Good-bye Rosa (23 April 2014 - 31 October 2017)
Who knew you could love a chicken, right?! And we did. Do. We have had a terribly sad 10 days: our flock went from 11 to 9. Rosa - the big bully australorp (3 1/2y rs old) and Earheart - the irrepressible Easter Egger (6 mo.) We will miss them very much. Thank you both for your companionship. May you free range safely in the Great Beyond.
Rosa
When I got home Friday 21 Oct after work, she was in a miserable loaf. When she tried to stand up, her left leg was at a weird angle. I thought she had wrenched or fractured it (maybe she jumped off something and landed wrong?) The rest of the gang seemed to realize she wasn't well, and were starting to go after her. I grabbed her and put her in a little run by herself. Then we hustled around setting up a dog crate which JUST fit inside the coop, so she could have a safe place to sleep. The vet at Rio Bravo was able to work her in the next morning, thank goodness. She thought it might be Mericks (sp?) Chicken herpes. And/ but she gave us a round of huge antibiotics & some tiny anti inflammatories to give her.
Giving a chicken a pill... oh my.
Wrapping them up in a towel. They are very cute with just their head sticking out. We spent time with her. We sang to her. Gave her treats. And for several days, we were really excited. She seemed to get much better. We thought she was going to make a full recovery. But it didn't last. As the week wore on, she clearly lost ground. More time in a miserable loaf. Back to having diarrhea. Less interest in eating. More difficulty walking. On Halloween, I had taken a vacation day so we were home and could take her in/ with the idea that she was suffering/ there wasn't anything else the vet could suggest by way of treatment, so... to let her go. They wrapped her up in a towel, laid her on her side, and were trying to find a vein when the tech said--oh, I think she's gone. She just convulsed.' And she was. She died on the table. :(
We were concerned about Merricks, but the state autopsy was going to cost $200. The vet offered to do a necropsy for $60 (no histopathology). And we paid to have her cremated because the vet did give her the barbiturates just to be sure & that would make her little body a danger if the dogs managed to find her and dig her up. :( We left with our empty cat carrier. [Histopathology: microscopic examination of tissue to study manifestations of disease]
Dr. Manzolina called around 6, and delivered complicated, mixed news: Rosa did not have Merricks (phew... that is great news re. the rest of the flock). But she died from a fatty liver condition. I've been killing them slowly with my generous pile of Trader Joe's raw unshelled sunflower seeds every night. What a horrible shock. How can you tell if a hen is fat?!! :(
In shock, starting Wednesday, loose greens as an evening treat. Also starting to dial back the amount of organic feed from the co-op that is loose ingredients in favor of a prepared chow. I admit, I've known for a long time they were 'not eating their Wheaties.' I.e. they pick the corn out FIRST, and don't bother eating the bits that probably have all the vitamins in them.
Oh Rosa. I'm soooo sorry. I feel awful. She was one of our 2nd batch. 23 April 2014. Flavia, Rosa, Sophie, Starbuck, Moma Bear, and Sadie Buttercup -->Butterknife/ (now I call her Sniglet). We have generally agreed this was a more high-struck, more pecky group. The Gold Lace Wyadottes -- Starbuck and Moma Bear were kind-of mean. And the Buff too. A small nippy little thing! Sophie has gone broody repeatedly... which was stressful in a while different way. ?!
The story about Rosa is that she has always been a big gal. When they were adolescents, we started to get really nervous. One of the little Australorps suddenly had a really big beak, and really big, thick legs, and long tail feathers. OMG. Is it a rooster? -- We were never so happy to see an egg in our life! Massively relieved. She is just Scandinavian! A big-boned gal.
Rosa
When I got home Friday 21 Oct after work, she was in a miserable loaf. When she tried to stand up, her left leg was at a weird angle. I thought she had wrenched or fractured it (maybe she jumped off something and landed wrong?) The rest of the gang seemed to realize she wasn't well, and were starting to go after her. I grabbed her and put her in a little run by herself. Then we hustled around setting up a dog crate which JUST fit inside the coop, so she could have a safe place to sleep. The vet at Rio Bravo was able to work her in the next morning, thank goodness. She thought it might be Mericks (sp?) Chicken herpes. And/ but she gave us a round of huge antibiotics & some tiny anti inflammatories to give her.
Giving a chicken a pill... oh my.
Wrapping them up in a towel. They are very cute with just their head sticking out. We spent time with her. We sang to her. Gave her treats. And for several days, we were really excited. She seemed to get much better. We thought she was going to make a full recovery. But it didn't last. As the week wore on, she clearly lost ground. More time in a miserable loaf. Back to having diarrhea. Less interest in eating. More difficulty walking. On Halloween, I had taken a vacation day so we were home and could take her in/ with the idea that she was suffering/ there wasn't anything else the vet could suggest by way of treatment, so... to let her go. They wrapped her up in a towel, laid her on her side, and were trying to find a vein when the tech said--oh, I think she's gone. She just convulsed.' And she was. She died on the table. :(
We were concerned about Merricks, but the state autopsy was going to cost $200. The vet offered to do a necropsy for $60 (no histopathology). And we paid to have her cremated because the vet did give her the barbiturates just to be sure & that would make her little body a danger if the dogs managed to find her and dig her up. :( We left with our empty cat carrier. [Histopathology: microscopic examination of tissue to study manifestations of disease]Dr. Manzolina called around 6, and delivered complicated, mixed news: Rosa did not have Merricks (phew... that is great news re. the rest of the flock). But she died from a fatty liver condition. I've been killing them slowly with my generous pile of Trader Joe's raw unshelled sunflower seeds every night. What a horrible shock. How can you tell if a hen is fat?!! :(
In shock, starting Wednesday, loose greens as an evening treat. Also starting to dial back the amount of organic feed from the co-op that is loose ingredients in favor of a prepared chow. I admit, I've known for a long time they were 'not eating their Wheaties.' I.e. they pick the corn out FIRST, and don't bother eating the bits that probably have all the vitamins in them.
Oh Rosa. I'm soooo sorry. I feel awful. She was one of our 2nd batch. 23 April 2014. Flavia, Rosa, Sophie, Starbuck, Moma Bear, and Sadie Buttercup -->Butterknife/ (now I call her Sniglet). We have generally agreed this was a more high-struck, more pecky group. The Gold Lace Wyadottes -- Starbuck and Moma Bear were kind-of mean. And the Buff too. A small nippy little thing! Sophie has gone broody repeatedly... which was stressful in a while different way. ?!
The story about Rosa is that she has always been a big gal. When they were adolescents, we started to get really nervous. One of the little Australorps suddenly had a really big beak, and really big, thick legs, and long tail feathers. OMG. Is it a rooster? -- We were never so happy to see an egg in our life! Massively relieved. She is just Scandinavian! A big-boned gal.
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