06/22/2026
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๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ
Today was the first time in five years that I've lost an animal to our swimming pool.
My first drowning incident.
Bob, my chocolate mottled Silkie, was out free-ranging today with the bachelor flock. He was exactly where he loved to beโscratching through the grass, exploring, and enjoying a rare break in the weather.
Some people may see this post as an opportunity to remind me that this was preventable. They wouldn't be entirely wrong. I have an unfenced pool, and I allow my birds to free-range. While I certainly don't encourage them to spend time near the pool, they do occasionally wander that direction.
Today was the day tragedy struck.
I could spend hours beating myself up over every "what if," but I know where that road leads. The truth is that accidents happen, even when we do our best. I love these birds deeply and devote a significant part of my life to keeping them healthy, safe, and happy. The idea of intentionally putting them in harm's way couldn't be further from reality. And I will certainly take actions and other precautions going forward.
It's been raining heavily here in Texas for weeks. Today was the first real break in the weather, and I was excited to let everyone enjoy some much-needed free-range time. The grass has grown taller than usual because the ground has been too wet to mow. Today they were not in an area they typically free range but one of the few not flooded and navigable by chicken feet. Somewhere in that tall grass, Bob got spooked, panicked, flushed and ended up in the pool.
By the time I found him, it was too late. ๐
I wanted to share this because I think it's important to be honest about life with animals. Social media tends to highlight the hatch days, the fluffy babies, the funny moments, and the successes. Those moments are realโbut so are the hard days. Hard days are just as real.
Here, we experience the good, the bad, and everything in between. Treat every opportunity as a learning one.
Just because I don't always share the difficult moments doesn't mean they don't happen.
This week has been a hard one. I've lost several chicks to coccidiosis, broody hens nests have been destroyed at hatch time by unpredictable weather, and now I've lost Bob.
Sometimes it feels like life comes in seasons. Some seasons are warm and full of growth. Others feel cold, rainy, hard and heavy.
If you're walking through one of those harder seasons right now, I hope you know you're not alone.
We're in the rain over here too. The clouds eventually blow away ๐ฆ
Rest easy, Bob. ๐
