Frances

So just after that last post, Frances, the strutting golden hen in the pic, became one sick chicken. (Although we realise some symptoms may have been seen a week before that). We've been trying everything- thought it could be gapeworm. (gross). and then we thought it could be pneumonia. But the rest of the flock, including the new babies, are totally fine. It started with me noticing wheezing and if I think back- the day a certain naughty spaniel broke the fence and chased her she was breathing real heavily even an hour later and doing this honking thing. I thought at the time that she was still real pissed off about the whole thing. But when I really knew she was not right, the wheezing was audible and unmistakable and by the next day- it had become gasping. She opens her beak widely- throws her head into the air and whistles and gasps for air. This was Tuesday and after a preliminary round of research and thinking it was this gapeworm thing, I was in a barn cleaning frenzy. We finished a real thorough cleaning this past weekend since we got it well underway and it was time anyhow- but on that Tuesday it gave Birkleigh and I something to do and especially for my big girl farmer- she was really proud. My kid was wielding a pitchfork and (in a modified way) pitching straw bales. She was very focussed on doing all she could to help her chicken. On Friday after a number of remedies showed no improvement, I for some reason was feeling around and felt a huge rock that turned out to be her crop. I ran into the house, did 5 minutes of internet research to conclude that it must be impacted and ran back out to the barn to massage her. Instantly, pulling the crop downward, and massaging it while pushing it's contents (I hoped anyway) down and out- for the first time in days she was suddenly -and I mean suddenly - breathing. It felt wonderful- we were going to save her. A few hours later I checked on her- and it was the same *?x(#@ thing. Gasping. I massaged again. Breathing normally (but all poofy and obviously not feeling so great.) And one more time- but then Saturday morning, I did the massage and it didn't help. We've been putting olive oil down her to help soften up that crap in the crop- and then I started to wonder if I got it down her airway. I barely understand chicken anatomy (although I know ALOT more now.... including what a chicken tongue looks like when it's distended.) I'm so incredibly sad and feel so helpless. I know that we will deal with lots of losing critters on this farm. It's been many close calls- right? But Frances- is our favorite and even Red says she's the best chicken she ever had. We are contemplating home surgery- and I didn't tell Red this but today I called the vet just to see how much it would be- (they are closed today so didn't find out) of course we can't afford to pay hundreds of dollars to extend her life- and morally I'm not sure it's the right thing to do- I mean- the great thing about living with animals is this wisdom in letting life and death happen as it should. Being reminded that we can't control it. I remember my favorite dog's death leading me to contemplate even further the absurdity of extending life with crazy heroic measures even though losing him was so hard.

But this is really challenging somehow. We don't want her to suffer- but it doesn't seem right to kill her - it feels like she might pull through but then she's obviously not comfortable - and so finding a way to treat her is about taking the misery away.... I don't know- there seem to be no easy answers and we are taking it one day at a time.

That was written mostly this past weekend. I called a neighbor known to raise show chickens and asked everyone we've been in contact with - hoping that someone would say 'yes, I've cleaned out crops before- let me come on over and show you'. But no dice. Maybe I can feel proud that I know about several nasty things that can happen to poultry that old farmers have never even heard of- but I know they are thinking we're goofy for putting so much into futzing with a chicken we should just cull.

Today, Monday, it's obvious that we need to open her crop or do something. So I knew farm life may involve unaesthetised cutting into animals- but we're banking on all that we've read assuring us that somehow it doesn't seem to stress them out. It should be quick and easy. Maybe gross. You dab on some iodine or betadine, make an incision from 1/2 inch (some say) to 1 1/2 inches- clean out the crop from it's offending gunk that's blocking it, and sew her back up. So right now I'm going to check to see if she's still alive before we collect supplies to do the deed. Wish us luck!