The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[1muttsfan]

Sorry Cyn, at least it looks and sounds like he is not in pain. Kidney failure usually causes excessive thirst, as the kidneys loose their ability to conserve water in the body, so the excess fluid loss leads to increased drinking.

And Deacon will feel like The Man if he gets a place of his own!

 

[speckledhen]

Sorry Cyn, at least it looks and sounds like he is not in pain. Kidney failure usually causes excessive thirst, as the kidneys loose their ability to conserve water in the body, so the excess fluid loss leads to increased drinking.

And Deacon will feel like The Man if he gets a place of his own!

Thanks, I appreciate that. Rex doesn't seem to be in pain, no. Again, I must keep reminding myself that I can do nothing to fix kidney failure or a failing heart or any number of other internal issues he could have. And I'm not going to necropsy him, either, not doing it this time. What's the use? It would only lead to questions I can't answer and drive me crazy; even if I figured out what happened, it wouldn't change the outcome. I give them the best care and he seemed good until a few days ago-of course, something had to be brewing prior to that, but chickens are such stoic creatures. They go and go until they simply cannot. I've seen it with internal layers so darn many times. He is still with us, just standing in the warmth and breathing hard. Will check on him later. He's never been one to like to be held (unlike his dad) so I resisted the temptation to pick him up and hold him in my lap. I did sit on the floor near him and talk to him and he just listened, sometimes with his eyes closed, sometimes watching me. He knows he's loved, I'm sure, as much as any rooster can know it.

Oh, yeah, Deacon will feel like he's arrived, sharing an 8x8 space with his own hen. Such a goofball, that one. DH said he didn't want to put him with the newly rooster-less laying flock because he thought he'd change if he had that much power, lol. Yeah, he just didn't want Big Ida to kill the goober.

 

[holm25]

Speckled hen- I was wondering could Finn your cat stay in your coop with your birds or is he aggressive towards them. Just wondering because we were trying to find something similar for our barn cat and this is what we ended up doing. He decided this was his home.

 

[holm25]

He also let's our NH hen lay eggs on him!!

 

[speckledhen]

That's amazing! They'd probably freak out if he went into the coop. He's not aggressive, really, but he does like to occasionally run at them and make them cackle and jump.

 

[speckledhen]

Rex is gone. He died just a little while ago, quietly, all tucked up, face down, upright in a sitting position. He didn't even kick. He's buried with a giant 4" thick stone on his grave so nothing can get to him. RIP, my sweet son of Isaac.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Rex is gone. He died just a little while ago, quietly, all tucked up, face down, upright in a sitting position. He didn't even kick. He's buried with a giant 4" thick stone on his grave so nothing can get to him. RIP, my sweet son of Isaac.

I'm sorry Cyn, you did everything you could.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm sorry Cyn, you did everything you could.

I wonder if he was injured internally from the fight with Deacon about 3 weeks ago. He didn't have a scratch on him, but those hits can be hard. Remember Isaac and Indy....

 

[drumstick diva]

I was afraid that was what you were posting about. Poor Rex. RIP

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Rex is gone. He died just a little while ago, quietly, all tucked up, face down, upright in a sitting position. He didn't even kick. He's buried with a giant 4" thick stone on his grave so nothing can get to him. RIP, my sweet son of Isaac.

You have my deepest condolences Cyn. This is truly a sad day.