Guess What?

Chicken Butt!

Yes, the saga continues. We have been going through what you might call a "Chicken Treaty." I refuse to let the dream go, but I have tried to detach myself from the remaining few chickens because I knew they were goners. I have lost the zeal. The passion has dwindled. Still, I don't want to turn the hen house into a goat dwelling.

 Recently, my in-laws moved into their apartment behind the house. Scott's Mom, Martie, became attached to the last chicken. I believe her name was Lily, but she renamed her Henrietta. By all rights, I should have killed that last chicken because that is what Dr. Berry and I agreed would be best. Depopulate, let the ground sit for a couple of months, then start over. It just never seemed like a good day to kill her, so she lived - even though she was most likely the carrier and cause of the twenty two other chicken's demise.

Now for the dilemma. I want eggs. But we had to get rid of Henrietta, which seemed sad.  I didn't want to start all over with chicks because that would mean no eggs until late summer. If we bought laying hens, they would be in danger of catching whatever it is from the lone survivor.  We went around and around. I didn't see the point in sacrificing a new flock of chickens just for the sake of Henrietta, but my Mother in law wanted to try one more time. Maybe it was mites, and not a virus. Maybe it was worms.  Maybe these ones would live.(Maybe pigs can fly) So this is what we came up with.

1) We would find some laying hens and put them in the hen house with the little sicko.
2) We would wait to see if any died.
3) If they did start dropping, we would kill them all in one day. No matter what.
4) In the meantime, we would get baby chicks and keep them far from the above mentioned hens.
5) If we had to get rid of the flock, we would then have a back up flock laying eggs by fall.

We soon found out that it's not so easy to find laying hens. They are quite the commodity! We finally located some on Craig's List and they said they would even deliver.

 I was gone when they arrived so I asked my mother in law how they were doing the next morning. She said they were good except one has prolapse. Evidently part of it's uterus is hanging out of it's behind. She researched it and found out she needed to put Preparation H on it. If that didn't work, we would have to push it back up her butt. Well, I am sure that would involve Dr. Berry, so the cost of that would surely come to more than we paid for all six hens!! Only I would get a hen with that issue. And boy does it look bad! After more reading I think she might be egg bound.
How do you unbind an egg?
And that actually sounds like a good thing....egg bound. Isn't that what I am?

 "Come on Mr. Craig's List Chicken Seller.....that was low of you!"

We shall see how it pans out. I currently have six baby chicks in my bathroom. I went with my friend Shannon yesterday to pick some out. I convinced her she should get some too...because it's SO EASY. I am surprised she looked past my poultry woes and took the plunge. I told her it would turn out great. Jerry told her it would be fine. He knows and I know that I am the only one with these crazy hen hurdles. Her kids each picked one out.  I love the names they chose for them.

Jesus, Power Ranger, and Sarah.

Maybe I should name one of mine Jesus too....Lord help me.