A surprising number of people from all over the country are eager to learn how the Red/Brown hen is doing.
The answer is that she is not doing well.
She’s hunched up, walking slowly, staying in the roost most of the day. I have no doubt she’s dying from the wounds she suffered from Bud, who was just doing his Terrier job.
She just couldn’t bounce completely back.
I’m beginning to think she may be suffering now, and that it would be merciful to end her life. Maria disagrees and feels we should let nature take its course.
I could push it, but I shouldn’t and won’t. I have a lot of respect for Maria, as she has for me.
Maria thinks one of these days, we will just find her dead in the roost.
So I’m backing off. We each have to veto power over such decisions, we both have to agree on something like that, no arguments or pressure.
I am happy to not have to shoot another chicken for now. I don’t mind it, but I don’t like it much either. We will take the body out into the woods and offer it to the animals who live out there.
I’m not sure I see the value in daily reports since her condition is not changing much, she gets a little worse every day. As you can see from the photo, this is not a healthy chicken.
But as Maria says, she is still getting in and out of the roost, she is still eating and moving around, although she is always by herself outside now, never with the other chickens.
And she looks just awful, worse by the day.
In the roost, the white hen still seems to be watching over her and protecting her and sleeping alongside her. As long as people are interested, I’ll try to offer updates.
But there isn’t much to report. The only thing I foresee changing is the time she dies.
I think it will be quite soon.
Birds are incredibly stoic and do everything they can to hide weakness or vulnerability. Almost all animals do this, but birds are especially good at it.
Red Hen/Brown Hen’s fluffed feathers and visible weakness aren’t a good sign, but she will go about her business as she can, until death stops her (or she somehow recovers).
My 26 year old parrot faked me out about a thousand times during her illness. Raised my hopes and dashed my hopes, that she would recover. She died on her feet one night while sleeping on her perch. I found her in the morning, toppled over. Her name was Emily and I miss her every day.
yes, this is not a good *look* for a hen. Been there. But……as you say…… you will not allow her to suffer. You both will know if/when it is time to intervene. Bless you, brown/red hen. You have lived a good life…….
Susan M
Thanks for the update on the little brown hen. I was so in hopes that she would recover. Your hens are so beautiful, and having grown up with chickens, I was really pulling for her. I’m so sorry.
Thanks Charlotte, as you may know, when you have chickens you are prepared to lose some..
Vet….antibiotic shot….already done?
I don’t talk about medical animal treatments online, Sharon, it’s between us and our vet. Since you asked we don’t take chickens to the vet, we apply the antibiotic cream ourselves, she’ll either get better or not..
I think red hen needs something forb pain.
Carol, thanks for your concern. I don’t follow animal or human medical advice from strangers on the Internet. It seems unethical and irresponsible to me. If we want to know something, we ask professionals that we know and pay for the advice. I try to share the decisions we make, the process is personal and private.