Not an Emergency...Marek's in the Flock

[mightymax]

Rebrascora...it's always hard to lose a pet, even more so when it's a favored one. And I, too, am sorry for your loss and will tip my hat at sunset to her, paying homage to her memory...

-kim-

 

[rebrascora]

Many thanks for your support and mark of respect to her. She was a fighter and did well to rally twice from the disease. I feel sad that our last significant interaction was me doing something to her that distressed her but we had lots of good times and I try to dwell on those.
Unfortunately I've had another tragedy in that I've also had a fox attack and lost 5 hens including Hope's pal and fellow Marek sufferer, little Hoppity and Hope's sister, Joy who were also both favourites. I'm pretty devastated! It's been a long run of good luck I've had despite the Marek's, but it's well and truly come to an end. Let's hope there's no more heartache in my little yard for a good while to come.

 

[alibabba]

So sorry for the fox loss!

I have a good head for electric fence, having done it multiple times. Not hard, or expensive, and I am a girl. if you want pm me. Electrifying the pen that I lost pullets from, and watching the fox go on by, was cathartic for the 17 pullets I lost 2 weeks ago.

 

[alibabba]

Sorry for you loss Rebrascora.

With my birds that had respiratory distress, it seemed like any kind of handling made them worse. Most of them died fairly quickly after showing breathing problems. The ones that lingered I had to cull since I knew the end was inevitable.

Ahh, I have my little D'Uccle pullet....down to bones...she will probably pass tonight.

I hope she will forgive me for trying to help too long. (I can't cut off her head, especially after caring for her so closely and her looking into my eyes over these past months)
I know if there is Heaven, she will.

I just can't hurt her. I thought of putting her out in her box for the fox, is that crazy or what? I don't know if I could even give her a tube od of like sleeping pills... ther painless ideas? painless for both of us that is.

 

[ochochicas]

Quote: If you prefer, let her pass peacefully on her own. Leaving her for the fox would only be frightening for her.

It was very difficult to cull my favorites. I tired tubing some with vodka ( a lot of it) and it usually didn't have an affect. Sometimes I waited "just one more day" and they passed during the night. Others were sick and wasting for a long time and were easier to cull. I'd wait until dusk, or sometimes first thing in the morning. I carried them out to a quite spot in the yard and lay them on their side with their back to me. They were totally relaxed and peaceful as I placed their heads on a piece of wood. Then the hatched came from behind and they never had to feel any more pain.

I watched one of my cockerels have a seizure and die. I'd rather cull them before they get to that point. Just my personal preference. There is never a good way to see your pets cross the rainbow bridge. My thoughts are with you and your pullet.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote: You don't want a fox tearing her up, do you? Painless idea? I tube vodka, alot of it, and wait until I can finish the job. Sad, but I don't think my last 2 felt anything.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote: If you prefer, let her pass peacefully on her own. Leaving her for the fox would only be frightening for her.

It was very difficult to cull my favorites. I tired tubing some with vodka ( a lot of it) and it usually didn't have an affect. Sometimes I waited "just one more day" and they passed during the night. Others were sick and wasting for a long time and were easier to cull. I'd wait until dusk, or sometimes first thing in the morning. I carried them out to a quite spot in the yard and lay them on their side with their back to me. They were totally relaxed and peaceful as I placed their heads on a piece of wood. Then the hatched came from behind and they never had to feel any more pain.

I watched one of my cockerels have a seizure and die. I'd rather cull them before they get to that point. Just my personal preference. There is never a good way to see your pets cross the rainbow bridge. My thoughts are with you and your pullet.
Did the vodka make her sleepy at all? It put my 2 last ones very sleepy. Took 45 minutes to an hour.

 

[alibabba]

You don't want a fox tearing her up, do you? Painless idea? I tube vodka, alot of it, and wait until I can finish the job. Sad, but I don't think my last 2 felt anything.H

Well, fox came last week and killed 17 healthy pullets without a mark. She doesn't have much life left. It would be a moment....

And back to nature...


I could tube vodka to myself....that might help

 

[alibabba]

Ochochias and Seminolewind.

I can't thank you enough for, first of all, being awake at this time of night, and offering your compassion and consideration to me, a veritable stranger and my poor little pet.


I know it would be a relief for both of us...a sharp axe. I even would probably use the loppers, to make sure I didn't miss. Separating head from body is weird for me. I don't think I would care for it if I was choosing for myself....

I just picked up 10 or so bodies left by the fox last week, without much emotion, just a sad job that I caused (I think I am getting harder, like I need to be If I am going to be a chicken farmer, but man this little baby is hard)

ETA, only slightly harder, and not the meat raising, butchering kind of chicken farmer...raising egg laying pets for other softies.

 

[ochochicas]

I've tried the vodka a couple of times. It worked well on two of the smaller pullets. I had one hen that was about 8 or 9 months old that had stopped laying and was having having respiratory problems. I tubed her with probably 30 ml of vodka. I figured it was enough to put her into a coma if DH didn't do the job correctly. She didn't get sleepy, and I had to leave so I left DH to do the job when she got sleepy. She never got sleepy. By the time I got home hours later she was still walking around like normal. I decided if she could survive 30 ml of good Russian vodka, I'd let her have a second chance. She lived a couple more weeks before her comb turned purple and she stopped eating. Then it was time to get out the hatchet.

I have to admit it has gotten easier to do the culling. It is never easy though since I raised all these little guys by hand, most of them in the house, and a lot of them even hang out on the couch and watch TV with us. Once they have a name it is hard to see them go.

ETA - looking back, I think the hens that weren't affected by the vodka had very slow crops. They weren't impacted, but they also didn't empty normally. I find this to be somewhat common in my Marek's birds. I have successfully treated the slow crop just to have them die a month or two later.