felt wrong giving this a thumbs up because of Gary, but it is important that we see and learn all aspects. I could see it was not easy for you, but you did what was best for Gary.
Thank you for sharing such important information. I am new to Homesteading and I have named all my 5 (Girls) Hens and I was searching for Silkies. This is when I found all of your videos. I am sorry about Gary and I am sure it was so hard.
Thinking about you all.
Homesteading is awesome and hard. It is most definitely yin and yang. Good luck with the birds!
I'm so sorry. She was so cute and seemed so loving. We know its something you encounter on a homestead but still our hearts go out to you guys.
Thank you
It's no different than having a dog/cat/fish.....name or no name. It will NEVER be easy to end a life.
Mrs. Jamie I understand and glad you put this video up. I have tried to view all your videos and look forward to your next ones.
Thank you for watching!
So far, I have not had to do the deed. I've been involved in the butchery process, but have not been the one to take the life. I do feel a bit responsible and sad, especially when I'm the primary one raising the birds. But I think it does give me more respect for my food. And it helps to know that they had a good life up to that point. I almost feel worse if a predator wounds or takes one of my girls, because I was not able to ensure that they had a quick end.
We're so sorry for your loss! Gary was the cutest sweetest silky, we'll miss seeing him on your videos :(.
We're aspiring homesteaders and the reality of death on the homestead is a topic that we really haven't focused on enough. Thank you for opening our eyes to such an important topic.
About the pain and loss most of us feel when losing a beloved animal...I think for us, after having put down several pets we adored, we've noticed that the pain never seems to go away or lessen in intensity, BUT, but the duration of the mourning seems to lessen a bit each time, so in that respect it has gotten easier. What has helped us the most with coping, is focusing on how happy they were while alive, reminding ourselves that we gave them lives filled with love, care and fun. Most importantly, we believe putting them "to sleep" or ending their lives to stop suffering is an act of mercy (when healing them is an impossibility).
Not sure the coping would be so easy if a beloved animal was taken by a predator...that's really hard. Our biggest hesitation is even attempting to take an animal's life for food. Any advice on how to deal w/ the aftermath of killing an animal for those of us who have never hunted or processed an animal? Not sure we're cut out for that, but would like to be.
I think the mental process is the same as you mentioned in focusing on the life you gave them. If you choose to be a meat-eater, then you are taking a life no matter what. It is better to eat an animal that you raised (or allowed that animal to be raised naturally as in a hunting scenario) rather than one that has had no life but a cage or pen. That is how we justify it. It is really all about how you mentally approach it. Good luck and thank you for the kind words
Thank you We appreciate the great advice and wise words!
Wish you the best. We have gone through the same thing. Thanks for sharing.
I have had dozens of northern harrier attacks and none of my chickens died. I had a few nasty looking wounds but was able to irrigate debris out of the wounds. One had a thigh muscle removed and another had her back of neck split from her head down to the back. I was absolutely amazed what seperation/stress free environment, free choice food, water and plenty of air shade/sunshine does. All of them recovered within 72 hours and with a couple weeks couldn't even see wounds. The one with the missing thigh muscle evolved to where you can't even see it limp at all. It's muscles strengthened in such a way it balanced out. It was amazing. I have a pretty wild resilient breed tho. Not sure how all chickens would fare. I'd recommend assessing each attack differently. If they look like they want to survive give them essentials and let them try to heal. They are amazing healers if you provide those essentials I mentioned. You don't need fancy poultry disinfectants or anything. You could add medicinal herbs and garlic to water and food but that's it. The neck injury girl is amazing now and she remembers that I saved her. My first instinct was to snap her neck to put her out of her misery because the neck wound looked gruesome but it was really just a large clean open wound that closed up lightning fast. about 3 inches long and neck width wide all the way to the neck bone. closed up all by itself in 3 days. Use your judgement. Something are obviously mortal but chickens are tough. They want to survive and it's good to breed the survivor genetics if you are a breeder
It is a judgement call for sure. Thanks for sharing the stories of your chickens
You're amazing for who are and what you do.Great role model.
Oh Jamie. So sorry for your loss. Being the one to put an animal out of their misery is tough. You are a strong loving person for taking on the responsibility. Thank you for being so sharing with the ups and downs. We are learning a lot from you. Peace.
It wasn't easy, but it is unfortunately part of the deal when it comes to homesteading. I thought it was important to bring awareness to those who may be getting into homesteading. Thank you for watching
I have a personality disorder that gives me more intense emotional reactions than is typical and I have to say you spoke on this difficult topic very well. This is a subject I've been not thinking about as I have begun researching with the intent to set up silkie chicken keeping at some point. But living near woods like I do I'm sure I'm going to run into predation mishaps, so thank you for making this easier to think about!
A neighbor of mine has psudo-burbo-affect. He has a difficult time making, and keeping friends. Tell him a silly joke and he can't stop laughing until he cries. If he gets mad he gets disproportionately angry. So Jimmy, your not alone. In fact your quite common.
Growing up my dad would put a guinea fowl in with the chickens. They will make a lot of noise when a predator is around and give you an early heads up. We had issues with Raccoons, foxes, Red Tail Hawks, and skunks. The Guineas worked well at keeping them at bay and making a lot of noise when one was around.
We may be able to have some guineas at our next place, but we are still in the burbs and they are a bit too noisy for this location. Good idea though! Thanks for suggesting
I'm the dispatcher at my homestead. It's a terrible thing but it does get easier. You seem more disappointed about the hawk getting your chicken? One thing to remember There's no guarantee on a homestead or life for that matter! You can pencil out everything play by all the rules and still end up with a disaster at the end of it all! People are after adventure and we fool ourselves thinking if we have 100% control everything will fine! When in reality we have very little control and if we did it wouldn't be an adventure!
thank you for posting! i am sorry for your loss. I had a similar situation and I thought my husband would take care of it, but it wasn't so and I had to take the responsibility. was not easy and I was somewhat traumatized. new homesteaders do need to know all areas of having animals.
+MaineIndianfeathers Yes this is an unfortunate one to have to deal with but better to know and be aware of beforehand. Thanks for watching
Thank you for sharing! I had a similar experience with my first turkey hen that we hatched out and raised! It was difficult!
this is spot on.
That is the tougher side of raising your own animals. We try to be strong but that doesn't make it any easier. {hugs} to your family.
Correct. Thanks for watching Kathy.
I had a hawk take my little 14 year old chihuahua away when he was out in his fenced front yard. It has been five years and I am still devastated.
You can't live anywhere with those pred birds & a small animal unless you have a lead & otherwise have it under a wire net area to stop the pred from descending, I used to have a rabbit in a home with a balcony in a city & people asked me why I wouldent let on the balcony & guard it & I said because the peregrines in the area would grab anything higher up & that included small dogs, most people did not even know, different preds go for different prey at differing heights,. for example red kites will swoop for fried chicken but not for little dogs or cats, if u live in an area with hawks its terrible sad but you know the score, mother nature does not stop & the animal would of suffered because you did not ensure its safety.
Raw honesty attached to tragedy is tough. Blessings to you.
Thank you
So true. Death is a fact of life and the modern world hides these realities to most people.... nature is also cruel, never know when a predator is going to kill or seriously wound your animals. Thanks for the video!
We have lost two hens in the past few months. Now we have just one. She has since become a pet. A few weeks back a fox attempted to take her . Again we heard a noise in the garden. The fox ran off as we came out. The hen is being nursed back to health, she had a bite taken out of her back. Hens are very easy to become attached to. Good luck with the homestead from sunny Somerset in England. Great channel.
Sorry about your hen Stuart.
Yes one thing I learned as a kid on the farm is not to name your food it makes it much harder to eat them when you do. We had 2 huge pigs that we knew were being raised for food, and when it was time to take them to slaughter we were happy for the food in the freezer. I at 6-7 years old looked after those pigs. On the other hand I went with my dad to buy 2 calves and I named them Fred and Wilma, Fred got castrated and when they were about 2 years old my parents had decided to take them to slaughter I was absolutely heartbroken so now if there is any potential that an animal might become food they only get named after meals, breakfast lunch dinner, second breakfast etc.
I just wanted to squeeze you when I watched this. We are putting down a young cat today that we have nursed for the last week. We thought he was gonna pull through but today it became apparent that wasn't the case. My heart is broken but it is what has to happen sometimes.
+Road to the Farm Aww I'm so sorry for your kitty. And thank you
I don't look forward to this part of self sustainability but these are the facts. Thank you for sharing with us. I pray your heart mends quickly
Thank you.
Jaime I'm really sorry about Gary. Thank you for being responsible and putting an end to the suffering of him. When homesteading, it's never easy when there's an unforseen death. Even though you try not to become attached to your livestock, you are a steward of them and you vest a lot of time in them. There is a bond. Homesteading animals is totally different than the mass market of herding animals in for the slaughter and being cold hearted about it. Thank you for sharing this, especially for new or potential homesteaders. Blessings
Thank you Michelle
We are sorry for your loss. we also have a Suburban Homestead. And just processed out a set of chickens.. it was not that easy for me and just to let you know I am a hunter but when it came to doing this it was hard. But this is all part of homesteading and we have come to love this lifestyle and can't wait until we can do it on a full time base. I am happy that we have stumbled upon your channel please keep the good work ..
Yeah I think people who don't homestead may not understand that hunting and processing game feels much different than a situation like this where you have raised the animal from birth as a pet. There is less of a connection to wild game that you are hunting specifically as a food source so it may seem "easier".
This is a very good discussion topic. There has to be a disconnect in order to be a responsible caretaker of poultry or any other farm animal that is mortally harmed or sick. We've had to dispatch chicks that we hatched that were deformed or had bad legs that couldn't be fixed. That's a lot harder for me emotionally than harvesting grown chickens and turkeys. I'm sorry for the loss of Gary and the pain your family had to endure due to a predator. tfs
+LilBit AtATime I haven't had to dispatch chicks yet, just had to bury one that a snake already strangled. It's a good thing to be aware of. Thanks for contributing to the topic
Even though I am only 14 I have gotten used to the idea of death from livestock to family at the point I’m at I’m just disappointed that something or someone died while it is still upsetting it’s just one of those things that is bound to happen
So sorry about your chicken. My husband and I appreciate you talking about that aspect of things.
Growing up on a farm with every kind of livestock there is and all the barn cats and dogs that are just a part of it all you get to see everything. I was six and my dad was in Vietnam and I had to kill some kittens that were inbred and weren't right at all, I remember one had 5 legs. My mom couldn't do it so I did it for her and as hard as it was I understood it had to be done.
So that's a life's lesson I learned very early, that is doing the hard things like it or not, but here is another life lesson that grew more and more through the years and that is how to appreciate life everyday in general. Appreciate and care for the life of everything that exists. Love and take good care for what you have while you have it, and accept and go on when their gone. With me it extended to people as well because tomorrow is not promised to anything or any one.
I've put down a few animals and pets and butchered as well, of course, but really it all teaches something about life and our existence that nothing else can teach and no words can describe. I think it also made me fierce against predators (probably bullies too) especially when you see something like a coyote carrying off your bread and butter.
Silkies are beautiful and I'm sorry you had to do that but yeah, it's good you gave a heads up to any who want to venture onto a homestead. But there's no living or even understanding what life is really all about until you grow and raise your own food and experience all that everyday has to offer, the lows as well as the highs. It's the only way of life that keeps it real. God Bless you and yours.
I guess my mother is just like yours. Decisions and actions were always left for me to take since so early but, although I became strong (because there was no other option) it has always been so tough...
Daniel, I don't know you and I just randomly put this video in my "watch later" list because it seemed interesting, but you made such an eloquent point that can be applied to life in general. Thank you and blessings to you for reminding us all.
Daniel, I don't know you and I just randomly put this video in my "watch later" list because it seemed interesting, but you made such an eloquent point that can be applied to life in general. Thank you and blessings to you for reminding us all.
@@JGT318 thank you.
I had to put down a mouse my cat caught once when i was a young teen. its stayed with me all these years. i phone my ex forces dad for advice on how to make it swift and painless. it may sound silly but every life is worth something. thanks for sharing your experience. :) Shropshire, england here. x
Great advice, thank you for sharing 😊
Thanks for watching!
I've had chickens, ducks, turkies, rabbits for years. And I unfortunately loose a few every year. And at times I have to dispatch them. like you, I live in the woods. All I have to say is no matter if the animals are for pets or food, if you didn't feel any remorse, then I would think that you weren't human and don't deserve animals. Hope I said this right!!
Great topic it's hard for many farmers homesteaders my uncle would trade chicken cattle pigs with 2 other farmers it was cause they all had kids the would send "Bessie" to Abe's farm Kids get attached so rotating the animals to other farms they would harvest meat for the other. It was good & kept it from kids to old enough to understand
That's a great idea for kids. Thanks for sharing
So sorry about the sweet silkie😔I have lost a few to hawks, one day my husband and I were literally scaring the hawks away with garbage cans and we are not in the country.
We lost 10 chickens in one day with our first flock, 3 separate animal attacks (coyote, owl or hawk, and likely bobcat). We made the fence higher, the coop more secure, and ran fishing line all over the top.
Our second flock we didn't have secure enough and we lost 8 babies to a hawk in one month. A ninth was scalped, but she lived and is doing fine, though I'm not sure she'll ever grow feathers there.
We do name our animals and birds, unless there are too many lookalikes to identify them. It doesn't matter, either way their early demise is sad.
+Gracewater Farmgirl That is a lot of loss! Sorry to hear it. Thanks for sharing.
We moved to our dream home on 11/20/16. We have 6.8 wooded acres. My goal is to have pet ducks (five females, and one drake added six months later.) I am doing everything I can to be sure that my ducks will be predator proof. I am doing the research and watching the difficult videos (i.e. slaughtering chickens for the dinner table) to make sure I can handle it. I really thank you for posting this video. Clearly, it wasn't easy for you. Please know that someone was listening... BEFORE I get any animals. My condolences. Sending love and hugs.
You must be so thrilled right now to be on your dream property! Congratulations! As for the video, I am glad it helped you. It is a tough subject, but an important one to be prepared for. Good luck on your homestead
Now that we're *finally* here... homesteading seems a lot more scary, lol. We decided to start with gardening! One step at a time. Thank you for the encouragement!
As a keeper of many kinds of chickens and person that doesn't mind too much to eat my own animals I can say that you can have compassion during their lifetime AND during the process of killing, prepping and eating them. The death and butchering process doesn't have to be a macho thing and could be explained with compassion to children. Though their presence is up to you, I started helping my dad at the age of 8 or 10 I think.
Well said.
Great video. I have lost 3 hens in the last two months. One got her head caught under the coop door, the other two were egg bound. Dispute my efforts to help the two hens lay their eggs, they did not make it. My hens are considered older, the are 2 1/2 yrs old.
I never thought about the 'dark' side when I got my cute chicks.
Also important for new chicken keepers, is to have a first aide kit for your flock.
+Blissfully Frugal Yes the first aid kit is really important. We used ours for the first hawk attack (ripped comb and cracked beak). I'm sorry about your chickens too :0(
Being raised on a farm it was nothing taking a cow or pig to the butcher. About 10 years ago i took a butcher class, my first was a Pig wasn't to emotional but the cow was maybe because of the size of the animal it's like wow you took the life of this large animal. That passed with time. My kids have grown to be inquisitive when I'm butchering something and know where their food comes from.
It is so sad and hard to deal with. Ironically, just 15 minutes after watching this video, I hear a commotion outside my studio window and I looked to see all my chickens running top speed up the hill. Horses were alarmed and crows went crazy. I was on my feet and out the door WITH my dogs in a flash. It looked like a coyote from what I saw before my dogs had it on the run. My Buff Brahma, Olive, was on her back and I thought dead but no, I gave her a few minutes and she was still breathing. I think she was in shock. She had a big area of feather loss on her belly but no blood. She has eaten and has drank water. Very wobbly and shaken pus some funny noises from her throat but no blood. I hope that she will pull through. She is 4 years old and no longer lays eggs but she was my first chicken and I am not ready to lose her.
I love, love your channel, I found it yesterday and have watched many of your videos.
Thank you so much for sharing your life!
I am so sorry to hear that. I hope she recovers
Thank you! So far so good but she is very quiet. The animal came back twice. I caught it right outside the coop broad daylight. neighbor set traps for me. it looked sick and starving.
I'm sorry for your loss. This is the part of homesteading that we aren't sue we can do. I'm a homesteader want to be, so I'm starting with gardening and preserving. :) Thank you for sharing the realities of homesteading.
Thank you
Death is part of life. Life is part of death.
Thanks for talking about this, it's probably not something that people may always think about when wanting to start a homestead with animals. I think it would be good to have a plan of how you will take care of situations like this. I also agree with what you said about not waiting for your spouse to get home to take care of it so you don't let the animal suffer. I hope your week gets better!
thank you for the video Jamie. very helpful and good advice. it's very hard. I'm sorry you lost your chicken nature can be so cruel. thanks for all the tips because I am hoping one day to have a homestead one day. it's a big dream for me an my family.
we have hogs right now. 6 of them. would love to hear more about pigs. I love all the advice and information I can get.we have 6hogs we are just starting out 6months of hog farming I hope to grow bigger and move and have my own property. right now we try to provide healthy quality pig meat to our community. we are about to have our first liter of pigs in April or may. very excited. I just subscribed to you I love watching family homesteading. very cool. it's not all easy but it's a really cool and rewarding lifestyle. I feel. thank you so much. I will stay tuned and try to catch up to you. thanks for sharing an do you raise pigs at all?
+Stephanie Morrill Not yet but maybe soon! Welcome to the channel
I'm so sorry for your family's loss. Do you have guinea hens ? If not , they may help prevent any potential further predator attacks. Or so I've observed.
I had a white leghorn hen I fell in love with. She followed me around and would cuddle when I sat down on the back steps. She died of old age. Other chickens we used for meat but not her. Mable. I buried her when she died.
+See Canon Aww thanks for sharing
I'm sad to hear about Gary. My Mom had a huge white rooster that we called "the white turkey." I moved away, and one night had a horrible nightmare. I was the white turkey, and I was going to be killed. I called my mother. Yes, they had killed the white turkey the day before. I was especially upset because, not being a young bird, he wouldn't even have been much good to eat. It was a blow.
I heard a rooster kept with chickens can make a difference. Rooster warns, protects chickens and fight hawks or other predators to death, often loosing it's own life!
But I'm not a farmer, I read this on the net few years ago.
+szaki We have a couple coming in the spring. Thank you
Seen a video on YT, how the rooster gives warning to chickens when predator is around. Chickens responded right away by running into the barn. In this case a large bird, eagle? was gliding around above.
In another video, hawk got hold of a rooster, but after while hawk just gave up and flew off. Rooster was unharmed.
This was really good to hear. I mean, sad to hear, but when you are awaiting your first batch of new little chicks you aren't thinking about the other side ..and you really kinda need to be. THANK YOU!
It happens when you raise livestock. If it's a pet I think it depends how serious it's hurting, if it's hung up in a fence and mortally
wounded or been have eaten by a predator, you need to dispatch it immediately.. If there is hope, get it to a vet, or call the vet if it's a horse or a cow.. It's a terrible hard thing to do, however, we have to put the animal first and ease the suffering.
My first exposure to you. My first impressions? I subscribed off this one video. It appears you are a hell of a lady, mother and wife. Just a guess. Now I get to see how I did. We are just starting our homestead but have the mindset to succeed in retirement. My wife will love learning from you also. Thank you.
+Ed Kemper Welcome and thank you for the kind words. Best of luck on your homestead journey. You will love it :0)
One tip especially for kids is naming them food names so they do know. My hogs are bacon, pork chop, Ham bone, sausage. My daughter had a rabbit years ago that was named Stew. Anouther thing I heard from a friend is they would raise a calf so the kids are around it over a year before butchering is to swap it with anouther family at the locker so the kids are not eating there pet.
Stew... Love it! lol. The swap idea is a great one also!
Adel Jeff,
I remember some of our steers had names and they kept their names until they were completely consumed. My mom didn't like this but it didn't bother my sister or me.
Sorry you lost this Chicken and pet, I grew up on a farm and it is a way of life, Hard reality and one never gets over the fact that this happens. Thank you for this great video and just subbed.
+Gregory Butacan Welcome to the channel :0)
I just found your channel a few weeks back as we are considering back yard chickens. I'm so sorry for your loss...loved watching Gary 🐔
life and death and animal situations fall to me, my hubby is too gentle. He's a great carpenter though. Good video, thanks!
When any of our pets die, in order to help my children deal with the death, we plant a fruit tree over their bodies when we bury them. My girls know that the pet's body will help to nourish the plant and will "become" part of a lasting valuable part of the planet. It doesn't erase the sadness, but it helps them to gain perspective on the circle that is life and death.
That's a great idea. Thanks.
Dawn Finiff,
I agree that is a great idea.
This topic is something you never get used to I grew up on a farm and it was easier for me when I was younger than it is now to do what you did
Very nice video. Convinced me to subscribe, and it's only the first video of yours I have watched. Sorry about your loss.
Welcome and thanks for watching
Wish I'd have found this video before I started my homestead. I've had some pretty awful deaths since I got here. I've had to put a rabbit out of its misery. I had 35 chickens taken by a hawk my first year. Where there is life, there is death. I finally stopped crying when things die. But I still feel the pain.
There have been a lot of contributions from others who mentioned situations that even I didn't think of, such as having to put down deformed chicks and the management of burying a large animal. It has been just as informative for me.
Guildbrook Farm | Simple Sustainable Living I keep my deformed chickens. I give them special treatment and separate them from the flock when it's time to hatch new babies(to keep bad eggs out). I give them silly names. I can't help myself. Life is important to me. And I allow them all to live it, even if it's hard. Eventually, crazy head must go to the freezer, maybe two years. But for these two years, her "crazy head" will be spoiled beyond belief. That's my choice. She may die before she stops making eggs.... If it happens, it happens, I bury "special" chickens near my orchard.
Crooked beak is already buried there. Killed by the hawk but prevented from being a meal by me. She has a large stone above her with her silly name carved in it.
About 3 weeks ago there was this baby antelope I kept seeing all around my property, alone. I just figured I was missing the mother showing up, until one morning I put my little boy down for a nap and went outside to fill a bucket I keep on the front walkway for the dogs to drink from. The antelope was off to the side and I got the feeling he was going to walk right up to me. Sure enough, it came right up, stopped, then kept walking past me. I thought at this point, if it's this desperate to come within 2 feet of me, it must be alone. I followed him and he didn't run, despite being again not 2 feet from him. He stopped walking, looked at me, so I reached out to see if I could pet him. When I raised my hand slightly, he blinked like I was going to poke him right in the eye. Hmm, maybe it doesn't have great vision. Again, I raised my hand & it pulled it's head back like I was really close to his eye, and blinked. At this point it started to walk, but looked drunk, like it didn't have good balance all of the sudden.
That was when it fell over and had a full blown seizure, legs twitching, eyes, etc. I felt so terrible watching him going through that, and he wasn't even a pet. I grew up hunting, and thought about shooting it right there next to my driveway. But this just didn't seem right, it couldn't run away, and I couldn't bring myself to do it. He sat up and I offered him some comfort by stroking his coat, I'll never forget how rough and weird it felt! He laid there alert again, but didn't seem to mind at all. By the time that day was over I went out to find him and he was dead. My husband and I buried him near our chicken run and coop. Poor little fellow. Then yesterday I went to pick up a truckload of mulch and saw another antelope baby the second day in a row in the ditch, alone. It's weird how much this happens. Last year I was at a friends house around the corner and the same thing happened- a lone antelope baby was investigating us, considering coming up to us for help.
Other than that I've had to put down a horse, and that was insanely difficult. He'd been in an accident and couldn't keep weight on due to the nature of the accident, so we had the vet out to put him down. Killed a few roosters too, but I was prepared for that, and they'd been flying up at my little boy so that wasn't hard. They needed to go.
Big hugs! Not everything can be unicorns and fairy dust. I feel like the animals around me are part of me in the metaphysical aspects. I have had to dispatch wounded pets and it was heart wrenching. This was a necessary lesson for my kids too. They are very aware of the responsibilities that come with bringing a stray animal home nowadays. Thanx for sharing this Jaime.
Dogs, goats, rabbits, cats, hens, even bees - they are difficult not to love, as pure, lovely life, and I've had an awful lot of deaths (from hawks, foxes, railways, cars, broken backs, hens pecking whole series of chicks to near-death (gah!), wasting sicknesses). It's our life with animals. But the hawks and foxes need to eat, too, and our dogs eat meat, and - most wild animals only live a few years (wolves, foxes, wild cattle, pheasants). We are giving them a lovely life for as long as we can...!!!
We have had both chickens and ducks that have been attacked and survived to live long lives because we chose not to put them down. I've seen deer get hit by cars, knocked unconscious, get up to hop away. These animals are more resilient than most people think. Think of the traumas humans have endured, and recovered from. It is definitely the call of the keeper, but I hope most homesteaders understand that and make the right call.
+Janice B Very true
the first batch of chickens we got we named them, that was also the last time we named ANY of our animals aside from our cat and dog. Rule 1, don't get personal.
Thanks for sharing your story of homestead death. On my 1/3rd acre urban homestead we have lost 6 chickens this year. This first gal, "Red" was our first chicken death since beginning chicken raising 4 years ago, sour crop and our lack of knowledge to treat it early enough got her. I felt horrible cause she suffered and I learned that if this happens again, I need to step up take her life to end the misery.
Our second gal, got crook or wry neck, which we tried to treat to no avail. After 3-4 weeks, her health was deminishing and she was starving so I put her down using dry ice asphyxiation. She didn't have a name except one of the Easter Eggers until this sickness and she was dubbed E-wry in her last weeks of life, which made the death harder but she was a pet after 3 year with us.
The last most recent 4 were the most tragic as my wife came home to find 4 chickens slain. We determined it was our dogs as we are pretty protected from predators and they would've taken the chickens with. 3 of the gals were raised from chicks, one of which my wives favorite hen, Nessa-Rose. The worse was our poor silkie roo, Beauty, who was half ate, poor guy was just trying to protect his gals.
Worse part is now we can't trust our dogs around the birds without keeping an eye on them. We had them all free ranging together. The culprit was most likely my old beagle Lady Bird who is going senile, 16 yrs old.
Thanks again and yes, death will come and us homesteaders better be prepared for it.
That is a horrific story and I am so very sorry to hear it. Thank you for sharing it so we can all have a better perspective on things that could happen. It may save some heartache.
its the most natural thing.
It is tough having pets and agree that it is a mental prep - parents should make a point to talk about this with their kids to prepare them for life.
Yes it is important to discuss this with kids as well prior to getting animals and, of course, when an incident does happen. Ours got through it very well and are (more) ready for dual-purpose birds now.
Thank you for all the educational tips.