Goodbye, my little bigfoot.

AnimalsComeFirst

Songster
8 Years
Jun 6, 2011
1,887
152
173
Hugging a Chicken
We rescued Sophia because she came to us with a twisted back. She was so fluffy and healthy when she first came to us, at 6 months old. She fell over occasionaly, but it was nothing that affected her. She was accepted into the flock, and I knew Gloria and her would be friends. Gloria has always been at her side, eating, sleeping and dustbathing. Penny can't see, and was still friendly towards Sophia, but I don't think blindly stepping on the poor little white hens back helped much, so Sophia kept to Gloria. Free ranging, pools, pats and hugs are what consisted of her life for 3 months. She began to go downhill, fast. She started have seizures, every 30 seconds. She would crunch up into a ball, close her eyes and her feet would spas out. She would hold onto my hand for support, and I mean hold my hand, curling her toes up between my fingers.

As I layed in the yard today, staring down at my little angel girl, waiting for the van that will come to pick her up.... I said goodbye. Saying goodbye.... is not easy for me. Especially to such a friendly little hen. She lied beside me, having her seizures every now and then, and to comfort her, I sang her the song that came to mind. "I will rise" by Chris Tomlin. Its a christian song, based on how when you die, you'll rise on eagle wings, have no pain or sorrow. Thats what i thought and sang to Sophia. I wraped my fingers around her cold little toes and gave her scratches and pats, stroking her matted, dirty feathers that were once clean and fluffy. I told her what a good girl, a trooper, she was and said how nobody would ever forget her. She had her favorite, blueberrys. A whole bowl, all to herself. After that, I just layed her on her back on my lap, and hummed lullaby songs until the truck came and took her to her final destination. Heaven.

I remember what I had always wanted to do with her.... go sledding. I had always thought she would make it through.... long enough to let her go for a sled ride, on a cold winter day, bundled up in a blanket. She never has seen snow. Maybe she will in heaven. But I know in my heart it wouldn't of been good on earth, slipping on the ice, laying in the snow.

My little bigfoot is in heaven now, running through fields and eating wild blueberrys off bushes, I just hope she wasn't in any pain when she left us. (A friend of ours has a shed where he'll fill it with carbon dioxide and put the animal in..... and the animal will pass away painlessly.)

I made a small video as a tribute to Sophia's life..... I love you lil girl.
http://www.kizoa.com/slideshow/d3055741k8218423o1/sophia
 
Poor thing, sounds like maybe she had Mareks? You gave her such a good life. So sorry for your loss.
 
Poor thing, sounds like maybe she had Mareks? You gave her such a good life. So sorry for your loss.

Actually, I believe it was"Avian Leukosis" It comes in 3 categorys, the eyes, the nerves or the organs. Sometimes it can affect more than one of the categorys. Symptoms for the nerve category is.... paralyis of the neck, wing or leg, standing in a squatting position, legs stretched backward or forward, neck will hang or twist to one side, and many more that resemble Sophia.

Unforntunately, there is no treatment for this disease. It resembles mareks alot.
 
sorry for your loss you did a good thing you resqued her she would have died you gave her the chance of life for a little bit more. theres alqays more chickens. i lost a chicken today she was a 6 month old buff oprhington i had chickens all my life but now im forced to move on life my life. i lost my grandma and 2 chicks in the past week. watching my childhood characters move on. its time for me to move on good luck man
 
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Oh my gosh your slide show made me cry!!
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I'm so sorry you lost her. Sophia sounds like a very sweet bird.
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You will be in my prayers.
(By the way, I love Chris Tomlins song.)
Jenae
 

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