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

[speckledhen]

What are you putting in their water??? LOL!!!

Is sweet Nugget still with us? How is Gloria Jean doing? And Tiny?

Nugget is still with us, awake but her body is betraying her. She was on her side last night and I realized it was because she fell over trying to maneuver herself and was too weak to get upright. Expected her to be gone this morning, in fact, Tom thought she was gone, on her side, head down. When he said, "Nugget, baby?", she began talking to him and he picked her up, put her in a bed of fluffy shavings facing out the cage door and gave her 3 cc of water from a syringe since she isn't drinking. She is at the point Serena was, though for a different reason. Sweet Nugget has just come to the end of her natural life at just a month past 7 years of age.

I took her out yesterday and sat in a lawn chair in the sun with her in my lap. She would look into my face and enjoy having her earlobes and face stroked, just being my sweet golden girl. She would start shivering from time to time, I guess because her body's systems are slowly shutting down, she was having periodic chills. I remember that especially with Smoky just before she died a three years ago. She is being peaceful and quiet and I think she's fairly comfortable on her bed of shavings right now. Will check from time to time.

I tried to get GJ to check her belly but she skipped away from me and I put it off until today. Hopefully, it's gone down some. Tiny seems okay as far as I can tell. She went back to her usual routine on her bar eating her scratch from the little cup on the wall.

 

[crazyhen]

Are you asking about my namesake? LOL I hope she is doing well. i have two hens I am also concerned about. They are older than most of my flock. Emma(BR) is 4 yrs old and had sour crop and was broody this Spring and Eva an EE that suddenly quit laying about a month ago??? why. I so wish we could keep our sweet old ladies. They are much gentler for the most part than our newer hens. They sort of go with the flow. Of course there are the exceptions. LIZBETH, LOL she can be something else. She is half English blue orp. and beautiful. She is older too but you better not let her know you think that! Then there is Sassy. Well enough said the name describes her well. Sneaky too but a good layer of darker brown eggs from her mixed heritage of marans and Blue orp. When our own children are grown we have our own chicken children and I love them all. Ps I am doing just a smidgen better too. Diabetis when uncontroled for what ever reason is a hard disease.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Nugget doesn't want to leave her momma. It warms my heart to hear that you were able to give her some special attention yesterday. I know you will miss her terribly when she passes.

I guess if you couldn't catch GJ, that is a good sign. LOL!

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Are you asking about my namesake? LOL I hope she is doing well. i have two hens I am also concerned about. They are older than most of my flock. Emma(BR) is 4 yrs old and had sour crop and was broody this Spring and Eva an EE that suddenly quit laying about a month ago??? why. I so wish we could keep our sweet old ladies. They are much gentler for the most part than our newer hens. They sort of go with the flow. Of course there are the exceptions. LIZBETH, LOL she can be something else. She is half English blue orp. and beautiful. She is older too but you better not let her know you think that! Then there is Sassy. Well enough said the name describes her well. Sneaky too but a good layer of darker brown eggs from her mixed heritage of marans and Blue orp. When our own children are grown we have our own chicken children and I love them all. Ps I am doing just a smidgen better too. Diabetis when uncontroled for what ever reason is a hard disease.

Yes ma'am I was asking about your namesake.

I am glad to hear that you are doing better too!

 

[speckledhen]

Nugget just passed away, died in my arms. I took her from the cage, wrapped her in a warm towel and held her for more than an hour, all the while, her body shutting down gradually. We did open up that marble sized ball above the crop and it was a tumor around her espophagus, odd, not sure it had anything to do with her death but would have caused it eventually if it shut off the opening. Her crop was getting food into it and it was just staying so it wasn't shut off yet.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

I am so very sorry Cyn. What a comfort to her to be held by you as she passed. RIP sweet Nugget.

 

[speckledhen]

Nugget is #45 on our Rest in Peace List. I have 37 chickens total, aside from Lizzie and Rocky. Rocky has a limited time here, I'm sure, but Liz will eventually be in with her daddy, Atlas. She is looking mighty fine at almost 12 weeks old. Will have to snap some photos for you today.


ETA:
Well, just crap. Robin is #46 on the Rest in Peace list. Found her under the coop, dead and stiff. Must have died just after they went outside this morning. Either she choked on some scratch grains or was hurt by someone, probably rowdy Atlas. She had a knack for getting something stuck in her windpipe, so I bet that was it. I heard someone trying to expel something earlier but they always work it out. Guess it was Robin. Thankful that it was not one of my barred hens, but poor Wendy is without her sister.

 

[speckledhen]

For more cheerful subject, take a look at 12 week old Lizzie! I wish I knew which Stukel hen was her mother.

 

[MistyMountain]

I am so so sorry to hear about all your losses! It has been a while since I have had time to check in, but I have been staying caught up. RIP Jet, Nugget, and Robin.

Sending hugs your way!

Lizzie sure is a looker!

 

[chickenneighbor]

What a sad day. I just put the neighbors hens to bed and can't imagine losing 3 of them in one day. I hope you find some special personalities in the youngsters to help heal your heart with their special brand of "chickenness."