My Speckled Sussex passed away today

[jdwilliamson]

First off let me say I'm a new member and I have gotten so much info from this page. I have had my first flock for about a year. And this morning after a long battle with sour/pendulous crop my sweet Pearline just couldn't fight anymore. The reason I'm starting this thread is because no one around me seems to understand why I am grieving over a chicken. I raised her, took care of her, and in the last few weeks of her life I babied her and did everything I could to save her but she just couldn't fight anymore. Needless to say I got so close to her. She was one of the sweetest babies I had and she will be misse. I'm glad their is a community out there that value the lives of their chickens. I have been pretty bummed today as a result of Pearline passing away. Just wanted to share my feelings a bit. Don't know what this thread should consist of. Maybe share stories of your favorite chicks that just couldn't pull through no matter how much you tried. I know my girl will always have a special place in my heart.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC and sorry to hear about your loss. We all understand what you are going through and we know that its never easy.

If you would like to create a thread for discussing the topic, I'd suggest that you start one on the Random Ramblings forum. Since this is the New Members forum, many members do not regularly check it. You'll reach more people on the RR forum.

Best wishes
CT

 

[drumstick diva]

I agree. It is mainly the greeters among us, who check out this thread.

Very sorry for your loss

 

[Cynthia12]

So so sorry.

 

[barred2rock]

Very sorry for your loss... May Pearline rest in peace!

 

[whoop whoop]

First off let me say I'm a new member and I have gotten so much info from this page. I have had my first flock for about a year. And this morning after a long battle with sour/pendulous crop my sweet Pearline just couldn't fight anymore. The reason I'm starting this thread is because no one around me seems to understand why I am grieving over a chicken. I raised her, took care of her, and in the last few weeks of her life I babied her and did everything I could to save her but she just couldn't fight anymore. Needless to say I got so close to her. She was one of the sweetest babies I had and she will be misse. I'm glad their is a community out there that value the lives of their chickens. I have been pretty bummed today as a result of Pearline passing away. Just wanted to share my feelings a bit. Don't know what this thread should consist of. Maybe share stories of your favorite chicks that just couldn't pull through no matter how much you tried. I know my girl will always have a special place in my heart.

Welcometo BYC I am so sorry about your chicken and completely understand how you feel - it is just awful losing one when you have worked so hard to keep them alive.

 

[Rinilope]

I am so sorry

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome but so sorry it is under such sad circumstances.

Most of us have been through it and unfortunately it is an inevitability of keeping chickens since they have such short lives, although obviously Pearline's little life was cut short far too soon. It's funny how they wrangle their way into your heart, especially when you are having to give them TLC for weeks or months on end and hoping against hope that you can fix them. I had a very near miss with a little bantam pekin, Vippy who also had an impacted crop a few weeks ago and after 2 weeks of massaging and vomiting, she stopped eating and I knew she would not last long as she was just skin, bone and feathers. In desperation I performed surgery on her and removed a tennis ball sized mass of soggy strands of straw and dry grass from inside her crop. At one point I was sure I had killed her because she aspirated vomit, however she is a tough little cookie and has come through it and is now back in her pen with her palls and laying eggs again.

I've had numerous others over the years that I have been less fortunate with though. Little Hope springs to mind as she was a real favourite. She got Marek's disease and the first attack at about 3 months caused her significant paralysis and she couldn't walk for a few days and kept falling on her side and floundering, unable to get up. Amazingly she completely recovered as quickly as it came on but 6 weeks later she had a second and much worse attack and she was nest bound for 3 months. Twice I told myself that I would euthanize her by the weekend because her quality of life was so poor. I had to hold her to eat and drink and clean her up of course because she was soiling herself, but she refused to give in and I couldn't give up on her whilst she was prepared to fight. Eventually we got some warm spring weather and sunshine and I was able to put her out in a large cage on the grass and that was when she started to make real progress. She started to crawl using a leg and wing and gradually over several more months she got more and more use of her paralysed limbs, just through sheer determination to get from A to B. It was not pretty to watch but she kept at it She eventually improved so much that she was able to free range with the flock by summer and whilst she still had a limp she could half fly half hobble when she wanted to get somewhere quick and easily keep up with the others, especially if there was scratch being scattered. She was even laying me a few eggs each week. something I never expected because Marek's is a wasting disease that causes tumours and there is no cure, so she was always on borrowed time. Sadly one day I had a fox attack and she was one of the victims. I was totally gutted because she was my little sweetheart but at least she died doing what she enjoyed out ranging and I'm pretty sure she will have put up a heck of a fight....
...............so, anyway I really do sympathise.

Try to take comfort in the ones you have left and remember the good times with Perline. You might want to consider making a little momento of her as a keep sake. Some people do a little plaster foot imprint and decorate it with a few of their feathers. As a speckled Sussex she will have beautiful feathers, so it would look lovely. Apologies if the idea is a bit macabre, I know it's probably not everyone's cup of tea, but just something to consider.

Best wishes

Barbara

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas and

! Happy you joined our flock but sorry about your loss. You are so correct - we do get attached to our birds and mourn their loss. I agree about starting a new thread in the RR Forum. Best of luck to you and hang in there!

 

[featherhead007]

I feel for the loss of a friend like your bird, somethings in life just cannot be replaced but rather stored safely away in our warm hearts forever.
With my new chicks, I feel life renewed in me just by caring for them. I retired from USMS last year. moved to a farm in a small town and have more time to
learn to love again..PS: Jesus Saves!