Farewell Nilla

Last Sunday we found one of our silkie chicks was killed. Nothing like walking in heels to scoop up a dead chicken before leaving for church. :( I was shocked and had no clue what had happened. Our flock of ten is now nine.

Come to find out if chickens are either bored, over heated, need water, they will prey on each other. Basically my other chicks killed and ate some of her most likely from heat, and not having a watering system inside the coop where they sleep. I feel bad because I thought the chicken nipple watering system we have was sufficent enough, but didn't know they needed water inside where nesting boxes are. Lesson learned.

Who knew chickens had a cannabalistic nature? Not I. Thats gross and...just wrong! My 10 week old chicks are killas! According to BYC for some flocks it can become a problem where u have to segregate chickens if their cannabalism is frequent and can get out of hand. Uhh....whoa.

I didn't tell kids exactly what happened but I did say she died because it was so hot out. On Tuesday our little friend Carter who called Nilla, "my white one," kept asking where she was. Sigh. My kids didn't seem to be really upset by her death, I definately was.

I know you sometimes learn things as you experience them, I just don't want to learn at the expense of my little chicks lives.
Nilla was one of my cute ones!!! Farewell RIP little chick!

Naomi