Could you survive?

If you have read my profile then you know that my husband and I raise chickens. We have been doing this for almost a year. As our children get older and depend on us less, we have realized that we needed something to focus our attention that we could care for and do together. Although, we have 7 children, we have his, hers, and no ours. Several times in the last 8 years I would have given my right arm to have an ours, but as we grow together my ideas about our future change. So what does this have to do with chickens?

If you knew me then you would know that I'm a "People Pleaser" I love this about myself although, sometimes it gets in my way. So in March hubby and I ordered 35 chickens, straight run, meaning we didn't know if we were getting boys or girls. We ended up losing one during the shipping process and had 34, 12 of them roosters, 22 hens. So of course, if you do any farming you know that you do not need that many roosters for that amount of hens. So we had to thin some roosters out, we gave one to the neighbors, and put 11 in our freezer, that left us 2 roosters and 22 hens. So we're thinking ok we can hatch, we can have eggs etc.

So one day at work a customer comes in and says "I need your help" and of course I say "Anything" she says "A customer of mine found two puppies that need a place to go" I didn't blink, didn't ask questions, didn't think, "Bring em on" I have five acres. Ohhhh she brought them on they were not quite the puppies I had envisioned, they were almost 1, and it was a black lab, and a golden retriever, I know I see you shaking your head at me "BIRD DOGS".. I have birds!!!! Needless to say hubby never ever gets upset with me we live on this whole other level of communication, understanding. He was mad. I don't blame him. So I had to act fast. They needed a home that was not ours. So I called our local Adopt a pet. They nicely asked me to hold on to them for a couple of days until they had room. They were happy to take them for me they just needed to make room.

I found my answer, now I need patience. Something that doesn't come to me very easy. So here I was 24 chickens, 15 ducks, 6 geese, 13 turkeys, and 2 bird dogs. So are you asking yourself what happened? Well, two days before I was to take the dogs to thier new accomodations, they escaped their chain, now I have free range chickens (they lay stronger, better eggs) yes you can guess, the black lab went crazy she started chasing, catching, and piling up chickens, she was so proud of herself. Doing what her instincts told her to do. Mind you she was not doing this viciously she was catching and bringing them back. It took her less then five minutes to take out half our flock. Her friend the retriever just watched fascinated by the whole process.

I on the other hand was devastated, I caught the dogs got them all tied up again. Started looking for chickens. The aftermath will remain burned into my brain for the rest of my life. I brought the dogs here, I let the chickens out to range. So the clean up started, first I had to find the ones that survived. I found 10, 1 rooster, 9 hens the rest lie pilled up no longer with me. I was was on a mission I needed to find the ones that were ok. In the end we found all but one, two severally wounded. One we thought was gone, put her in the pile so we could lay her to rest. She is now my inspiration.

We call her Lucy, she's red, she was tore open from under her right wing to her stomach. I brought her into the garage, placed her in a bed. Asked my husband should I take her to the vet? His response was honey you don't take chickens to the vet. I let her rest for a couple of days. She stayed strong, she held on, she fought, she looked at me with eyes so hurt. I decided to help her, if she was going to fight to live it was my duty to fight with her. I held her close, I cleaned her wound, I super glued her back together. I bought her vitamins for her water, I sprayed her wound with blue coat. I then waited, held my breathe. I asked myself will she make it? She was pretty torn up, there were chickens that had no bites and they didn't make it. What was the difference with Lucy? Can chickens have the will to survive? I can't answer those questions but I will tell you it's been two and half months and Lucy is sitting in the garage getting ready to go to bed. She follows us, she wants to come in the house, I draw the line there. I let her outside hoping that one day she will walk back to the chicken coup and join her family. I don't push her I know she will go and she will probably forget about the times that I held her and nursed her. That is ok, she taught me more in two months about strength and will then I've learned in my 36 years.