History of a coop- please help solve this mystery

[Haunted55]

Not sure if you guys are following this anymore but I did want to let you know that Nugget died about a week after my last post. It was heartbreaking because she has started looking and acting better- and then she just completely stopped eating.

I now have another sick hen (Betty). Swollen abdomen. I've been giving her olive oil in both ways trying to clear any blockage. She is still acting normal- but is eating less every day. Again- she hasn't laid in well over a year. They have been getting ACV in their water since Nugget got sick.

Why???

What is this??

I'm so disheartened. I got chickens to enjoy and have fun and now I just feel like I in a constant state of fear of death and death.

Have you had a necropsy done on any of the birds yet? If another one dies I would. It will tell you what you are dealing with and how to fix the problems. The current hen, Betty, check to make sure she isn't bound. Even though she hasn't laid in over a year, they can and will start again and it is possible she is bound. I am truly sorry you are going through all of this. I've been in your shoes more than once and it isn't a nice place to be. I can tell you this, after a while, you do become more philosophical about it all. You'd have to or go insane. Not hard, just more accepting of the issues.

 

[seminolewind]

Not sure if you guys are following this anymore but I did want to let you know that Nugget died about a week after my last post. It was heartbreaking because she has started looking and acting better- and then she just completely stopped eating.

I now have another sick hen (Betty). Swollen abdomen. I've been giving her olive oil in both ways trying to clear any blockage. She is still acting normal- but is eating less every day. Again- she hasn't laid in well over a year. They have been getting ACV in their water since Nugget got sick.

Why???

What is this??

I'm so disheartened. I got chickens to enjoy and have fun and now I just feel like I in a constant state of fear of death and death.

The only way to avoid the sadness is to not have any at all. I know how you feel. We all do. I know we can't take your pain away, but we can offer all our shoulders. Don't get disheartened, which is easy to say. I've been into this 6 years and would never have changed my mind even now. I just would have never brought home Typhoid Mary.

Chickens will toughen you up and make you realize that (okay, me) life is far different than I thought it was and I never would have expected ending up with the mental strength to deal with reality. Every one of mine gets the best I know how, and is helped to heaven if they need to. I can't do any more than the best I can, and I have no control over nature, but I can make the earth time wonderful no matter how short life can be. (okay yes I've had a few glasses of wine shared with my chickens) And I can cry as long as I have to.

 

[Haunted55]

The only way to avoid the sadness is to not have any at all. I know how you feel. We all do. I know we can't take your pain away, but we can offer all our shoulders. Don't get disheartened, which is easy to say. I've been into this 6 years and would never have changed my mind even now. I just would have never brought home Typhoid Mary.

Chickens will toughen you up and make you realize that (okay, me) life is far different than I thought it was and I never would have expected ending up with the mental strength to deal with reality. Every one of mine gets the best I know how, and is helped to heaven if they need to. I can't do any more than the best I can, and I have no control over nature, but I can make the earth time wonderful no matter how short life can be. (okay yes I've had a few glasses of wine shared with my chickens) And I can cry as long as I have to.

Seminle, you've hit it right on the head. We've learned to deal and accept what to me is God's will. There is nothing else, unless as you said, you give up on them completely. In my book, this isn't an option. The joys and even the pain make it all worth while in the end. My birds have the best life I can give to them, even if it is shorter than planned.

 

[lampe731]

Thank you both so much for your kind words. I think you both are right. I'm going to try to look at this as an excuse to get some new adorable chicks.

I am hoping to have a necropsy done to hopefully get an insight, maybe even try to get some blood work done to see if it is Merck's (although I guess that isn't 100% accurate).

Thank you again for your shoulder- I would have given up by now without it.