Well, early August I got a job over at the St George Shuttle. The pay wasn't great, but I could help pay for the house that was going to be both cheaper and more expensive than our last place. It was a 2-10 job so I didn't have a lot of time to spend with my sweet kids. We got approved to buy the house around the same time, so it was time to pack and plan what to do will all these chickens.
This is my favorite vine. I had to.
Moving time was the first week of September, so I only had 3 weeks, to pack, plan, and execute. At this time, Chrono was miserable. He was unable to walk without being exhausted, and he spent most of his time sitting in the wading pool...
We knew that his time with us was coming to an end. I was so sad that I only got a precious few months with my sweet boy, but I knew his quality of life was so low at this point, it wasn't fair to keep him alive just to make me happy. So the last week in August, we took him to a park and gave him his last best day ever. We dyed his feathers blue to celebrate and bought him all of his favorite treats. He had Voss water, Tomato Horned worms, meal worms, grapes, and grass and sunshine and his family. We weighed him at the vet across the street and he was a whopping 55lbs!! After that it was time to put him down. We took him to a butcher who was the kindest, most compassionate man, and was just the thing I needed to feel okay about the whole thing. He gave me a big hug and talked me through the whole process. A very sharp knife would nick his artery, he wouldn't even feel it and he would get sleepy and pass away peacefully. He also offered to donate his body to the homeless shelter next door, that way his death would sustain many lives. I don't remember the owner's name, but Final Cut Meats was the name of the shop and I highly recommend it if you need to peacefully put down your livestock.
The neighboring school got out at the same time we were at the park, They had a great time checking him out!
I saved a few of his feathers and said goodbye to my big boy. That night I cried my guts out, but in my heart I knew I made the right choice. He was in a better place, and his death helped so many others live. There was only one more hard thing I had to do. Thin down my flock.
The new house didn't have as big as a yard as they were used to, so I needed to cut back on who was coming to the new place. I asked my girlfriend if she wanted some hens, and she said yes! I offered my training (first) coop, and slated Captain Brownie and Lieutenant Blondie, Moonshine, and Missy for transport. I knew they would be well taken care of and her kids would adore them! We packed the truck with the old coop and my dog kennel full of chickens. I had a blast playing music to the chickens and driving up to Salt Lake.
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| That night they came out to explore |
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| Dog food is tasty! |
The next morning was like Christmas for her kids. Forget puppies- this Santa brings chickens! Her husband set up the coop, and I took my girlfriend and kids to IFA for their first taste in Chickendom. ♡
To this day they are doing just fine, and my girlfriend is ready to add more chickies this Spring!! Welcome to the chicken life!!
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| They are too high to reach! |
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| Hiding from the grabby girl :) |
We ended up leaving Justin Pants with the neighbors/landlords who previously owned him, we didn't think the new neighbors wanted a rooster for a neighbor out of the blue.
Bye bye Justin!
We got to the new house and settled into homeowner life. It was great! A week into the new house, Tidie passed away due to a freak accident in the coop. She got stuck and couldn't get free and panicked and passed. I found her too late, and was so sad to lose a precious girl. She's buried next to the now Lilac bush, her body feeding the flora.
I reevaluated the coop and run's safety to make sure nothing like this would happen again. I felt confident in the improvements and we were enjoying the new life.
An old clip I found of Albus/Devin romancing Lukka
In December 2018, I traded our tiny Sea bright rooster, Victory, for a hen that was picking on her sisters at her house. The person I traded with needed a chicken that would take care of her girls, and I learned we couldn't have roosters, so I figured we could rehabilitate this mean hen.
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| Bye bud! You're going to love your new girls! |
We set her in the coop amongst her new siblings and "Sweetheart" (ironic name we know) immediately started to size up/ test the competition. Well Albus/Devin doesn't allow fighting in his flock, so he put a stop to that nonsense immediately. Basty isn't a pushover either and still retained her status as head of flock. Sweetheart found her rank above the new kids, but under the turkeys and Batsy. Well, she's pretty nice to the flock, but mean as shit to the people. We have bites and bruises with her name on them. She refuses to be nice, even as she's eating treats out of our hands, shes pecking our arms and legs. She earned herself the new name, Sweet-tart, cause she's sweet and sour. I'm sad that she is like this because so many neighbor kids, and young family come to say hi to our chickens and I'm worried that she makes them afraid of chickens. I don't want kids to go away feeling scared of such an amazing pet. Currently I'm on the fence about putting her down. I hate to feel like I didn't do enough, but some chickens are apparently not cut out for the easy, happy life.
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| Partially reformed bully, Sweet-tart |
Life was calming back down as the winter weather settled into Hurricane. I gave the chickens had access to the grass side and garden boxes this winter, we had no garden because we moved and I felt they needed to till it up for me to get it ready for spring. In January, I went to the ER for a feral cat bite, and didn't see much of the chickens as I was recovering. A week later, I hear a horrible flapping sound. I look out and Albus is on the ground struggling to breathe and freaking out. Todd gets him into the house and into to the bathtub for a safe space for me to examine him to help him. I check his mouth for blockages and his airways/ throat as well. Nothing. As we were trying to evaluate him, he passed in my arms. I was devastated. What could have possibly happened to my previously healthy boy? I went to my favorite Facebook group Pet Chickens (check them out, they are a wonderful group dedicated to the love and well being of all feathered kids) it's a closed group, 25,000 members strong with a lot of experience, knowledge, and vet care between all of them. They offered condolences and guessed that it was probably a heart attack that took him so soon from this world. He was a big boy, the same size if not more than Chrono, but he was supposed to be a breed that wasn't supposed to pass away so soon.
Digging a hole deep enough to bury him took 2 days. We gently placed his body next to the garden box that we were burying him in. His body would feed our strawberry box and all the beautiful white blooms would remind me of his sweet nature.
The most heartbreaking thing about Albus passing was his mate Lukka. She wept at his body the 2 days we had him out while we were digging a deep enough hole. She would nudge his body with her beak and then call out to him. She didn't leave his side the whole time. :( We finally got him buried and it definitely helped her move on. She was able to eat and forage with her sisters. She took on the mantle of protector and to this day watches over the flock and alerts them to predators.
As of this moment in time, all of our kids are finally laying precious eggs (including Lukka!) again, and I have a surplus of eggs! I've been giving them out to friends and family (they make such great gifts). I love that my girls help make beautiful presents for me to share with others. I just wish they didn't wait until after I bought eggs at Costco to start laying again! Damn you, yard birds! If you are interested in some eggs, ask. I can probably spare at least 1/2 a dozen, I might even throw in a turkey egg if you're lucky!
As you can read, owning chickens is a roller coaster of emotions! I wouldn't trade this life with them for anything. I dearly miss all the chickens that have passed. I find myself tearing up thinking about those that I've lost. Chicken keeping is tough, but just spending time out there with my kiddos is so rewarding. I love their quirks and personalities. I love how many unique breeds there are. I love their egg songs and their egg gifts! I love the smell of a chicken. I know that sounds so weird, but if you bury your face in their feathers it smells warm, musky, and faintly like maple syrup. So that's my chicken story so far. I hope this gives you a bit more insight into why I'm so obsessed with them!
What is happening this spring? Stay turned for the bonus episode I FUCKING LOVE CHICK SEASON
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