G'bye Thelma

[Tangeygirl]

Today we had to say goodbye to our 25 week old Easter Egger, Thelma. She had been suffering with symptoms of Marek's on and off for about 1 1/2 months. She would have leg paralysis, then get better. Then wing paralysis, then would get better. On and off all this time. The past week it's been hard, she had paralysis in both legs and 1 wing. She was eating and drinking perfectly fine as long as it was put in front of her. But I'd often find her belly up from falling over and not being able to get back up. I knew it was coming to a time where we'd have to cull her. Her quality of life wasn't much. This morning I went out to the run and she was "stuck" in the hardware cloth that is on the bottom of our run to keep predators out. It appeared that she had tried to get up several times by flapping her 1 good wing and she tore it severely, bleeding, open fleshy wound. We culled her and buried her, thank goodness for the ground not being quite frozen yet. I'm sad she's gone but am glad that she's no longer suffering. My family thinks I'm a lil crazy for being as sad as I am over "just a chicken". But I love my girls.

RIP Thelma <3

 

[easttxchick]

I'm so sorry about Thelma. She was lucky she had you to care for her and make the ultimate decision that was in her best interest.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

lots of

 

[CaitlynNichols]

Sorry about Thelma, she was a beautiful girl.

 

[gryeyes]

I, too, cared for a special hen I think may have suffered from Mareks. Same on, off, symptoms, and she was not doing well in "hospital" indoors, so I bought a rabbit hutch and set it up for her on the back porch where flock members could visit her. (Yah, well, if she already had it, they all did... if that's what it was.) She rallied for a good two weeks, then headed downhill again. She passed without me having to cull her. I'm sad she's gone, but relieved I didn't have to cull her myself.

I really miss Matilda. Luckily, I have a young pullet of the same breed who is coming up to be SO much like Matilda it's really interesting. So Molly has helped me recover from the loss of Matilda.

 

[Darlasmum]

Poor Thelma. so sorry for your loss.

 

[gritsar]

 

[theoldchick]

How sad.

 

[Tangeygirl]

Thank you so much everyone. You all are so sweet.

~Jaime

 

[Tangeygirl]

Quote:
Awww, so sorry to hear about your sweet Matilda but am happy to hear Molly is there to keep your spirits up. You sound like me with how you took care of Matilda. No one else but us "crazy chicken people" understand!