Zane Made REAL Progress (New Pics Pg 99)!RIP Lorelei...

[McGoo]

Poor Zane.

I'm sure there was a very close bond and he's having trouble coping with the loss. Hope he is able to adjust over the next few weeks. Such a loss is hard on everyone.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, I'm getting more worried about him. He still has no appetite. He hurt a foot by falling from a high roost bar (Thanks, Evil Women, grrr) and it was very swollen, so he spent a couple nights in the broody pen off his foot. Now, when he goes out, he just sits down. The swelling is down alot, but he shows little interest in the young 16 week old pullets even when I let them out with him, no real interest in food (even scrambled eggs) and I'm wondering if this is a combination of trauma from the fall AND grief, just pain from his foot, or what. I can't lose Zane, too, I just can't. He looks like the most depressed, sad thing you ever saw.

 

[HenHaven]

It must be incredibly hard to watch Zane right now. Poor guy got the double whammy--grief followed by an injury. It sounds like the injury is improving, since the swelling is down. The poor appetite is a concern, but he is eating some, right?

The good thing is that he is hard-wired to be a rooster, and he will eventually get this all sorted out in his little chicken head and get on with things. I think the rooster hormones are going to kick in real soon and motivate him right out of his slump!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, Lynn, I hope so! Sixteen week old Black Orp, Delilah, was very interested in him, kept flirting with him. He did sort of a halfhearted dance for her and grabbed her, then just let go and sat down. He did crow a couple of times today, but he just wants Tom to hold him or to lay in the sun. I feel so bad for him. Let's hope his hard-wiring takes over really soon. This is not helping me at all, watching him act this way.

 

[HenHaven]

If he did a half-hearted dance then gave up, that would lead me to believe that his leg is hurting. Have you tried aspirin in his water? It would be interesting to see if it would make a difference.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Oh Cyn, I sure was hoping Zane would be doing better by now! Praying he does soon! Maybe if you can convince that little girl to keep making passes at him!

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, we gave him aspirin. He previously had AviaCharge in his water, too. We have 7 of those same age pullets living in the little hexagonal coop, soon to join the main flock, but I was waiting till Jeff came to pick up his two Orp cockerels, who are living with them in there, before I moved them to the main coop. They do, however, get let out to range with the flock for about an hour a day to get used to the big girls. I let them out on purpose and put Zane among them to see if he'd show any interest and he barely perked up at all.

 

[thndrdancr]

Oh Cyn, so sorry to hear Zane is so depressed. Sometimes it takes a while and a lot of love. Like I said, my Fussy grieved for two whole months when lil Fandango, the crossbeak died. They were inseparable at the time, would absolutely scream for each other if out of each other's sight. And then she was traumatized by just seeing me pick up lil Dango's body, to her it must have looked like I swooped up from above and took her away. She is skittish about me doing ANYTHING above her to this day. It took her two whole months to hold her tail feathers upright again, she would just slink around, with her tail slumped down. It was a horrid sight. The only thing kept her going was that she was slightly bonded with Red at the time, otherwise I am pretty sure I would have lost her too.

If Zane doesnt have any other buddy, its a double whammy. I think he is gonna need a lotsa babying. Sometimes if you cry WITH him, they can feel that, and I think it helped with my girl. She somehow picked up on the fact that I was hurting about it too and I think the shared grief helped her along. Not sure it would help with Zane, but you might have to talk to him and explain things, send lil mental images to him like you are trying telepathy. I have NO idea if they get thru, but it sure doesnt hurt to try.

I know thats hard for people to believe, that a chicken can grieve for two whole months, but my poor girl sure did, and its terribly worrisome to see.

Hugs to you and to Zane.
Jill

 

[ChicknThief]

Oh Cyn, I just found this. This just breaks my heart.

I am sure that he will pull out of his slump soon.

to you and Zanie boy.

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you, Jill. He's getting lots of love. My DH absolutely adores Zane, so that's no problem. BTW, I've been thinking about you and your mom.