I have looked on this site and I can find lots of interesting things on Hatching and baby chicks.
But very little on end of life experiences.
When my Dog died I had loads of support from lots of folk all over. In the forum on the Dog site there was a special section entitled - "Over the rainbow bridge". It was comforting to share memories and pictures of the pet passed away. (I guess a deal of folk would put more emotional worth to a dog than a chicken but both have given me equal joy in my life).
However - here there is little mention of end of life and how one copes with those experieces of the loss of pet chickens?
Am I daft because my chickens are not dogs? Is there an over the rainbow for laying hens????? Do all good hens go to heaven too????
Well I Am going to tell you about my chicken I lost tonight. - Maybe others will be encouraged to share their experiences of end of life and what their pet chickens meant to them once they have passed away.
Drum-stick came to us with my 6 girls I was given as a gift from my husband as I was waiting results of cancer tests. They were supposed to be a distraction but became so much more than just a diversion! Drum-stick imediately stood out because she was smaller and scrawnier than the others. All the other girls were fancy duel perpose breeds but she was just a plain old PR. - all bones and very few feathers! So I called her drum-stick because there was probably the meat of a drum-stick on the entire bird!
Drum-stick had had scally leg mites and despite regular attacks with WD40 her legs never seemed to get any better. She had a thing for water and would ALWAYS put her feet into the drinking box. - I had a deep box of water and feed for two hens with x beaks. But Drummy treated it as her personal foot spa. - If we were in the yard she would be there under your feet. When we cleaned the coop she would be there first to inspect it! She was a wonderful little thing that loved to be petted and was always friendly except at food time. Then she would litterally climb onto the food tray and puff herself up to stop the others getting the feed and so she could get more than all the others! But she always remained a scrawney thing no- matter how much she ate.
However - a few days back she wouldn't come out of the coop and when I put her out she just stood feathered up under the coop and would not come out to feed. I had noticed she had not "emptied her crop". I put her into the shed and left her to rest but she didn't improve. Then I saw a thread on sour crop and I tried a garlic treatment recomended. She emptied the crop which was a start but then she wouldn't eat much. Steadily she just got weaker and nothing I tried worked to get her to eat properly again. Tonight I went to check on her and she was huddled over the water bowl. I lifted her up gently and there was a little life left in her. I wrapped her in an old towel I had used for her and brought her in doors. I cuddled her up close and gave her some sugar water from a syringe. There was very little sign of life but yet she hung on. We sat for a while and once she had gone to sleep we laid her on the sofa and kept checking. We saw her move and open her eyes. It was like she was saying goodbye as at that moment she left us. It was a very peaceful passing and she didn't suffer. She was like any other old person, she simply had enough of life and went to sleep. She brought a lot of happiness and good memories into my life. For that I will always be grateful. I will never forget her and I sincearly hope that somewhere out there - there is a chicken heaven - Though I am not entirley sure it is over a rainbow bridge????
Died today. March 25th 2012 she was 4 yrs old. Here she was huffing because Bertha had baby chicks.
Oes
But very little on end of life experiences.
When my Dog died I had loads of support from lots of folk all over. In the forum on the Dog site there was a special section entitled - "Over the rainbow bridge". It was comforting to share memories and pictures of the pet passed away. (I guess a deal of folk would put more emotional worth to a dog than a chicken but both have given me equal joy in my life).
However - here there is little mention of end of life and how one copes with those experieces of the loss of pet chickens?
Am I daft because my chickens are not dogs? Is there an over the rainbow for laying hens????? Do all good hens go to heaven too????
Well I Am going to tell you about my chicken I lost tonight. - Maybe others will be encouraged to share their experiences of end of life and what their pet chickens meant to them once they have passed away.
Drum-stick came to us with my 6 girls I was given as a gift from my husband as I was waiting results of cancer tests. They were supposed to be a distraction but became so much more than just a diversion! Drum-stick imediately stood out because she was smaller and scrawnier than the others. All the other girls were fancy duel perpose breeds but she was just a plain old PR. - all bones and very few feathers! So I called her drum-stick because there was probably the meat of a drum-stick on the entire bird!
Drum-stick had had scally leg mites and despite regular attacks with WD40 her legs never seemed to get any better. She had a thing for water and would ALWAYS put her feet into the drinking box. - I had a deep box of water and feed for two hens with x beaks. But Drummy treated it as her personal foot spa. - If we were in the yard she would be there under your feet. When we cleaned the coop she would be there first to inspect it! She was a wonderful little thing that loved to be petted and was always friendly except at food time. Then she would litterally climb onto the food tray and puff herself up to stop the others getting the feed and so she could get more than all the others! But she always remained a scrawney thing no- matter how much she ate.
However - a few days back she wouldn't come out of the coop and when I put her out she just stood feathered up under the coop and would not come out to feed. I had noticed she had not "emptied her crop". I put her into the shed and left her to rest but she didn't improve. Then I saw a thread on sour crop and I tried a garlic treatment recomended. She emptied the crop which was a start but then she wouldn't eat much. Steadily she just got weaker and nothing I tried worked to get her to eat properly again. Tonight I went to check on her and she was huddled over the water bowl. I lifted her up gently and there was a little life left in her. I wrapped her in an old towel I had used for her and brought her in doors. I cuddled her up close and gave her some sugar water from a syringe. There was very little sign of life but yet she hung on. We sat for a while and once she had gone to sleep we laid her on the sofa and kept checking. We saw her move and open her eyes. It was like she was saying goodbye as at that moment she left us. It was a very peaceful passing and she didn't suffer. She was like any other old person, she simply had enough of life and went to sleep. She brought a lot of happiness and good memories into my life. For that I will always be grateful. I will never forget her and I sincearly hope that somewhere out there - there is a chicken heaven - Though I am not entirley sure it is over a rainbow bridge????
Died today. March 25th 2012 she was 4 yrs old. Here she was huffing because Bertha had baby chicks.
Oes
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Sorry for your loss. She looks like she was a sweetie.
