I murdered our best sweetest hen

[chkn]

You know, my experience with a sick bird is that even just putting something on that stings can push them over the edge. My feeling is that this bird, having its respiratory system already compromised by the coryza, being turned over on its back and given something that stung was enough to put her over the edge.

I had a similar experience with a roo, every time I turned him over he looked like he was going to sleep, black out and then start to die on me. He was a big, strong guy but in retrospect I shouldn't have laid him on his back. Sometimes it's hard to tell how sick they really are. It's a very fine line.

I also lost a hen applying hydrogen peroxide to a wound from a dog bite.

So, don't be too hard on yourself, you did the best you could. I know you'll feel a hole there for awhile.

 

[sourland]

I'm thinking that she was so far gone that just the added stress of being handled pushed her over the edge. You were trying to help and she died. Seems like it was inevitable anyway-- NOT YOUR FAULT!

 

[Evelle]

omgosh i am so sorry im cring for you!!!

it wasnt your falt. sometimes these things happen. if she was sick you had no other choice.. take care.. things will get better.

 

[orpingtonbabies]

I really don't know anything about what happened

, but i'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[feliciamckee]

Thank you so much to everyone's great advice and kind words. I am trying not to blame myself. My 8 yr. old is still taking it hard. I HATE shopping, but I took her to the mall today just to get her mind off of Babs. I even took her to Sams and offered to buy her a big box of candy bars and she didn't want them! She has been so sad. My son made her a little home made cross and painted it.

I went out today to look at them all walking around in the yard and it wasn't the same without her. I guess whether or not it was allergic reaction, or my mistake, it won't bring her back and at least she is not sick anymore.

 

[feliciamckee]

Quote:
Thank you. That is EXACTLY what my husband said! I really do think that is what she had. She was sleeping alot and very listless. She had lots of mucus coming from her beak...so much that when she would shake her head, it would get on you and her back would stay wet and sticky. Her eyes were also bubbly and one of them was very swolen. She also had bad diarreah. She has been this way since my husband brought her home but had been getting worse.

I still wish we had a chicken vet! My daughter says when she becomes a vet, she will never turn away a chicken!!!

 

[Roccomanchickens]

sorry for your loss, you tried to help her, which is better than letting her suffer. Some things are out of our hands. Hope your kids feel better soon. Maybe they can make a memorial for her?

 

[shelley31904]

Sorry for your loss, all we can do sometimes is our best. It's obvious you loved her and it's sad things turned out the way they did. I hope your kids feel better.

 

[feliciamckee]

Thank you so much. Each day does get better. Things could have been a lot worse...they could have all gotten sick and died. So far, none of our others show any signs of the disease. I pray it stays that way and we are watching them all closely. I told my husband...no more flea mrk. chickens, please! No matter how cute they are.

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

am sorry to hear you lost your favorite, I don't think the injection did it, you have experience with needles so that would be really difficult to go through the breast into the body cavity. You did the best you could and sometimes even with the most heroric efforts it's just not enough, it could be that it was just at that time she died, and would have died no matter what you did, and least she went being held and loved.
Remember, it's far better to have loved and lost, then to never have loved at all