Chickens can be so sweet and even the obnoxious personalities capture our love. We are zoned for only 5 hens/no roos so we've cycled through 18 chickens in 6 years to find our compatible backyard breeds -- only to have lost 5 birds in the past year to different medical issues or heat-related (our worst ever SoCal heatwaves last year where we lost 2 hens in 2 months in spite of cooling methods). I have been blessed with having a nearby vet who just happened to work in the poultry industry in his youth so he is very knowledgeable about chickens' medical issues. As for chicken personalities I have been able to teach him a thing or two in return - LOL! As backup when my vet is out of town I was fortunate to find another vet who is not as chicken knowledgeable but does see birds. Some people spend money on fancy cars, big homes, etc., and our $$$ has gone into chicken keeping in our retirement years for our enjoyment. Chickens are such practical pets for us -- being useful in return for eggs, fertilizer, bug control, entertainment, and joy to visitors. Certain hens become very special indeed.
While letting your old gals "hang around for life" is a personal decision, keep in mind that by the time a bird is showing signs of discomfort, that she is in a huge amount of pain. Many animals mask their pain, so if they show discomfort, they are suffering greatly. It's a personal choice regarding euthanizing a bird who is uncomfortable. I choose that approach.[/QUOTE]
Good point. Most animals will hide symptoms of pain and try to go about their daily routine to keep other animals from picking on them or becoming prey to predators. Chickens are no different. At the time an owner notices something "off" about a bird in the flock it's almost certain the issue has been building unawares. After 6 years of chicken-keeping I've been able to assess "off" issues as to whether it is a wait-and-see for 24 hours before going to the vet or if it's an immediate emergency. The key to keeping chickens around for the rest of their life is dependent on the key phrase "quality of life." I've had to make difficult choices to euthanize birds at different stages of life dependent on their medical issues. Other times, a couple hens were so spry and "normal" in the early morning but found during the day unexpectedly dead while taking their afternoon snooze break with body still warm to the touch and other hens unaware their side companion was gone. Who knows what kind of medical issue takes a bird like that without any outward sign, but for the most part I believe owners come to know their birds well enough to note the "off" behaviors and whether to worry. I've found the bulk of medical issues in my flock connected to laying issues -- irregular laying patterns, irregular shaped eggs, soft shell eggs. Laying issues is a good sign of something internal going on whether it's something as simple as diet or weather change or something more serious like parasites, viruses, disease, or tumor issues.
