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We had to put down one of our chooks this morning. Chouquette is the youngest of our flock; a year and a bit old, the only one who hasn't really started to lay regularly. She's been getting quieter and quieter the last couple of weeks, slowing down, sleeping all the time and with little desire to eat.
I looked up chook ailments and hoo boy there was a WHOLE RANGE of possible causes. From fowl pox to fowl cholera to...I don't even know what.
The last couple of days, her head has been visibly listing leftwards, and this morning she couldn't get up, her head was practically tucked against her wing, and her mouth was mucuousy. We had an appointment with the vet scheduled tomorrow, but I ended up taking her to the emergency vet. They could life-support her until tomorrow when the avian vet came in, or we could put her to sleep.
We chose to put her to sleep.
They weren't sure it wasn't something toxic and neurological, so they said it was better if we let them cremate her, and we could take the ashes or not.
It was...hard. In part because she was so young, only 14 months old, and we'd hoped to have her for a good ten years or so - after the last series of short-lived-heavy-layers we wanted ones that would just keep going until they got old. Alas, it was not to be for Chouquette.
The not-laying was a concern, but we figured she'd have time to grow into it. Now I wonder if her inability to lay was a sign of something more? We'll keep an eye on the flock, and particularly her 'sister/bestie' Carambah, although the others aren't showing anything like her malady.
RIP little one. You were vocal and hilarious and anxious and sweet.
We still have the vet appointment for tomorrow, so we'll take Carambah in and see what they say.
I looked up chook ailments and hoo boy there was a WHOLE RANGE of possible causes. From fowl pox to fowl cholera to...I don't even know what.
The last couple of days, her head has been visibly listing leftwards, and this morning she couldn't get up, her head was practically tucked against her wing, and her mouth was mucuousy. We had an appointment with the vet scheduled tomorrow, but I ended up taking her to the emergency vet. They could life-support her until tomorrow when the avian vet came in, or we could put her to sleep.
We chose to put her to sleep.
They weren't sure it wasn't something toxic and neurological, so they said it was better if we let them cremate her, and we could take the ashes or not.
It was...hard. In part because she was so young, only 14 months old, and we'd hoped to have her for a good ten years or so - after the last series of short-lived-heavy-layers we wanted ones that would just keep going until they got old. Alas, it was not to be for Chouquette.
The not-laying was a concern, but we figured she'd have time to grow into it. Now I wonder if her inability to lay was a sign of something more? We'll keep an eye on the flock, and particularly her 'sister/bestie' Carambah, although the others aren't showing anything like her malady.
RIP little one. You were vocal and hilarious and anxious and sweet.
We still have the vet appointment for tomorrow, so we'll take Carambah in and see what they say.
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