My beautiful La Fleche, El Diablo, had to be sent to chicken heaven today.
I just can't believe it.
I had noticed that El Diablo hadn't been leaving the coop, but he didn't look sick and I figured it was just because of the other cockerels and roosters he was shy to leave it. I have been so busy with holiday junk and pre-winter clean-up that haven't been handling my flock as much as I like to and finally Saturday I got a chance to look at everyone. I found my La Fleche with what we thought was an infection on his wing, like maybe he had been wounded...but couldn't find a wound anywhere. It was a swollen round thing. I lanced it, thinking it would release pressure, but no puss came out. A tumor coming off the wing bone.
This morning I made the decision to put him down, he just seemed to be going down hill and stopped eating. His crop was empty every time I caught him.
I feel like such a terrible chicken keeper. I can't believe he was so sick and I didn't know. I don't know if there was anything I could have done but I still feel so sick about the whole thing.
Thanks for listening.
I had noticed that El Diablo hadn't been leaving the coop, but he didn't look sick and I figured it was just because of the other cockerels and roosters he was shy to leave it. I have been so busy with holiday junk and pre-winter clean-up that haven't been handling my flock as much as I like to and finally Saturday I got a chance to look at everyone. I found my La Fleche with what we thought was an infection on his wing, like maybe he had been wounded...but couldn't find a wound anywhere. It was a swollen round thing. I lanced it, thinking it would release pressure, but no puss came out. A tumor coming off the wing bone.
This morning I made the decision to put him down, he just seemed to be going down hill and stopped eating. His crop was empty every time I caught him.
I feel like such a terrible chicken keeper. I can't believe he was so sick and I didn't know. I don't know if there was anything I could have done but I still feel so sick about the whole thing.
Thanks for listening.
