Blind and confused hen.

[chickflick]

I know you did your best and gave her a good life until the end.

 

[Suzie]

Sad to hear she didn't make it despite your wonderful care for her - in time I hope your memories of her will be of happier times, the traumatic experience for you was the kindest thing you could have done for her - Jessica is at peace now.

Thinking of you!

Suzie

 

[Avalon1984]

So sorry to hear you lost her. You did the right thing. It is very hard but the kindest thing you could have done. We put our blind hen down a while ago as well. She just started to deteriorate one day and we put her down. Hope you will heal from the experience.

 

[everway9]

Arrrrrrrrrh! Thank you all so much. I am feeling better now that you have said that i did the correct thing. We will have fond memories of Jessica. I know it may sound strange but when she went blind and we accomodated her in our abode we grew to love her more and more. Everytime we walked past her she would warble away so we warbled back. (I hope we were not warbling something she didnt understand or was offended by

) We felt as though she was part of the family. Who would have thought that 4 cats, 2 dogs and a hen would live in harmony? Near her end our cats (not dogs as they were only intrested in eating her poop or food

) showed signs of care and consideration and used to sit by her coop then come and meow at us as though something was wrong. (either that or they knew what was going to happen and were just waiting like a pack of tigers waiting for the right moment

). After doing the deed (which was not a pleasent thing at all) I felt a sense of relief that her suffering was now over. May she rest in peace. The coop is still in our house at present and when I walk past it I pay my respects to the ghost of chicken past. Her memory will live on as her coop will be used in the spring when we get some new chicks. Thanks again all of you.

 

[LNinOH]

Wow...I think this is my first-ever post on BYC. I just read through the entire thread, as I acquired a hen a few days ago that was attacked by her flock and is at present almost completely blind (and bald). Luckily, I volunteer at a raptor (birds of prey) rehab center where someone had brought her, so we were able to give her antibiotics and sub-Q fluids appropriate to large birds.

I have two Golden Buff hens (who look like Jessica) that are spoiled rotten, but as it is still cold outside I am keeping the blind hen inside where I can keep an eye on her and feed her often. She looks like an Easter Egger with some Ameracauna in the mix. No idea how old she is, only that she was confiscated by the local SPCA from a farm with a cock-fighting operation going on. She was adopted out along with others of her flock, and perhaps she was at the bottom of the pecking order. Right now she resembles a buzzard or vulture.

I am normally VERY practical in making decisions regarding my pets (cats and chickens alike) when it has come time to make the euthanasia decision, but for some reason I wanted to give this poor thing a fighting chance. Since last Wednesday, she has progressed from not being able to stand up to actually eating on her own today, but I have to hand feed her. She has been unable to find the food or water on her own. She was a free-range chicken and not used to being handled much, but she actually seems more secure when I hold her and cluck to her, sometimes even falling asleep in my arms. Poor chookie!!!!!

Everway9, I just wanted to thank you (and all the responders) for sharing Jessica's journey. We have a plaque at the raptor center that says "For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return." (credited to Leonardo da Vinci) When we lose a bird to injury or disease, we think of them as "flying free" again. Jessica is flying free now, and I am so glad you made her quality of life so good for her following her blindness.

Sorry for the book-long post, I was just feeling so inadequate and alone with this bird, but thanks to ALL of you I have some renewed hope for her (just calling her "Miss Hen" for now...if she pulls through I may call her "The Unsinkable Molly Brown"!)
Love and best wishes to all my fellow peeps around the world----

LN