RIP Blondie

Well the last couple of days Blondie has been doing really bad. She was getting worse and was getting weak again, there were no bugs so I couldn't figure out what was wrong, she was drinking water well but she wasn't eating well. Plus, she started "clicking" her beak. The vet said that I was probably right and she was beginning to experience pain. She wasn't wanting to stand anymore and it's been 2 weeks of this. Everything I did I had to run by the house first to take care of Blondie. So yesterday Mom took her to the vet and had her put down. I found that I had gained a bond with a sick chicken, lord knows there wasn't one before. I really felt the loss and failure of Blondie not making it. I was very sad but even more than that I was angry. At myself for not being able to take her back to full health. It was fine until she began to have pain and then it wasn't worth her having to live like that for me to prove I could pull her through. A 50 cent chicken and I've spent over $50 trying to save her, there comes a point where enough is enough. However, I did learn so much about chickens that I didn't know.

See, I love my animals, alot!!! My animals are my life actually. How sad is that? I have very few friends but I have tons of animals. I know I'm such a "reject", LOL.

Blondie is trying!!!!

Well, good news on The Farm front. Blondie is still just plugging along. She is trying to get up on her own. This morning I laid out paper and took her out of her box so she has room to move around more (the box isn't as wide as her wing span). She had those wings spread out and her legs pulled up under her and she was trying for all she was worth to get up. She is much better. If I can just get her on her feet and balanced. Her bad leg is still gimpy but she is using it more now.

She got a bath last night and she did very good!!! She just sat there in the water and let me clean her up a little. I expected a fight now that she is stronger but no, she did great. She is so funny, she is feeling better and ready to get out and go but her legs aren't strong enough yet so she gets those wings open and she gets around my bathroom that way. I started giving her a tad of scratch and she really enjoys that.

She scoots to the edge of the paper and pecks at the carpet, LOL, I am going to take her outside tomorrow and let her peck around on the ground. I am really pulling for her to walk again because my family is just in SHOCK at how well she is doing now. At first no one wanted to do anything, they just wanted me to tend her until she died and there was a couple days where it was kind of touch and go and the stress was really getting to me, but then she started gaining her strength back and it's amazing me how well she is doing!!!

We have bonded and Lil Roo is NOT going to be happy. LOL. Lil Roo hates me for some reason and he is not going to be happy that his little lady and I are friends now. Hehe.

Another tidbit of Farm news. I was in Balch Springs last night and got to see Kris Kringle (little goat) and his little girlfriend. LOL. She is tan and white and he is all black so it'll be fun to go see their babies when they begin to come along. He seemed very happy in that big lot eating away. It was dark and he was out eating with his new little friends. He seemed to be doing very well. Kind of cool to know where he is because when I'm out that way I can see him. I haven't gotten to see Sassy but I hear that she is doing very good and is very spoiled. She has kiddos to play with so I know she is happy because she loves her Humans and kids to play with, she LOVED playing. Which she now has NO horns. LOL. Kris still had his but they are still teeny tiny.

I love my little farm. I'm thinking Mator is getting a little frisky, thankfully the ground is starting to dry out some. This flood that came let me know where I still have to make some changes in my "barns". It also gives me time to change my goat house plans to include a raised floor. I'm going to have to do that in the horse barn too. Lucy has requested a place of her own that that she is laying eggs. LOL. She keeps running the chickens and horse out of the barn and it's their barn. Haha. Onry goose. I'm considering getting ducks, I would love another goose but Lucy may run the farmyard animal wise but she lets me pretend to be in charge over her. Hehe. She doesn't chase me so that is good!!! I'm expecting Silkie babies soon, I have 3 hens sitting faithfully so surely we'll have babies soon.

Another Blondie Update

Well, tonight Blondie will get to enjoy (haha) a bath. Yeppers, she will get a real live in the sink bath.

Last time I posted I was seriously thinking about having her put to sleep. I actually expected her to die pretty quick and now she seems stronger and has been trying to get up on her own. So I'm hopeful but we'll see.

I am now keeping her in my bathroom where I am more available. Today she has eaten 3 eggs total. LOL. Since her appetite is so strong I gave her some scratch and she of course ate the corn right up. LOL. Obviously its her favorite.

So for today she is better. But if she doesn't regain use of her leg she doesn't have a future as a chicken. A couple of people that raise chickens said as she gains weight and strength she may regain use so we'll see. I hope so, we are kind of bonding. One thing for sure once better she will be very friendly to me much to Lil Roo's dismay I'm sure. Lil Roo does not care for me at all. LOL.

Blondie Update

Well, as of this moment it doesn't look like Blondie is going to make it. She is so weak even though she is eating and drinking. She is just sleeping all the time even when I'm changing her box out. So I doubt she'll make it another day or so. It's hard, I'm not that "attached" to Blondie because she has always been standoffish and a little scared of people. But I won't lie when Mr. Cook gave me medicine for Blondie and said it'll either make her better or she will die, I was a little upset. I know though that I have done the best I can for her and there is nothing else I can do. I've learned alot through this process it just makes me sad that Blondie is dying and I didn't know enough to save her in time. But she knows she is loved and she is getting good meals with protein like eggs. The feed store had me start feeding her milk and bread all squishy. She enjoyed that and with it ate her meds. But we are going to let time take it's course and keep her comfortable. I guess if she passes she will join the kitties at the Rainbow Bridge, do chickens go there??? Hmmm, oh yeah, It's "The Rainbow Bridge Farm". Let me deal with grief my way and you can keep on yours.

My Dad is still trying to bust my fantasy that my pets aren't going to Heaven with me. BUT YES THEY ARE!!!! Problem is I don't know where everyone else will live because, come on, do you know how many animals we've had???

Blondie is Sick (Chicken)

I have a lame chicken. We are hoping it's rickets and will work out. Monday night Mom was gone so I was out alone doing feed/water and head count on all the animals. It sounds simple but it's not. It's quite a job. Burns calories for every 2 minutes I burn 9 calories. LOL. I'm diet/workout minded. LOL.

Blondie was laying in the horse/chicken barn on her side I thought she was dead but when I touched her she moved away behind a brick. I thought she was seriously dying so I tried to get her and she didn't want to be gotten so I figured Lil Roo would take care of her, he is her protector and they are always together. Well the next day she was still alive when I got home so the next morning I called the vet and asked what to do. He thought it might be lice or mites which do to young chickens what fleas do young cats and dogs. Most of you will probably remember my kitten escapades with fleas and how it almost killed my kittens. But with determination and alot of hard work we saved them all.

Well, Dad got the meds Wednesday night and I went out in the rain and fought Lil Roo to bring Blondie in and she was so weak and listless. We put her in a box and gave her .1cc of Bayril and I put a little lid of water and she went crazy and drank it up so I gave her a little bit bigger bowl and put some feed down and she ate it, well she ate the pieces she liked. LOL.

So we gave her an injection again this morning and she seemed to be much stronger. Since she was acting better and not going crazy everytime I got near the box I started checking in her feathers to check for bugs. Sure enough once I got way down in the white fluffy part under her yellow feathers she has lice. They are the same blond color so they were very hard to detect. I went up to Cook Feed and got some Poultry Dust, came home dusted her and they started pouring off of her. I sat there watched them climb out of the feathers walk around drunkenly and fall off dead. I have to say at this point I've taken a million showers it seems I feel all creepy crawly. LOL. She seems much stronger.


Mom took these pics tonight when I was giving her meds and changing her paper and I change her water several times during the day. Tonight when Dad came in to do the injection she was scared and tried to get up by herself. She isn't scared of me anymore but Dad flipped her out. Her one leg is still gimpy but all in all she does seem better.




She is still a very sick chicken. Tonight we gave her a little bit of lettuce and she enjoyed that and then I scrambled her an egg and she tore it UP. LOL. She loved it. The one leg is still not working right and she isn't getting up today by any means. That leg has been very gray and dead looking but tonight when I excercised it there was some pink back in it. The vet said she might have rickets in her legs which could be temporary paralysis. I'm crossing my fingers.

If you are wondering why I am telling this story in such detail it's because not only is this my blog but I can go back and read what I did so the next time I can remember LOL.

Blondie isn't out of the woods by any means. I'm glad the bright green runny poo is gone. Hehe. If she doesn't gain use of her leg she may still have to go down but she is a fighter and so am I!!! So hopefully I can once again get her back up and healthy with the Lord's help. You will laugh but I pray for her every time I work with her. I talk to her and she is getting spoiled I believe. LOL. She will want to be a house chicken. LOL.