Faux Hawk

In less than a month, we lost one of the chickens.  It has been a draining experience.  I feel almost ridiculous posting this because I realize how crazy it sounds to "normal" people....but in just a really short time, we have fallen in love with all of them.  I check on them multiple times a day and would sit and just look at them on my free time....and I have very little free time, but that is what I prefer to do these days...just sit and look at my chickens eat and interact with each other....Chickens have personalities!

This post is especially for Niculai....so that he never forgets his little feathered buddie.  Niculai picked and named Faux Hawk.    

Friday 6/5 at 11am - she looked fine.  She's the one with brownish/red feathers.

Later that afternoon, you can see her head started to tilt to the left.  I thought she was just falling asleep.

Around 8 pm, we came home from dinner to find her just lying there.  She lost movement in her legs and could no longer hold up her body or head.

God, we were so sad.  

I started googling and read about diseases and such....I was sure she would not make it by the morning.

3 days later, she was still hanging in there.  Drinking from an ear drop thingy and eating lots of polenta.  It felt like I was nursing a baby.  I felt so helpless.  We just wanted to make her last days comfortable but she wouldn't go to bird heaven on her own.  She slept next to me for 3 nights making tiny chirping noises when she wanted water.

I knew it was time to go to the vet.  I mentally and physically could not care for her.  I wanted to check up on her at all times...and well, there's no way I could be with her during the work week.  It's time to see if she even has a chance.  There was a huge improvement today.  She was able to hold up her head and peck at food for less than a minute.  She was kicking and fighting so hard to stand up.  It breaks your heart in a thousand pieces to see her try so hard.  

I love this vet that we found today..he looked like a grandpa and gave the news to me straight.  

We had to let Faux Hawk go.  It is a neurological problem that could not be fixed.  He does not know if it is Marek's Disease which I was terrified of...cause that would mean the remaining 4 chickens have it too and they will have the same predicament.  Vet said it could be that Faux Hawk was just born with it.  

Niculai held it together in the room....then he let it all out in the car.

Happy clucking away in PET HEAVEN, you sweet sweet soul.