Warm boot recommendations please

[Florence]

Came home from an evening out and found that Hepsibah had died in the nesting box,she has always been our best layer but stopped about a month ago.She seemed fine in herself,still top hen so I didn't worry too much but then yesterday she seemed lethargic and fluffed up and she was leaking fluid from her vent ,however this morning seemed up and about and at lunch time came home to check and she was strutting about and eating her corn.A bit slower but not lying down or anything,but husband went out this evening to put them to bed and she had died in the nesting box.He doesn't think she had been there that long as she had an Edna egg underneath her and Edna doesn't normally lay until late afternoon.

 

I hope she didn't suffer,I gave her a big cuddle yesterday evening and she really didn't seem uncomfortable earlier today ,I had thought that if she was no better in the morning I would pop her to the vet but she beat us to it .Feel really sad as thats two otfof our original three who have gone this year

[cliveb]

Lost Sharon this afternoon, I dont know what was wrong with her, she just stopped eating. Thanks again to Karen our vet who let her go with dignity.

Bless you girl, you will be missed

[whoopsie]

Lost both my girls this morning. Some horrible person came into the garden and let them out for the foxes

[Rosey Supposey]

Our little Chatsworth "Chatty" MacMuffin has left us to free-range forever.

 

She spoke many languages and wore many hats. We miss her.

 

[Yolky]

On friday my favourite chicken, Rosie, was, we think, taken by a fox while free ranging. We are all so upset by it. My children keep crying (they are only small, we didn't tell them it was a fox, we told them that she was poorly and we had to take her to the vets). It was one of the most awful moments ever. I don't know how to get over this, it is so awful. The other two girls were not even touched and seem ok. Rosie was the best chicken ever, so friendly, always the first to come over to us, she liked being around people, the children used to spend so much time with her, stroking her and chatting as she was so friendly. The other two girls are more independent. Luckily the walk in run my husband made (which is fox proof) is 4m x 2m so they do have a good amount of space but they love their free ranging time and hang about the door and cluck at me whenever I am in the garden and I feel so sad I can't let them out again (even if I am in the garden I am too scared too, I couldn't lose another one of my beautiful girls)

 

Sorry for after not posting for ages I come back with such sad news but I just knew the lovely people here would understand why I am so upset about a chicken. As with all our pets (and our chickens are pets) they are part of our family and I feel we have let her down, well I know we have. I can't believe I won't see her digging her massive dust bath up again or sun bathing in the garden again.

[brambles]

Edna(mad Eddie/ little bald Eddie) was pts yesterday, before she suffered too much from a nasty downturn in peritonitis. The last of our omlet girls and a real character.

[Mollie333]

Pat was PTS after suffering a wierd unknown diesese which ment she wouldn't eat and her legs broke.

(Black silkie)

http://s205.photobucket.com/albums/bb37/3Mol3/?action=view&current=chicken012-1.jpg&newest=1

[beach chick]

RIP Rhoda, a good layer and a great character. Also Muffin, constantly broody but such a cutie. And Paris, one of my original girls who was now 5. And Beauty, the golden sebright, the smallest but loudest chicken ever. and Daisy the lop-eared bunny with the heart shaped brown patch over her eye.

All gone to free range in the sky due the Fox.

[abwsco]

our nutty cream legbar as she died this morning She was one of two chickens whom were DH's fathers day present in 2008.

 

Some might ask why nutty. Well, she sometimes decided to crow even though she was laying and she always used to run towards us down the right hand side of the garden even if it meant crossing over from the left handside. She had also taken to having a snooze at the patio doors with her head squashed up against the glass.

 

We will miss her nutty ways

[Groovychook]

We had to have our beautiful bluebell, Audrey put to sleep yesterday.

She'd been under the weather for a few weeks and not responded as well as we'd hoped to antibiotics.

We didn't want her to suffer any more...

She'll be sadly missed.

[Little Clucker]

Poor wee Lemon, Miss MK Pet Idol passed away on wednesday in the night. Gone too soon and at the peak of her modelling career

 

Me and Daddy miss you sweety

 

xxxx

[Troy]

Our very sweet Phyllis finally left us early this morning and I know that some of you chicken admirers will understand how we are feeling.

I would like to think that I am a mature and sensible individual who is often very matter of fact in these things. We have had all sorts of animals from horses to goats. Dogs, cats and hens, BUT it is only sometimes that one animal/pet you come across you really soften to- and Phyllis was one of them. Know what I mean??

 

She had been unwell since the middle of April (a previous post on the chicken clinic) but finally succumbed to whatever was ailing her early this morning. We brought her up to the patio every evening and fed her whatever she could eat and then she would spend an hour or 2 scratching, albeit weakly, around my vegetables, popping into the kitchen and then snoozing under the lavender. The other girls were and she loved it.

But yesterday she was so weak. I noticed she couldnt make the small step around the pergola anymore and her time was coming, so she was carried down to her friends where she snoozed with her little Pekin friend Molly in the nest box for what I sensed was the last time.

This morning I shot down there at 5am and all were out except for Phyllis - she was dying and too weak to come down the ladder, but still very aware of things. (I think she was fighting until the very end really) So I picked her up and listened to her crooning (honestly) in my arms until she died.

 

Yes I know it was just a bloomin chicken, but I shed a few tears this morning for my first hen. She had been with us since she was 9wks old and we watched her grow into our top hen that ruled her girls with a soft mitt. She was a pleasure and a delight amongst our friends and guests whom she certainly taught a thing or two about 'The World of Phyllis'

In a nutshell had she been a dog or a human, she would have been a lovely dog or a human to have known.

So long Phyll.

Troy

[CallyChook]

RIP Sir Lancelot, my very first cockerel and a proud young soldier. Just past his first birthday and his heart started to fail, he passed away last night warm in a box of straw in my bedroom, quietly and with dignity.

 

 

He did what cockerels are meant to - terrorised the ladies with his voracious appetite for the feminine form; put up the alarm when a fox came near, and always let us know when it was far too early to get up with a nice 2.30am crow. He never went to attack us and was always a gentleman when it came to dinner time treats.

 

 

Sir Lancelot, Lance, you will be sorely missed by the ladies and by all of us in the Big House.

 

xxxxxx

[MedusA]

Sadly, yesterday, we lost the first of our ex-batt Herbs. Sage had arrived on 11th April and had seemed to be doing well, if not laying very much. She became ill last month but the vet was unable to diagnose anything specific so she had a course of Baytril and seemed to pick up well. A couple of days ago she was obviously under the weather again and was unable to put herself to bed. I was going to take her to the vet again in the morning, but she was obviously on her way out and died in my arms before I could get her there. Sweet chooky dreams my little girl. At least you were able to enjoy more than 3 months of freedom before you left us. You will be sadly missed.

 

[Jules.]

We've had our first loss of chickens these last two weeks.

Poppy never really recovered from her sour crop at the beginning of July, & had lost loads of weight & was unable to stand. So on 24th July ( just before we left for a holiday) I had to dispatch her . Then on the day we got back my chicken-sitters ( mum & dad) told me that Gertrude had ben unable to walk all that day. We didn't really know what was wrong, but a phone call to Reg at Ashtons Green Poultry diagnosed a possible broken leg. He came around this afternoon to see her, & there was nothing we could do for her but for her to be dispatched. He very kindly did the deed for me.

 

 

Poppy's at the back with the pink leg ring, & Gertrude is the Bluebelle at the front. I only took the photo last month

[chocolatedog]

Our beautiful Spice (speckled star) had to be put to sleep today - she'd not been right for a while but had her ups and downs with a couple of sour and pendulous crop episodes which we managed to overcome but she was just going rapidly downhill the past few days so I took her to the vet who diagnosed a massive tumour and put her gently to sleep So poor old Ginger is on her own......but hopefully not for too long.......... So I'm one very sad chicken mummy tonight...........

[littlecrow]

We lost George today.... she was only 16 months old she is the frist we've lost, so sad to see her. she wasn't the best looking bird but she was my fav.

RIP george XX

[Ness3103]

my beautiful speckeldy, Skye, passed away in her sleep, surrounded by her friends on 18/07/2010

she had been unwell but seemed to recover for a couple of months. she was a big softie who laid the biggest, tastiest eggs of all my girls. we loved her to bits and she will be greatly missed

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Maureen Lamb]

My husbands dog, killed my lovely Australorp Bantam today.

I am so sorry that your life ended in such a horrible way, never to forget my heart is broken. Thanking you for those precious moments that we shared, till we meet again my darling Joy.

[craftyhunnypie]

R.I.P little Red ( lavender cuckoo pekin cockerel) aged 17 weeks. Much loved - but I couldn't let you suffer any longer.

Goodbye little friend.

 

Emma.x

[Nature Chick]

We came home yesterday to find that Red had passed away, she was curled up in their pen by the pond. She was an ex-barn and at least 6 years old and had been with us for 4 years.

 

Goodbye you naughty naughty hen, we shall miss you so much and hope that you enjoyed your time with us, you certainly made us smile.

 

Lots of love

S&D

x

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Milly died last night . She had sour crop but I think there was something else wrong as her comb was black and shrunken. She was three and hadn't laid for a year.

 

She was a lovely, gentle wee soul .

[Mollie333]

Sorry about all of your losses. These aren't from lately (Except Jon) but i thought i'd do it in bulk..

 

Deardre

was my first ever chosen chicken, a lemon cuckoo pekin. she was a bubbly character nicknamed 'Stacey Solomon' She was a beautiful little girl, but after not being very well, she recovered, but then got taken by the fox. I felt so bad for her. Rip.

 

Cheryl

Anyone would know Cheryl was about. She was a big, 27 lb meat turkey, that we rescued. we was amazed at how friendly she was.. She used to come running up from me when i got back from school, and shouted me from my bedroom window.. She wasn't just a turkey, she was a pet. She got attacked the first time when deardre died but made a good recovery, but then again when we was on holiday. Rest in peace now girlie.

 

Edward

Eggward in other names was a very sweet yet odd looking bird. She was very flighty like her sister, but beautiful in her own way. She was a silkie x Pekin that we brought in Decemeber 09 with the rest of them. (Effy, Blanche, Deardre, Jon) She was a good little layer and never went broody. Fox took her a few weeks after Cheryl, no sign of feathers or body, but fox spotted near our house. After searching for hours, shaking the mealworm tin, we knew that she was dead.

 

Pat

Something was wrong with that vet. She was bright as anything, running about.. Untill we put her in a tempory walk in run.. then her legs started to go. We thought it was Mareks so seperated her and took you to the vets asap. they said she was fine and might of hurt her leg on something. So we took it for certain and let her 'heal' they gave her pidgeon anti biotics, for a avian vet, he was useless. And 2 weeks down the line she was practically dying, definatly not just a sprained leg. Never to go back to that vet again, we took her along to Jamiesons and had her euthanised. Something wasn't right there. i felt bad and so sorry, Rip

 

Jon

Jon, another of my first chickens, now with his sister. A few weeks back now, she would come running for mealworms, eat out my hand, lay lovely little eggs, was even thinking about her being a mum when she fell broody. But then she laid two eggs in one day, a softie then a normall shelled. We thought this was strange but left it to be a one off. Then the next day, i saw her hunched in the nesting box, head buried, i pulled her out, i actually thought she was dead, but no she was still alive. I knew it was her time so i carried her inside and cuddled her, untill she died right there in my arms. It was all very sudden and was a mystery. Her body was sent to cremation. Rest now little one!

[Snowy]

RIP Big Bertha She was an original Omlet pepperpot from 2005, given to me in 2006. A grand old lady who was top chicken ever since setting foot in our garden. I was only telling everyone at Omletstock this morning that she was beginning to look a bit doddery, and when I got home she had died.

RIP Bertha

[crazy kc]

R.I.P Madame greedy my lovely ex battery girl at least you had 2.5 years freedom.