Little fighter approaches the end

[MandS]

Thanks everyone

I have a two very quick questions.

She appears to be OK. She is quite weak however and not very active but her comb colour is good. What is different is her sleeping habits. Rarely she might perch in the coop but most often she would just snuggle down in the hay at the side of one of the perches and sleep. However since she came back, both last night and tonight, she is just standing in the bedding area and falling asleep standing up. She is not laying down at all.

I know they can do that outside in the sun etc, but this seems very out of character. Is this something I need to be concerned about?

Second question: how can I get her strength up? She has lost over a pound in weight since November.

Thanks

 

[Waves]

I'm so glad she is at home!!!! big hug from me
Putting your post up someone more experienced will arrive soon, i wouldn't know how to answer your questions! All the best

 

[MandS]

The little fighter lost her battle today.

We had a very cold day during the week (Thursday) and she was quite hunched up and comb was blue, so we brought her indoors, where she has been until today. We tried to put her back with the others on Friday but she was too weak.

She didn't really eat anything and only drank a little. This evening, she was quite unsteady on her feet. I took her out of the cage so we could change the bedding and she just sat down on the floor, having put her left wing down to steady herself. I picked her up and put her back in the cleaned cage and she just sat down, then leaned onto her left side, her neck went down and she did a few little kicks and then left us.

I held her as she was just slightly twitching, so effectively she died in my hands. I was talking gently to her as she did, thanking her for all the eggs, joy and love we'd got from her.

I am very sad right now. I am so glad to have had a little bit longer with her and she did not seem to be in pain but the end is still pretty hard.

This is the last photo I took of her this morning, about 9 and a half hours before she died. Not very clear, but the last one.

Bye bye my beautiful, gentle, and friendly little girl. x

 

[azygous]

Goodbye brave little fighter.

 

[Waves]

Oh no Im so sorry for Your loss! She was a great Fighter and she had an awesome owner
Run happy in the eternal grass, little sweetie!

Im sad, too, cause we unexpectedly lost our little roo two days ago. Im very close to you. It is a difficult period for our little friends, isnt it?
Enormous virtual hug

 

[micstrachan]

Aww. I’m so sorry for your loss. Rest in peace, sweet Betty.

 

[Willowspirit]

I am so sorry you lost sweet Betty .

 

[MandS]

Im sad, too, cause we unexpectedly lost our little roo two days ago. Im very close to you. It is a difficult period for our little friends, isnt it?

Thank you all for your kind words. Waves, I am sorry you lost your little lad too. Hope it gets easier.

It's odd in some ways. I've owned chickens for many years and lost many through old age and only one through a fox, but it never is easy. I think most people look on chickens as stupid, unfriendly and pointless pets, yet they are far from that. Each one has its own peculiarities, personality and presence. So when they go, we lose a little part of our world and it hurts. What is nice is that I can think of all the girls and the one boy that I lost and each one is separate and distinctive in my head - not some sort of culmination or amalgamation of "chickens I once owned".

Thanks to the community here on being so supportive. I feel at home here!

 

[Eggcessive]

So sorry that you have lost Betty. I am sure that you will miss her.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Thank you all for your kind words. Waves, I am sorry you lost your little lad too. Hope it gets easier.

It's odd in some ways. I've owned chickens for many years and lost many through old age and only one through a fox, but it never is easy. I think most people look on chickens as stupid, unfriendly and pointless pets, yet they are far from that. Each one has its own peculiarities, personality and presence. So when they go, we lose a little part of our world and it hurts. What is nice is that I can think of all the girls and the one boy that I lost and each one is separate and distinctive in my head - not some sort of culmination or amalgamation of "chickens I once owned".

Thanks to the community here on being so supportive. I feel at home here!

I love the way you worded this. I am so sorry. Please know that I am holding you in my thoughts and prayers. Sending you hugs. Thank you for sharing your sweet girls fight with us. She was special