Our little Cybil is dead

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 22 Sep 2007, 15:34

Cybil is dead.... I was in the garden with them not half an hour ago, came in made a crumble and went back out agin to give the chooks the fruit peel . Our dog Tyler was wet and ran out with me straight to the side of the pond and stood looking at me....I had a really sick feeling and went to him, he was stood over a very wet dead chicken.. our Cybil.. there's not a mark on her and no feathers anywhere exept a few in the pond..
I can not believe that Tyler killed her, he's never touched them, has however recently started rounding them up very slowly and gently without a bit of menace..
A few weeks ago one of the chooks wandered into the undergrowth around the pond and ended up knee deep in pond weed.. I think Cybil possible did the same or got frightened into the pond but got tangled in the pond weed... Tylers reaction and the fact that he was wet and Cybil had been laid on the bank of the pond seems as though he got her out..
My poor little girl, I feel so bloody guilty... what if he chased her in??

Post by **Richard** » 22 Sep 2007, 16:18

I am so sorry to hear that. Chickens do drown very easily - I've lost two; one when I made a small pond to keep ducks (changed my mind) and second when one fell into the large drink container.

I'm sure your dog didn't do it, there would be signs etc. The dog was simply pointing you to a fact of 'sadness'.

Regret to say that these things happen and there are a number of things which can go wrong, as in all life. We just can't escape the 'bad luck'.

You take care now won't you.

Richard

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 22 Sep 2007, 16:30

Thanks Richard, I know I'm being silly.. I cant bring myself to bury her until she's cold just incase she's not dead... I'm sat here bawling but you are right, these things happen and I feel bad because I'm making a fuss when my son is 'over there' experiencing so much worse every day.. I think I'll just go and pull the duvet over my head and emerge in seven months time..

Post by **Richard** » 22 Sep 2007, 16:40

Absolutely no harm atall in a good release of emotions Willow and I'd say it's a combination of them.

The thing is that we can't get paranoid (like I do!) over the things which occassionally do go wrong.
We can do everything right and proper, but something is always there to catch us out.

Sometimes we can concentrate on all the 'biggies' and overlook something small and silly.
I've done it and I'm sure that others have. I used to concentrate on safeguarding the lower part of my fencing, then a fox got over the top.

It's not your fault - no one's. It's horrible, but it is 'one of those things'.

Richard

AnnaB · Post by **AnnaB** » 22 Sep 2007, 17:01

Hi Willow
Sorry to hear about Cybil - hope you're feeling a bit better now, Richard has posted it all.
Anna

melons · Post by **melons** » 22 Sep 2007, 17:06

Big hugs :cry:

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 22 Sep 2007, 17:21

Thanks all... The chooks are in their run, and first thing tomorrow I'm going to clear the pond weed just in case it was the cause.. its canadian pond weed and grows very fast and thick, she may have run out onto it.. I'll never know for sure but its a possibility..
She was the sweetest little one with 'eyeliner' and a wry tail which was bent to one side quite badly, I dont know if it would have affected her in later life but she was fine and the most trusting of the lot..
Before this happened I was going to post about our afternoon picking the blackberries for the fruit crumble.. They're not daft and were under my feet chattering the whole time - I would have had twice as many berries if I hadnt been sharing them with my ladies!

AnnaB · Post by **AnnaB** » 22 Sep 2007, 17:23

Willow
I think maybe some pond netting is needed?

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 22 Sep 2007, 17:30

Anna its not any sort of formal pond... Its a largish natural clay pond with tall rushes , irises and other plants growing out into it.. The banks aren't steep and its used by the local wildlife, birds etc as a bathing / drinking pool... so netting isnt really an option.

Post by **wendy** » 22 Sep 2007, 17:53

Oh dear so sorry to hear this Willow.
I have heard of a lot of chickens drowning, doesn't necessarily have to be a pond, like Richard said. I had a blackbird drown in my dogs water bucket.
Can you not put netting around it so they cannot get into it, if you can't cover it?
Big Hugs
Wendy

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 22 Sep 2007, 18:09

I have already got a low fence around it Wendy but deliberately left openings to enable the chooks and dogs to drink .. I'll now close the gaps but to be honest the chooks will be able to get over it if they really wanted, and I really dont want a six foot fence around the pond.. Maybe a wide very shallow bog area around it would help.. We'll put our thinking caps on ..

melons · Post by **melons** » 22 Sep 2007, 18:49

It hasn't all gone wrong today :( ,
we took your advice & here's little Sally chicken saying thank you for your ideas for "her" new perch
Keep your chin up

p.s
The pale object underneath Sally is a hen....a very bald one

Willow · Post by **Willow** » 22 Sep 2007, 19:58

Well done you... I can see her smile from here! :-D

b_cos_1_can · Post by **b_cos_1_can** » 22 Sep 2007, 20:13

willow im sorry :( we all love our chooks dearly and wouldnt want any harm to come to them, again im sorry :(

mel that looks great!

best wishes both of you

kat x

Emmamoo · Post by **Emmamoo** » 23 Sep 2007, 10:45

Sorry to hear of your loss Willow, it is very sad to hear that, we all get very attached to our girls. Chin up and just remember that these things happen - I know its such a clichÃ©. xxxx )chu: