How to deal with grief? Chicken loss

[User395221]

I didn't read the details, I don't think they really make a difference.
Maybe you made a mistake. We all make mistakes. Do you think your sweet little chicken would hold a mistake against you? I know mine are very forgiving. If I accidentally scare them, they don't hold a grudge, they come running over to investigate that salad that frightened them when I flung it about seconds earlier. Why be harder on yourself than your little girl would be?
And maybe you didn't make a mistake at all, but did everything you possibly could, to the best of your knowledge and ability at the time.
Lighten up on yourself. You miss your chicken, we all miss the pets we've loved and who've left us. Just remember the good times and lighten up on the self-criticism. It doesn't change anything. Would you be that critical of somebody else? No, so give yourself a break.

 

[BantyChooks]

I'm late to the party, but I'll add my condolences anyway.

Losing a favourite bird is hard. I know you feel like you failed her, but flystrike is something that is SO hard to notice. I lost a brahma to it once. She looked normal until almost her entire rear end was missing. When you noticed it, you took action. You did something. You tried to save her, and even if you couldn't keep her under optimal conditions (due to no fault of your own) you tried.

Would you be that critical of somebody else? No, so give yourself a break.

 

[igorsMistress]

I don't understand why you feel guilty. I would have been mad as hell at my family for not telling me one of my birds was sick. You left your birds in the care of people who didn't take care of them. Said people should feel guilty. Don't leave your animals with those people again.

 

[mschickiemama]

I don't understand why you feel guilty. I would have been mad as hell at my family for not telling me one of my birds was sick. You left your birds in the care of people who didn't take care of them. Said people should feel guilty. Don't leave your animals with those people again.

I knew she had diarrhea

 

[featherhead007]

I still miss my ameraucana rooster Peeps. He was a good breeder, and friendly to me.

 

[User395221]

I knew she had diarrhea

Hindsight is 20/20. How often is that a sign of something serious as opposed to a temporary minor event? Stop looking for reasons to blame yourself. Please.

 

[igorsMistress]

Hindsight is 20/20. How often is that a sign of something serious as opposed to a temporary minor event? Stop looking for reasons to blame yourself. Please.

X 2

 

[Mubarak123]

I lost my chicken today! My brother mistaken step on it while walking not knowing the chick is following him! He was in pain cus his eyes, brains came out and i was touch in my heart. I needed to let it go because of the pain.. I'm still crying still now.
The chicken followed me for 2 weeks in the car. We were good friends. He calls out to anybody wen he is alone & his favorite is Rice.. Rest well Mubarak!!!

 

[mschickiemama]

I lost my chicken today! My brother mistaken step on it while walking not knowing the chick is following him! He was in pain cus his eyes, brains came out and i was touch in my heart. I needed to let it go because of the pain.. I'm still crying still now.
The chicken followed me for 2 weeks in the car. We were good friends. He calls out to anybody wen he is alone & his favorite is Rice.. Rest well Mubarak!!!

Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! That sounds traumatizing. RIP Mubarak <3

 

[Amyellen]

Hi,
Does anyone have tips for loss of pet chickens and the grief and guilt? One of my chickens died about 3 years ago, and I still have unresolved grief and guilt over it. I feel like I failed her.

So basically she was having a diarrhea problem for a while. I was away from home for some work so family members took care of the chickens. One day I drove down to visit & she had flystrike. It was horrible, and I never had this happen before. I bathed her and put her back outside (looking back I really should have put her in the house to protect her from flies (but I think my mom also said she didn't want her in the house?)). So inevitably she got flystrike again. I drove down to visit, bathed her, she was really weak. I remember I was holding her crying and went in the living room to ask my mom what to do. She was watching a TV show and annoyed by me interrupting I guess. She just said "She's just a chicken" or something. And she didn't want her coming in the house to be bathed anymore. So I bathed her outside in a little garden container. She was so weak & I knew she was going to die. I thought about "putting her out of her misery" but never did that before & I didn't know how. Plus she was my friend. I couldn't stop crying. I laid her in the chicken coop & she died that night...

I don't know how to get over this. It's one of the worst things that ever happened with a pet & I feel like I really failed her. Plus I'm angry at my mom too. "Just a chicken" ? Maybe in her eyes, but she was my friend truly. But I know not everyone is close to chickens I guess. I felt so alone & didn't know what to do...And then I had to drive back to my work...I was in panic mode and handled everything poorly. I failed her & I hate knowing she was in pain. I was her chicken owner and like her "mommy" and I let her suffer...

Well I actually feel better writing it all out. But it also still doesn't change what happened..