My hen Joy had the same thing happen around this same time. She survived, and like you, she’s the hen I’ve bonded with most. Joy recovered very well, but she never laid another egg.
I struggled with knowing what to do as well. She was a slow mover for a while, I was worried it was a sign she wasn’t really well, but after a while she got stronger. EYP of course takes a toll on a bird, and Joy had a slow recovery, but eventually, she was up chasing frogs and pullets again. Now, I can’t outrun her. She’s back to stealing my lunch (I’ve made it a habit of only bringing out chicken-safe food now just in case
) and is now going through a molt (taking it like a champ. Her sisters are acting so pitiful about it and they’ve only lost a few feathers!)
I’m glad I chose to bring her though. It felt selfish of me at first, but I saw how much she loved life, and she made it through. I’d like to hear what path you took with Easter, how did she recover? Or did you have to make the difficult decision to let her go?
Hi there, I'm so happy you reached out with yours and Joy's story. It's always warming to hear of a happy ending. I'm glad she is doing well! ❤ What is her breed and age?
Joy's saga sounds quite similar to my Easter's, who also always seemed "behind" her sisters, especially in terms of size/weight. Her recovery was slow, and, after over a month of various antibiotics, vet appointments, crop massages, and all kinds of TLC, I was getting ready to let her go. Each day I'd wake up thinking "today will be the day I have her put to sleep." But then, each day, she do something indicating she still had an undying zeal for life which I read--perhaps cruelly--as a sign that she could keep fighting the good fight. For example, the night before I planned to have her euthanized, I let her out of the hospital pen to give her belly rubs on the floor (she loves belly scratches). Then I noticed a big, juicy cricket slowly ambling towards us from the other side of the room. With curiosity, I watched it make its way across the floor, right up to Easter's toes, almost as if in self-sacrifice (it was that time of year when the crickets start their death march). She immediately perked up, dove for it, and gulped it down with happy trills. I then thought there might still be a chance, and decided against euthanasia.
I'm happy to report, Easter made a 180 degree turnaround in the weeks following that anecdote. I'm glad I kept fighting for her, because, like your Joy, she is clearly enjoying every moment of chicken life--sassing her sisters, gobbling up treats, flying onto my back shoulders every time I let my guard down, etc. One thing I should mention--and admittedly, this is purely anecdotal--is that her sudden turnaround seemed to coincide with a last-ditch attempt to administer colloidal silver. I knew she wasn't getting better (at this point her crop wasn't functioning at all and she was barely pooping) and the antibiotics had run their course. As a Hail Mary, I mixed colloidal silver into a small bit of tuna mash and within the next 24 hours she was eating a ton, chattering, and pooping. She went from the brink of death to being a healthy, happy chicken. Once she fully recovered (I treated her w/ colloidal silver for 10 days), I put her back out with the girls and she's since been happy as can be.
Like Joy, Easter hasn't laid an egg since--and I'm glad for it. I think her molt saved her in the end, since it occurred right as she fell ill with EYP. The cessation in laying gave her time to heal. My fingers are crossed that she will never lay again so that she can remain strong and healthy. While rare, there are cases in which hens cease laying after recovering from EYP.
Of course, I know there may be a day when she falls ill again, and I'm always preparing myself for it--till then the joy of seeing her thrive each day is priceless. And I'm sure you feel the same way about your sweet Joy. I'm so glad you decided to fight the good fight with her--it's so hard to tell whether we are helping or prolonging the suffering, but in this case it was certainly worth it for us. Thanks again for sharing Joy's story.
