photograph by Audrey Pavia
I lost one of my hen , blue Leghorn bantam Bobbi Jo .
About two weeks ago , I noticed thatBobbi Jo , one of my blueLeghornbantams , was not putting herself to sleep in the cage with the otherchickens . I would have surmise she was sitting on egg somewhere , but none of my hen were laying .
Every morning , this biddy would appear from her roost spot , but she would stay away from the tidy sum . She ’d eat and booze urine , but only after the other chickens had left . I knew Bobbi Jo had moved to the bottom of the pecking order after she had to be taken off from the other snort over a yr ago because of a bust with avian syphilis . Since then , they have harassed her when they were eat , force her to hold off until all the others were done .
But yesterday sunrise , when I saw the little biddy standing alone in one of the horse stall , I sensed something was faulty . I bent down to pick her up , and she did n’t endeavor to escape me . That ’s when I was sure she was ghastly .
I put her in a carrier and brought her in the house , then called my sister , who ’s a veterinary . Sis was out of town , but told me to give the hen water in an eyedropper while she would call in antibiotic for me . Bobbi Jo drank the drop of water I place on the side of her beak . Aside from being unenrgetic , scraggy and fearless of being address — decidedly not normal for this hen — she seemed all right .
I went off to do some job and came back an 60 minutes later to give her more piss . When I lifted her out of the carrier , she started having a raptus in my hand . I was beyond overturned . I call my sister , who told me that this was a somewhat sorry foretoken . I require to take her to a hospital properly away .
I ’m favorable in that I have a very nice little creature and bird infirmary about a stat mi from my house , and I raced over there with Bobbi Jo . On the way , the poor hen had two more seizure .
They took her in the back directly when I arrived at the hospital . I hold off in a way for the vet to come in . When she did , I could recount it was n’t good news . Seems Bobbi Jo had two more seizure while the veterinary was examine her . The vet gave her Valium to stop the grasping .
The doc had no idea what was wrong with Bobbi Jo and aver that several solar day of hospitalization would be required just to seek to stabilize her . She was true with me and told me that the hen ’s poor dead body experimental condition would make it very difficult to hold open her . She suggested mercy killing as an option .
For the first time in my life sentence , I made a decision about one of my creature based on finances . My heart want to hear everything possible to deliver her . But given the prognosis and my limited fund , I chose to put her down .
It was a sorry daytime , but I ’m test to take comfort in the fact that Bobbi Jo had a glad life here on my urban farm for the few years she was alive . I ’m also glad I could end her suffer humanely and make her passing a peaceful one .
take more of City Stock »
