What did you do with your flock today?

[ValerieJ]

Today I had to say goodbye to Eris.

I did everything I could, but today she couldn't even leave the coop. She couldn't stand up or even open her eyes. She breathed with her beak open and I could see this thick drool in her mouth... I knew what was happening and I wanted it to be as quick as possible, but I couldn't find a vet to accelerate the process on a Sunday and I could never do it myself.

So I took her out of the coop and held her in my arms. I petted her and kept her warm against my chest. After a few minutes, she made a noise, a little cry that I read as "put me down, I'm ready to go". (Or perhaps it meant "I'm in pain", but I don't like to think about that).

I let her rest in the sun one last time, and with her last strength, she tried to grab my finger as she passed away.

View attachment 3877859

I'm devastated. I wish I hadn't witnessed this. Death is a terrible process, even when it happens relatively quickly. I wish she would've died in her sleep, like Bianca and Mabelo did. But Eris "waited" for me instead, and I couldn't leave her alone.

Well, she was not actually alone.

Her sister, Callia, was there for her all the time. Even after she passed, Callia sat next to her body, and when we finally buried Eris, she spent a long while around her grave.

I need her to be strong, as she will live alone now. I can't get more birds, or rehome her, as she's suspected to be an IBV and/or MDV carrier. (There's definitely something wrong here, I've lost 6 chickens in 3 years, two of them in the last week. The vets advised me against letting her be around new birds).

I need to be strong, too. Callia is my last hen and I'm terrified of becoming "chickenless". It feels like losing a part of yourself...


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I simply have no words. Just hugs. I'm so sorry.

 

[Shetland lover]

Got a few more things cleaned up from breeding cages and babies today…and then got some help building our new pergola for the pool from Tiltneck and Caramel! They both seem to think that fences and bird netting are suggestions…and came to check on the quality of the work several times

I think their supervision made it look extra nice!
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Tiltneck is our bantam Splash Ameraucana rooster that had some wry neck issues during and after the cocci outbreak and had to come in every day for his vitamins. Somewhere along the way he decided he’d rather be a house bird than a chicken and Aria is obsessed with him. He sees her and runs from across the yard, he sits at the backdoor and sleeps there till we let him in, and he likes to sit on the couch with us and chill while watching TV. OR he takes naps…
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He’s a very spoiled boy!

Smoky’s eye looks 100% better now that the infection has been removed. He’s like a different bird he’s so happy and George (the bobtail roo) went back outside to his ladies after a couple weeks in the house to recover from mites. So we are back to a reasonable number of inside birds and the house is clean and the pool feels amazing! Now to prepare for the gross weather gauntlet we are supposed to get this week
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So tired…time for sleep! Night all!

That looks amazing. Great job! Must be all those chicken supervisors, I find mine are very dedicated. Sure yours are just the same

Tiltneck looks and sounds adorable!

 

[Shetland lover]

Today I had to say goodbye to Eris.

I did everything I could, but today she couldn't even leave the coop. She couldn't stand up or even open her eyes. She breathed with her beak open and I could see this thick drool in her mouth... I knew what was happening and I wanted it to be as quick as possible, but I couldn't find a vet to accelerate the process on a Sunday and I could never do it myself.

So I took her out of the coop and held her in my arms. I petted her and kept her warm against my chest. After a few minutes, she made a noise, a little cry that I read as "put me down, I'm ready to go". (Or perhaps it meant "I'm in pain", but I don't like to think about that).

I let her rest in the sun one last time, and with her last strength, she tried to grab my finger as she passed away.

View attachment 3877859

I'm devastated. I wish I hadn't witnessed this. Death is a terrible process, even when it happens relatively quickly. I wish she would've died in her sleep, like Bianca and Mabelo did. But Eris "waited" for me instead, and I couldn't leave her alone.

Well, she was not actually alone.

Her sister, Callia, was there for her all the time. Even after she passed, Callia sat next to her body, and when we finally buried Eris, she spent a long while around her grave.

I need her to be strong, as she will live alone now. I can't get more birds, or rehome her, as she's suspected to be an IBV and/or MDV carrier. (There's definitely something wrong here, I've lost 6 chickens in 3 years, two of them in the last week. The vets advised me against letting her be around new birds).

I need to be strong, too. Callia is my last hen and I'm terrified of becoming "chickenless". It feels like losing a part of yourself...


View attachment 3877890

It is so unbearably sad to read this. I'm so sorry . I've lost access to my hug emoji but I'm sending you all I have. There are no words.

 

[PopoMyers]

Thank you!

The heat is definitely super high way too early…I HATE the summers here I feel like it’s slightly hotter every summer

Now I am beginning to understand why friends of mine are snowbirds. They migrate to Arizona in our winters to be warmer and come back for the cooler summers.

 

[PopoMyers]

Today I had to say goodbye to Eris.

I did everything I could, but today she couldn't even leave the coop. She couldn't stand up or even open her eyes. She breathed with her beak open and I could see this thick drool in her mouth... I knew what was happening and I wanted it to be as quick as possible, but I couldn't find a vet to accelerate the process on a Sunday and I could never do it myself.

So I took her out of the coop and held her in my arms. I petted her and kept her warm against my chest. After a few minutes, she made a noise, a little cry that I read as "put me down, I'm ready to go". (Or perhaps it meant "I'm in pain", but I don't like to think about that).

I let her rest in the sun one last time, and with her last strength, she tried to grab my finger as she passed away.

View attachment 3877859

I'm devastated. I wish I hadn't witnessed this. Death is a terrible process, even when it happens relatively quickly. I wish she would've died in her sleep, like Bianca and Mabelo did. But Eris "waited" for me instead, and I couldn't leave her alone.

Well, she was not actually alone.

Her sister, Callia, was there for her all the time. Even after she passed, Callia sat next to her body, and when we finally buried Eris, she spent a long while around her grave.

I need her to be strong, as she will live alone now. I can't get more birds, or rehome her, as she's suspected to be an IBV and/or MDV carrier. (There's definitely something wrong here, I've lost 6 chickens in 3 years, two of them in the last week. The vets advised me against letting her be around new birds).

I need to be strong, too. Callia is my last hen and I'm terrified of becoming "chickenless". It feels like losing a part of yourself...


View attachment 3877890

You have been such a dedicated, loving and caring chicken mom. Many hugs and condolences to you. So sad for your loss, again.

 

[fuzzi]

Today I had to say goodbye to Eris.

I did everything I could, but today she couldn't even leave the coop. She couldn't stand up or even open her eyes. She breathed with her beak open and I could see this thick drool in her mouth... I knew what was happening and I wanted it to be as quick as possible, but I couldn't find a vet to accelerate the process on a Sunday and I could never do it myself.

So I took her out of the coop and held her in my arms. I petted her and kept her warm against my chest. After a few minutes, she made a noise, a little cry that I read as "put me down, I'm ready to go". (Or perhaps it meant "I'm in pain", but I don't like to think about that).

I let her rest in the sun one last time, and with her last strength, she tried to grab my finger as she passed away.

View attachment 3877859

I'm devastated. I wish I hadn't witnessed this. Death is a terrible process, even when it happens relatively quickly. I wish she would've died in her sleep, like Bianca and Mabelo did. But Eris "waited" for me instead, and I couldn't leave her alone.

Well, she was not actually alone.

Her sister, Callia, was there for her all the time. Even after she passed, Callia sat next to her body, and when we finally buried Eris, she spent a long while around her grave.

I need her to be strong, as she will live alone now. I can't get more birds, or rehome her, as she's suspected to be an IBV and/or MDV carrier. (There's definitely something wrong here, I've lost 6 chickens in 3 years, two of them in the last week. The vets advised me against letting her be around new birds).

I need to be strong, too. Callia is my last hen and I'm terrified of becoming "chickenless". It feels like losing a part of yourself...


View attachment 3877890

You gave her love and comfort in her last moments. Would that we all were so blessed.

 

[Nomadicus]

I found the love of my life in the chicken world dead. She was the first hen I've ever had that I could call and she would not only come running but she used her flight skills to get to me quickly. When the sun comes up my first chore will be to bury here near the spot where other pets have be buried. I'm glad to have some of her daughters in a brooder now.

 

[fuzzi]

I found the love of my life in the chicken world dead. She was the first hen I've ever had that I could call and she would not only come running but she used her flight skills to get to me quickly. When the sun comes up my first chore will be to bury here near the spot where other pets have be buried. I'm glad to have some of her daughters in a brooder now.

I'm sorry.

 

[fuzzi]

On Tuesday afternoon I pulled up one of the struggling squash plants and took it into the run. The hens and chicks milled around my feet as I split open the vines and removed borers.

I even got a hesitant Zacchaeus to take one from my fingers.

 

[ValerieJ]

I found the love of my life in the chicken world dead. She was the first hen I've ever had that I could call and she would not only come running but she used her flight skills to get to me quickly. When the sun comes up my first chore will be to bury here near the spot where other pets have be buried. I'm glad to have some of her daughters in a brooder now.

I'm so sorry for you loss.