I am completely heartbroken. I brought little Faith to an avian vet this afternoon, hoping something could be done to fix her leg. She did have a slipped tendon, and in the doctor's opinion, only costly surgery would give her the best chance. Even with the surgery he couldn't be certain she would fully recover. Without surgery she could learn to live with her disability but would have a poor quality of life and would never be able to live with the flock. Knowing this, the decision should have been easy, but I had a very difficult time deciding to have her euthanized. I have grown very attached to her in the past two days while nursing her. I literally held her all day yesterday because it was the only way she was comfortable. I held her in her box the entire hour ride home, sobbing and hoping I made the right decision. The 'what ifs' keep dragging me down. What if she could have healed on her own? What if I had given her more time? I kept thinking I could hear her peeping inside her little box, but I couldn't bear the thought of seeing her little body. I am waiting for DH to come home so we can bury her in my flower garden. At this point I can only focus on my chicks that have hatched and appreciate them more for the happiness they create. I'm sorry to unload all of this, but there aren't many people who understand the charm of a chicken.
