- May 31, 2016
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i have a flock of 5 hens and 2 roosters. After 2 wonderful years without losing one - I found out yesterday my Easter
Egger, Grumpy, will probably not survive the weekend. I brought her to the vet with what I thought was a crop
issue - only to find, via X-ray, she has a hard blockage in her intestines. My husband wanted to say goodbye - as she is
his favorite, so she was given a strong pain shot and I brought her home. She is next to me now chomping watermelon -
her favorite treat. Here is my dilemma: do I bring her back to the vet to have her put down...or do we
keep her here to die at home with her family? I have, in 5 years of owning chickens, had vets put down 4 hens
and have had 2 sick hens die at home. (I am not counting 2 meat birds found dead in my coop from heart attacks)
Either they die with a stranger - and I feel guilty...or they slowly die in my house over a period of 1-3 days - which is
awful. The 2 that died in the house went into fits and flopped around for a minute or so before dying. Very
unsettling and not at all peaceful. Also, yesterday, our rooster - who normally goes right into the coop
every night - hung around my backdoor crowing for her until dark - he knows she is in the house.
I read chickens have short memories - should I let the flock see her...let her see the flock, albeit, at a safe distance?
I can't talk to any other local chicken owners where I live - I am surrounded by old school farmers who laugh
and make fun of me when I talk like this.
Egger, Grumpy, will probably not survive the weekend. I brought her to the vet with what I thought was a crop
issue - only to find, via X-ray, she has a hard blockage in her intestines. My husband wanted to say goodbye - as she is
his favorite, so she was given a strong pain shot and I brought her home. She is next to me now chomping watermelon -
her favorite treat. Here is my dilemma: do I bring her back to the vet to have her put down...or do we
keep her here to die at home with her family? I have, in 5 years of owning chickens, had vets put down 4 hens
and have had 2 sick hens die at home. (I am not counting 2 meat birds found dead in my coop from heart attacks)
Either they die with a stranger - and I feel guilty...or they slowly die in my house over a period of 1-3 days - which is
awful. The 2 that died in the house went into fits and flopped around for a minute or so before dying. Very
unsettling and not at all peaceful. Also, yesterday, our rooster - who normally goes right into the coop
every night - hung around my backdoor crowing for her until dark - he knows she is in the house.
I read chickens have short memories - should I let the flock see her...let her see the flock, albeit, at a safe distance?
I can't talk to any other local chicken owners where I live - I am surrounded by old school farmers who laugh
and make fun of me when I talk like this.