I have now realized that my sweet baby Hazel has been gone for 2 months... and I also realized not many people knew what a fun, lovable, inspiring chicken she was. Here is her story.
We adopted Hazel from a friend who rescued her from a abusive home. In the abusive home, she and 15 other chickens were abandoned in a 4 x 4 pen for days. When they were rescued, many had wounds and deseases. Our friend did all she could to treat them, but some died. In the end, 10 lived. 3 of those birds were gave to me. At first, our friend noticed 2 buff orpingtons chickens who were very strange looking and hung out together all the time. One had both her eyes shut and the other had one blue eye and one green eye. These 2 hens would not of done well at our friends ranch, inhabited by 5 horses, 12 hens, 2 roosters and 4 dogs. They needed a retirement home, she knew they were old by the way they acted. She knew I was a huge animal lover and had only one dog, so she mentioned it to us. Us, having no idea how to care for chickens, nor having a coop, a run or the knowledge or supplies to care for them, said yes, being animal lovers. We got a free coop, miraculously, and soon set up a makeshift run out of a net on top, a golden fence and a dog crate for shelter in the daytime. We went chicken shopping and bought 2 bowls, layer feed and some shavings.
We lugged it all home and set it up, then went the next morning to get our 2 disabled birds. My, what wonderful things we discovered about chickens that we never knew. They lived with us for a month... when we suddenly got a call from our friend again. She told us there was a barred rock who sat by herself in the nesting box, not doing anything. She barely ate and was miserable. We went to get her... and boy, what a fight she put up to be put in a carrier! But we did it, and when we got home.... oh boy...
I opened the carrier and SWOOP!! Out she flew, attacking a curious Penny (semi-blind, blue eyed hen) who was investigating the carrier. After all was settled down, immediately Gloria (barred rock) knew this was her home. She stayed close to the 2 blind hens, guiding them around the yard, clucking when there was something mysterious ahead of them. Each had their own personatlity. Gloria, the serious and alert one who always was a hog when it came to food. Penny, the semi blind, curious and lovable one who loved to snuggle. And my dear, baby Hazel... my favorite lil girl. She was blind, so whatever she could hear gave her the sign to walk. A tap of the fooddish sent her running, a soft call made her walk towards the voice. A simple opening of the door would bring her to us. That soft, gentle purr will always stay in my heart. She sometimes used to open her tiny, black, left eye and peek at the world for a moment, then close it once again. My, how she loved her yogurt. She'd spill it all down her face, only to get a sip of it. The three of them were pampered, from sled rides in the winter, to pools in the summer.... warm laps to sleep on, and gentle massages on a cold, fall day. They lived with us happily for 6 months, laying eggs and living a good life. Hazel layed us Xtra large eggs, penny medium, and Gloria small.
In the beggining of this fall, hazel became ill. A large lump, a tumor, formed under her beak. It caused her to breathe heavily and gasp for breath. We couldn't afford to take her to a vet, knowing that it would most likely cost over a hundred dollars to remove the tumor and buy medications. Our sweet girl was at her end. The days of being sick were tried to make happy, but she grew weaker and weaker. I fed her applesause medicated with vegtable oil, vegtable stock and anything i heard would help. I manually fed her and massaged her crop. It seemed to work one day when green stuff started to come out of her beak while massaging, but the poor girl wouldn't stand for it. She still gave us that soft, heartwarming purr. She cuddled into my legs, asking for help. The other 2 hens seemed to know.... they sat close by and watched, sometimes coming over to nuzzle hazels feathers. We even brought baby Hazel in the house, offering foods and warming her. I put her in the coop one night and said, "Good night, Baby Hazel." That was the last she heard from me, and that was the last time I heard her soft purr.
I opened the coop to find her laying head down, snuggled by the other 2 hens. They looked so sad... so quiet. Not a cluck was made as I removed Hazel's life less body and cuddled her. I wrapped her in a blanket and put her in a box. The 2 hens left, Gloria and Penny, huddled together in the pen, dozing off or watching me. My baby Hazel... what a sweet girl, how I miss her.
I wanted to post this in memory of my sweet Hazel, in remembrance of the blind chicken that I love. I can still remember that soft, little purr.
Cuddling with Gloria.
Penny, Hazel and Gloria.
Cleaning herself.
Sunbathing with Luna, those 2 were buddies from the start.
That little black eye looking at me.
Sunbathing, her favorite thing to do.
Running towards the call of her name.
Posing for pictures....
Walking her on a leash... she tolerated so much.
The last picture ever taken, with my baby girl gasping for breath, the tumor under her beak, her small body cuddled between my legs.
We adopted Hazel from a friend who rescued her from a abusive home. In the abusive home, she and 15 other chickens were abandoned in a 4 x 4 pen for days. When they were rescued, many had wounds and deseases. Our friend did all she could to treat them, but some died. In the end, 10 lived. 3 of those birds were gave to me. At first, our friend noticed 2 buff orpingtons chickens who were very strange looking and hung out together all the time. One had both her eyes shut and the other had one blue eye and one green eye. These 2 hens would not of done well at our friends ranch, inhabited by 5 horses, 12 hens, 2 roosters and 4 dogs. They needed a retirement home, she knew they were old by the way they acted. She knew I was a huge animal lover and had only one dog, so she mentioned it to us. Us, having no idea how to care for chickens, nor having a coop, a run or the knowledge or supplies to care for them, said yes, being animal lovers. We got a free coop, miraculously, and soon set up a makeshift run out of a net on top, a golden fence and a dog crate for shelter in the daytime. We went chicken shopping and bought 2 bowls, layer feed and some shavings.
We lugged it all home and set it up, then went the next morning to get our 2 disabled birds. My, what wonderful things we discovered about chickens that we never knew. They lived with us for a month... when we suddenly got a call from our friend again. She told us there was a barred rock who sat by herself in the nesting box, not doing anything. She barely ate and was miserable. We went to get her... and boy, what a fight she put up to be put in a carrier! But we did it, and when we got home.... oh boy...
I opened the carrier and SWOOP!! Out she flew, attacking a curious Penny (semi-blind, blue eyed hen) who was investigating the carrier. After all was settled down, immediately Gloria (barred rock) knew this was her home. She stayed close to the 2 blind hens, guiding them around the yard, clucking when there was something mysterious ahead of them. Each had their own personatlity. Gloria, the serious and alert one who always was a hog when it came to food. Penny, the semi blind, curious and lovable one who loved to snuggle. And my dear, baby Hazel... my favorite lil girl. She was blind, so whatever she could hear gave her the sign to walk. A tap of the fooddish sent her running, a soft call made her walk towards the voice. A simple opening of the door would bring her to us. That soft, gentle purr will always stay in my heart. She sometimes used to open her tiny, black, left eye and peek at the world for a moment, then close it once again. My, how she loved her yogurt. She'd spill it all down her face, only to get a sip of it. The three of them were pampered, from sled rides in the winter, to pools in the summer.... warm laps to sleep on, and gentle massages on a cold, fall day. They lived with us happily for 6 months, laying eggs and living a good life. Hazel layed us Xtra large eggs, penny medium, and Gloria small.
In the beggining of this fall, hazel became ill. A large lump, a tumor, formed under her beak. It caused her to breathe heavily and gasp for breath. We couldn't afford to take her to a vet, knowing that it would most likely cost over a hundred dollars to remove the tumor and buy medications. Our sweet girl was at her end. The days of being sick were tried to make happy, but she grew weaker and weaker. I fed her applesause medicated with vegtable oil, vegtable stock and anything i heard would help. I manually fed her and massaged her crop. It seemed to work one day when green stuff started to come out of her beak while massaging, but the poor girl wouldn't stand for it. She still gave us that soft, heartwarming purr. She cuddled into my legs, asking for help. The other 2 hens seemed to know.... they sat close by and watched, sometimes coming over to nuzzle hazels feathers. We even brought baby Hazel in the house, offering foods and warming her. I put her in the coop one night and said, "Good night, Baby Hazel." That was the last she heard from me, and that was the last time I heard her soft purr.
I opened the coop to find her laying head down, snuggled by the other 2 hens. They looked so sad... so quiet. Not a cluck was made as I removed Hazel's life less body and cuddled her. I wrapped her in a blanket and put her in a box. The 2 hens left, Gloria and Penny, huddled together in the pen, dozing off or watching me. My baby Hazel... what a sweet girl, how I miss her.
I wanted to post this in memory of my sweet Hazel, in remembrance of the blind chicken that I love. I can still remember that soft, little purr.
Cuddling with Gloria.
Penny, Hazel and Gloria.
Cleaning herself.
Sunbathing with Luna, those 2 were buddies from the start.
That little black eye looking at me.
Sunbathing, her favorite thing to do.
Running towards the call of her name.
Posing for pictures....
Walking her on a leash... she tolerated so much.
The last picture ever taken, with my baby girl gasping for breath, the tumor under her beak, her small body cuddled between my legs.
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