Just wanted to say I'm thinking of you & your girls. I don't post much, but have enjoyed watching Levi grow up over on the Ameraucana thread. I just stumbled on this thread today...
Thanks so much, mmfarm. It's been a wild ride, just like Stacey said. I cannot believe that all three of those hens are still with me. Amazing ladies, they are.
Well, instead of the ones I was expecting to pass away, I lost Glenda instead. Was an accident, as far as I can tell. She was super healthy, very sweet, never had one ailment of any kind her whole three years. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=348694
Oh, Cynthia!!!!!!! I am so sorry. I have lost one or two here that had to have been accidents as they were healthy birds. I would find them in the coop sadly to say. But it does happen. So sorry.
We are still here following your progress - Ivy you are one VERY, VERY special chicken and you have all of the support we can give to you - and of course Cynthia who makes life so very special for you and all of your fellow chickens!
It is sad for me that I have lost four of my babies since hearing of your problems - BUT they had a very good life here, good food, fresh water and enough love to keep them happy and feeling that they were Number One here with us ( as they have always been ), it is hard to lose any of our babies and I have cried many tears - but I have also cried MANY, MANY tears for YOU IVY and for Cynthia - please keep Cynthia happy for us all , she SO, SO loves you, stay with us for a while Ivy - you are fiesty ( an English term) so stay here for us all and defy all expectations......
Yes, they are very special to me. Ivy is still hanging in there like the tough woman she is.
We thought we were losing Olivia tonight. Heard her on the baby monitor just gurgling and choking. She has these throat-clearing fits every night while sitting on the roost; sitting on the roost bar puts pressure on her abdomen, thereby putting pressure on her lungs, but this was different sounding. I believe that her lungs are filling with fluid. We brought her inside, I held her in my lap gingerly so as not to press on her abdomen too much, while DH inserted a needle to try to drain off whatever is in there, hoping to take pressure off her lungs. Lots of watery fluid, tinged with blood, came out. I bet there is a quart inside her, but we only have 3 cc syringes at the moment. Afterward, she began stretching her neck out, hacking like she was trying to clear her airway, and was turning blackish-purple. We sat her down and for awhile, she struggled to expell whatever is making it hard for her to breathe (no discharges--this is not respiratory, per se, but pressure on her lungs and heart). Eventually, she regained some of her color and we decided that she would like to be with her sister, Tux, on the roost. After DH returned her to the roost, it became so quiet, he went back later to see if she had passed on, but she was resting quietly. '
We only removed maybe five or six syringes full of liquid so I rather doubt that helped much. I fully expected her to die in front of my eyes tonight, but she is hanging on. Sweet, sweet Olivia. We are almost ready to help her pass on, but were so hoping not to have to do that. If she hadn't returned to breathing better, we would have already done it tonight.
As we all sit in our living rooms, bedrooms, verandas, porches, we read about the sorrow and hurt over a beautiful feathered pet. No one can really be in your shoes as your heart hurts and you suddenly lose your appetite worrying about your beloved hen.
We cannot be in your place, but dear friend, I wish I could indeed trade places with you but for a moment to ease your pain.