Daniellebell1
Songster
- May 14, 2020
- 68
- 207
- 136
“It’s inevitable when you buy the pet. You’re supposed to know it in the pet shop. It’s going to end badly. You are purchasing a small tragedy,” – George Carlin.
Trixie died today.
When my family lived in New Orleans, we had four hens, raised from week-old chicks, who survived hurricanes, predator attacks, vicious heat waves, and a tenacious round of fowl pox. I grew to understand that despite my sense of being the more highly evolved animal, they knew how to survive way better than I ever could. I had them for three years, and then gave them to a friend before our family's move to Durham, NC, where our rental house came with 9 hens already living there. Four of them were Barred Rocks that were almost impossible to tell apart.
We've been here less than a month, and already we've had one eye injury and one death.
I think maybe Trixie was egg-bound, but it might have been botulism or wry neck or poisoning or any number of conditions I don't even know about yet. I know she was fine yesterday (or rather, as chickens do not show pain unless they are in dire straits, I know she was at least well enough to hide it yesterday). And then this morning, she wouldn't leave the coop, eat or drink, or keep her head up. I couldn't get her to drink water. I put her in quarantine, in a doggy kennel in the shade with hay and cool water. I left to buy Nutridrench and Vet Rx, came back and she was worse. I made an appointment with an avian vet, and they were going to squeeze her in at 4pm, but she was dead by 3. We buried her this evening.
With my OG 4 hens, I knew them so well. I loved them as weird, amazing, hilarious individuals. I think they gave me false expectations about the hardiness of chickens in general. These...I've had them for only three weeks, and I feel so sad that I didn't get to understand Trixie before she died. I hope I did right by her. I hope she was not in pain for long.
This is what we sign up for, we who make companions of non-human animals. Especially when we make companions of animals so incredibly prone to disease and predation. We know it in the pet shop (or feed store, or hatchery.) But it's still a cruelty, this loss. We love anyway, right? This is how it works. We love anyway.
Trixie died today.
When my family lived in New Orleans, we had four hens, raised from week-old chicks, who survived hurricanes, predator attacks, vicious heat waves, and a tenacious round of fowl pox. I grew to understand that despite my sense of being the more highly evolved animal, they knew how to survive way better than I ever could. I had them for three years, and then gave them to a friend before our family's move to Durham, NC, where our rental house came with 9 hens already living there. Four of them were Barred Rocks that were almost impossible to tell apart.
We've been here less than a month, and already we've had one eye injury and one death.
I think maybe Trixie was egg-bound, but it might have been botulism or wry neck or poisoning or any number of conditions I don't even know about yet. I know she was fine yesterday (or rather, as chickens do not show pain unless they are in dire straits, I know she was at least well enough to hide it yesterday). And then this morning, she wouldn't leave the coop, eat or drink, or keep her head up. I couldn't get her to drink water. I put her in quarantine, in a doggy kennel in the shade with hay and cool water. I left to buy Nutridrench and Vet Rx, came back and she was worse. I made an appointment with an avian vet, and they were going to squeeze her in at 4pm, but she was dead by 3. We buried her this evening.
With my OG 4 hens, I knew them so well. I loved them as weird, amazing, hilarious individuals. I think they gave me false expectations about the hardiness of chickens in general. These...I've had them for only three weeks, and I feel so sad that I didn't get to understand Trixie before she died. I hope I did right by her. I hope she was not in pain for long.
This is what we sign up for, we who make companions of non-human animals. Especially when we make companions of animals so incredibly prone to disease and predation. We know it in the pet shop (or feed store, or hatchery.) But it's still a cruelty, this loss. We love anyway, right? This is how it works. We love anyway.
Chickens really know how to burrow deeply into our hearts, heart shattering stuff when they pass. 
I hope your heavy heart heals soon. ♥
