Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

She’s sleepy. Thinking I’ll not euthanize her at this point. She is not having difficulty breathing, or breathing quickly.
New information maybe - I just got her from the coop, she had moved to the doorway. She has shown interest in grit every day. Just now she went over to the grit, but then stood there pooping, only she kept trying. I didn’t see anything drop, so I looked, and there was a two inch pinky size poop hanging out. So I got a paper towel and was going to clean her up. I pulled on it and she bokked and I drew out an almost eight inch size thing, the poop was there but then narrowed to a long fibrous weedy thing that I was very tough. I tried to break it in two and couldn’t. So she has a problem with her gizzard maybe, or what?

She perked up quite a bit after that, and wanted to go out with the others and forage. She just ate two whole blueberries.

I might continue with the baby bird formula and also continue to see how she does. Thoughts?

Could she have eaten something like plastic or twine?

 

[BY Bob]

Louise, our loved Buff Orpington hen died on her own last week. She slept the last two nights in a nest box. The day before she died, she stayed in the nest until 1:30 pm, then got up and had a bite to eat and a sip of water and later had some scratch with the flock.

A few days before she died, she was still slowly walking through tall grass, stopping to peck every now and then and didn't seem to be in distress. I could tell by the way she looked at me, that we both knew she would not have long.

My husband and I went back and forth on what was the best thing to do. Was she suffering? Would we cause more suffering if we botched trying to euthanize her? She had a swollen abdomen and walked slowly, but didn't seem to struggle to breathe, so we just made sure she was not being harassed by any of the other birds and gave her special foods on her own so she didn't have to join the scrum. She died overnight in her nest box last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. I had installed a camera so that I could keep an eye on her from work and I ended up with a bunch of still shots of each chicken paying their respects after she had died early in the morning.

I have questioned whether we did the right thing letting her pass on her own. I hope so.

It sounds to me like she went peacefully. I surely know what it is like to wisdom your decisions. Please listen to me. Do not doubt what you did. I would not question it at all. This way her friends got to say goodbye.

each chicken paying their respects after she had died early in the morning.

This is an important thing for chickens. They need to know. Your tribe will grieve now. If you watch carefully you will notice they are more subdued than usual for a couple of days.

 

[BY Bob]

So sorry you lost Louise. To me it sounds like you did exactly the right thing. She felt safe in that nest box and you kept her where she felt safe.
When I took my cat to the vet and ended up having him put to sleep a couple of weeks ago the thing that has broken my heart is how scared he looked going to the vet. Fortunately they sedated him so at the end he was relaxed and holding my hand, but there was a short time when my heart was just bleeding for him.

 

[BY Bob]

Louise, our loved Buff Orpington hen died on her own last week. She slept the last two nights in a nest box. The day before she died, she stayed in the nest until 1:30 pm, then got up and had a bite to eat and a sip of water and later had some scratch with the flock.

A few days before she died, she was still slowly walking through tall grass, stopping to peck every now and then and didn't seem to be in distress. I could tell by the way she looked at me, that we both knew she would not have long.

My husband and I went back and forth on what was the best thing to do. Was she suffering? Would we cause more suffering if we botched trying to euthanize her? She had a swollen abdomen and walked slowly, but didn't seem to struggle to breathe, so we just made sure she was not being harassed by any of the other birds and gave her special foods on her own so she didn't have to join the scrum. She died overnight in her nest box last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. I had installed a camera so that I could keep an eye on her from work and I ended up with a bunch of still shots of each chicken paying their respects after she had died early in the morning.

I have questioned whether we did the right thing letting her pass on her own. I hope so.

I am so terribly sorry for your loss.

 

[Ponypoor]

Louise, our loved Buff Orpington hen died on her own last week. She slept the last two nights in a nest box. The day before she died, she stayed in the nest until 1:30 pm, then got up and had a bite to eat and a sip of water and later had some scratch with the flock.

A few days before she died, she was still slowly walking through tall grass, stopping to peck every now and then and didn't seem to be in distress. I could tell by the way she looked at me, that we both knew she would not have long.

My husband and I went back and forth on what was the best thing to do. Was she suffering? Would we cause more suffering if we botched trying to euthanize her? She had a swollen abdomen and walked slowly, but didn't seem to struggle to breathe, so we just made sure she was not being harassed by any of the other birds and gave her special foods on her own so she didn't have to join the scrum. She died overnight in her nest box last Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. I had installed a camera so that I could keep an eye on her from work and I ended up with a bunch of still shots of each chicken paying their respects after she had died early in the morning.

I have questioned whether we did the right thing letting her pass on her own. I hope so.

I am of the opinion that as long as they are not in any pain suffering I will allow them to continue as they are.

It sounds like she wasn’t suffering, and she passed peacefully. Glad the others got to see her and know she had passed away.

I am very sorry for your loss, that’s the hard part of having pets.

 

[Lexicon]

It sounds to me like she went peacefully. I surely know what it is like to wisdom your decisions. Please listen to me. Do not doubt what you did. I would not question it at all. This way her friends got to say goodbye.


This is an important thing for chickens. They need to know. Your tribe will grieve now. If you watch carefully you will notice they are more subdued than usual for a couple of days.

Thanks Bob. After I buried Louise, I sat out with the chickens for a long while and they were noticeably quieter than normal.

As we were carrying her body out to the spot I chose, all the ten week old teens were gathered on the knoll right there and it felt like the passing of the guard in a way.

It's interesting how often we hear about hens attacking their ill flockmates, but it wasn't like that at all. No one gave Louise so much as a peck when she was ailing. In her last week, she would sometimes go to roost early and often one of the other hens would come in early to sit with her. I loved to see that.

 

[Ponypoor]

I found Momma Hen and she is accounted for. Her smarts saved her from harm. She was halfway up in the big pine tree where she apparently roosted last night. I had to bribe her down with corn. My flock is clearly still rattled though. The hens are nervous and the boys will not shut up crowing today. This is the most they have crowed past 8 am since I rehomed Twig and Madea.

OMG thank God.

Never have I ever felt such relief reading something. While I am still really furious about poor Chiquita and your others, hearing Momma Hen is alive is some relief.

Oh I could just scream at the injustice of it all, I hope you had words with your neighbours, I sure would have.

I wish I could just give all of you a HUGE hug and cry with you. You have had a terrible run of tragedy and I can only imagine how you are handling it, but hope you and your family are helping each other.

 

[Lexicon]

I am of the opinion that as long as they are not in any pain suffering I will allow them to continue as they are.

It sounds like she wasn’t suffering, and she passed peacefully. Glad the others got to see her and know she had passed away.

I am very sorry for your loss, that’s the hard part of having pets.

Thanks Kelly, a big factor for us was that Louise was not a human friendly hen. I have three other Orpingtons who are your typical broody, friendly gals, but that was not Louise's way. When I thought of taking her to the vet, I knew it would be incredibly stressful for her and I didn't want that for her, especially since we don't have avian vets here and I was pretty sure her prognosis was not good.

A moulting Louise with two of her pals. She is the one furthest from the camera.

 

[Ponypoor]

Thanks Kelly, a big factor for us was that Louise was not a human friendly hen. I have three other Orpingtons who are your typical broody, friendly gals, but that was not Louise's way. When I thought of taking her to the vet, I knew it would be incredibly stressful for her and I didn't want that for her, especially since we don't have avian vets here and I was pretty sure her prognosis was not good.

A moulting Louise with two of her pals. She is the one furthest from the camera.
View attachment 3596578

And in this case 100% agree with your decision - it would be very stressful for her.

If ever in doubt about pain relief I have used aspirin and baby Tylenol with excellent results on Tuff and Red Hen.

Wonderful photo, they look made for snow these big fluffy ladies

 

[Ponypoor]

Thanks Bob. After I buried Louise, I sat out with the chickens for a long while and they were noticeably quieter than normal.

As we were carrying her body out to the spot I chose, all the ten week old teens were gathered on the knoll right there and it felt like the passing of the guard in a way.

It's interesting how often we hear about hens attacking their ill flockmates, but it wasn't like that at all. No one gave Louise so much as a peck when she was ailing. In her last week, she would sometimes go to roost early and often one of the other hens would come in early to sit with her. I loved to see that.

That has been my experience also with Tuff being ill, other than that turnip Rico.

Everyone lets her be, and even Sophia lets her babies be with Tuff, but Sophia won’t let no one else near her babies. Tuff is like the grandma for the babies.