Tuesday, February 25, 2014

A Chicken Lesson... a Sad One... and Some Books to Give Away

I am winnowing out the library again, and I have a few 
books I would gladly pass on to whomever wants them... I'll send them 
media mail.


This is the first... it's a good book... for when I thought I was
going to be making cheese all the time in my retirement.
I have made goat cheese, and I like it... but I did not go on to 
other cheese endeavors. 


Here is another good one... but I did not go in the direction of 
dairy goats, ultimately.  Both of these are lightly read and very clean. 


Here's another I only paged through.  Michaele at 
Sprout'N"Wings (on our sidebar) wrote a very good 
post today about the fact that she is an empty nester again, and 
has no one really to can for.  I have two year old apple butter sitting 
on our shelves from the same... we just don't eat enough of 
"canned" stuff to make it worthwhile to go through the trouble anymore. 
I have a Ball bluebook, and will use that as a reference in the future. 
And yes, I gave lots away in the past. 

Remember, just let me know in the comments that you want them, 
otherwise, I'll donate them to the Good Shepherd to earn some 
money for the food pantry. 


This, my friends... is the badly deformed foot of a silkie-cross chicken. 


Sorry, this is a terrible picture of her head.  She is the little girl who lays under the big white hen, who protects her.  I just realized it looks like I am holding her upside down... I'm not, I was holding her like a football while I looked at her feet. 


This is the ONLY toe she has left.  There is one toe on the right foot, none on the left, only a club. 
She cannot really walk, she pulls herself around with the one toe.  I can't bear it any more... and Keith is to put her down tonight, even though she is otherwise as healthy as can be... though not laying anymore. 
All of my silkies have either VERY long nails that I have to cut, or have lost toes in the cold.  I have two more crosses in the henspa, and Silka, a buff colored purebred,  I know Silka has at least one incredibly long nail that needs trimming right now. 
But this poor little girl, born and bred here... it is just not fair for her to live like this, and this is why it is a lesson... even when we take good care of our birds, things happen. 

Keith, God bless him, will take care of it quickly and quietly, away from the other birds. He does not like to do it, but he will when he must, and he is quick about it. 


Lilly was ready to get the starlings I was flushing out of the old henhouse a while ago. 


That nasty sludge was all that was left in the waterer.  UGH.  It smells so badly. 


A fart egg next to a regular egg. 


The little girl closest to her protector is the one we are saying goodbye to... the hardest part of animal keeping, I tell you. 

Leave a comment if you would like one of the books. 


11 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear about your chicken. I know they're all pets to you.

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  2. I'm sorry about your chicken! It's never easy when something like this happens.

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  3. Mary Ann we know how this hurts you and Keith so bad to see any animal suffer.
    I believe the chickens spirit will be released and she will feel peace
    I am sorry this happened.
    love
    tweedles

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  4. Mary Ann, I can't stand to see them suffer either. We lost our old beagle last week. Thunder was almost 17 years old. She had lived a long life and was chasing rabbits still last summer. Kevin and I discussed having her put down, because she wasn't doing well. I am so glad we did not have to make that decision. Sorry you have to say good bye to one of your ladies.

    If no one else wants it, I would take Putting Up. I plan to can, dehydrate, and freeze quite a bit this summer, Lord willing. Thanks for sharing.

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  5. I'm sorry about your pretty little chicken. When we had them, it seemed that we lost one every year. And still I miss having them. Thanks for your expression of sympathy on my tribute post. It's been a tough few weeks for both of us. Your post after losing your brother "well done, Mikey" has stuck in my brain.

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  6. I'd like the cheese book if it has not been taken.

    So sorry to hear about the little girl. I'm so surprised everyday when I see my 2 hens are still alive. They are so old now and everyone else is gone.

    Ramona

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  7. We never knew you had to cut chickens nails! I am so sorry about your little chicken. As many have already said on here, that is the hardest about being a pet parent. You take such good care of them also!
    stella rose

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  8. So sad to read about your silkie-cross. Was nice she had a protector to look after her.

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  9. Oh I understand, the hardest job sometimes is doing the right thing, well done to you both for showing compassion when it is so needed x

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  10. I know how hard this is for you and I applaud you for making the tough decision. I am sure Keith will do the job right. Her friend and protector may need a little consoling. Fart egg - how funny.

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  11. While it is a heart wrenching decision to come to, you are making the compassionate choice. The poor girl has little quality of life and if left she is, will meet a worse fate than humanely ending her suffering. Even though it is the right decision, it is still painful.

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