Martha (pic heavy)

[orumpoultry]

So sorry for your loss. What a beautiful bird.

 

[Fluffballs]

She's such a pretty bird. I'm so sorry! God bless.

 

[Sparklewina]

I'm so sorry, I can sense your heartbreak just reading this. Martha was beautiful and your time with her was meant to be. Please don't waste time with self blame. Anyone who gives love and kindness to these birds so often seen as disposable byproducts of human consumption is appreciated by these little chicken souls that leave us. I like this memorial you've shared of her. I'm sure she returned the love you felt for her and I believe that kind of exchange of love and trust is really meaningful to chickens.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Thank you all so much for your kind words. Martha was quite the little character and, as I said in my first post, she was one of the most difficult birds to lose. Reading all of your posts was a big help. (And chicken hugs. Chicken hugs helped a lot, too!)

Suzierd: No, we don't know what she had. Her symptoms were diarrhea, loss of weight (I'm guessing as a result of the diarrhea), and lethargy. I began to see some symptoms in a few of the other birds and so my flock is on a round of antibiotics and seems to be recovering without any complications.

 

[Chickenfan4life]

Though this is old, I just have to comment.

I am so sorry that you lost her. She sounded like she was quite the character. It does hurt to lose them, doesn't it?

I hope your pain is eased, considering the length of time between the start of this thread, and my post.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Little Martha has been a hard one to forget, but time heals many wounds, and so too has it healed mine. I still think about her, and talk to her if I happen to be near where she was buried.

Martha was buried in the chicken yard, between a bush that the hens frequent and a tree covered with grape vines that the hens like to climb. I picked the prettiest stones I could find to cover her grave. Unfortunately, the stick that I had initially stuck into the ground there as a grave marker has since broken off, though I can always find that spot because of the pretty stones there. Almost every morning (assuming there's no snow on the ground), the hens gather around Martha's grave and do their preening. It's quite something to see.

Something else of interest; Amy, another of my golden Sebrights, did not go 'insane' over this past winter without her insanity partner, Martha. Maybe it just isn't the same for her without her sister.

 

[Suzie]

I am in floods of tears ... having read your emotional tribute to Martha and your ongoing sadness at losing her..... you learn to live with the heartache of having loved and lost... she was so very beautiful in her looks and character... she will live on in your heart forever... as she will to us who have shared your loss.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I'm sorry that reading the first post upset you. Re-reading it, I can definitely tell how much I was hurting at the time of writing it. Martha was terribly cute, and it was so tragic that I could do nothing for her. But enough time has passed that I can think of her without becoming emotional. Heck, I even was laughing remembering her little kung-fu-banty moves.

I am sad, though, that little Amy has lost her 'insanity partner'. People don't tend to realize how much these things really affect animals (I mean, I didn't even realize it really until my last post here), but you can tell if you're close enough to them. At least Amy still has the silver Sebrights. She does tend to perch with them, though she seems to prefer going solo during her waking hours.

 

[Suzie]

They are incredibly beautiful !

Please do not feel it is necessary to apologise for raw emotions... I have been there with some of my beloved chickens and it can be heart rending, I have cried at the loss of some of my special girls and Roo's... it is a huge part of living and loving....

I would not exchange one moment of life with them... they are in our hearts forever... thank you for sharing Martha with us all.

 

[Chickenfan4life]

I once had a trio of sickly hens, rescued from an unhealthy situation. The first hen, a Production Red, died from hunger; shortly after that, her sister died. I was down to the last girl, who was perfectly healthy, and eating fine when she had her sisters. After those grils died, she stopped eating and drinking, and just seemed lost. Seh always made her light, high-pitched "where are you?" sound. Eventually, she died.

Chickens do miss their friends, and it will hurt them just as much as the humans that loved them...