[betty]

:cry: Hello everyone.  Well I have bad news, and good news.  The little hen I've been keeping inside, got so bad today.  She couldn't eat, or drink, or stand.  That's the bad news.  The good news is I finally took the advice you all gave me in the beginning  My husband put her down to day.  And tho it sounds bad, the good thing is she is not suffering anymore. I just wanted her to be a chook again.  And now she is.  I think I have been through it all.  Raising chickens can be difficult, don't let it fool ya.  You get so attached to them, and before you know it, something happens to remind you of how fragile they really are.  Well, thats all for now, and I will thank you all for your thoughtfulness.  yf Betty :cry:

[Selkie]

Oh Betty, that's sad news but it sounds like it really was the best thing for her.

I know what a hard decision it is to make; we'd a cat with a brain tumour and I used hope against hope that somehow she'd recover; sometimes the kindest thing you can do is to take away the suffering/pain whatever.

[Aunt Sally]

It is amazing how a funny little hen can pull at your heart strings Betty.

They hide their illnesses well and are often far worse than they seem.   :cry:

[slowef]

Sorry to hear about your loss, its so hard and thats the bit I hate about animals but we all have togo sometime, a good life is what matters and she had that with you
 :cry: xxx

[yorkshirerose]

Sorry to hear that betty, she is where the good chooks go and out of pain now

[mercury]

You did the right thing betty

[Jellyhead]

Sorry for your loss Betty but a big thumbs up from me. So sad to see them go but worse to see them suffer, I hate to see anything suffer :cry:

[Midwife]

I am very sorry Betty, but you did the right thing.  :cry:

[Lost in France]

What a difficult thing to have to do, I'm so sorry...have a big hug!

Judi

[babe]

sorry to hear that betty, she was lucky to have you and get such care. and you know she's not hurting anymore. big hug x

[John]

I'm sorry betty, I know how you feel. Doesn't matter what the pet is, once in your heart.

I sat crying in the vets some time back, last visit with my lovely Holly cat. Didn't feel so bad about crying when two burly policemen came out breaking their hearts.

The good thing is that they don't see it coming. Making them suffer for the sake of our feelings is wrong, as you realise.

[betty]

Hello to all.  Well I am feeling better today.  Went out to the coop and sat for an hour with the chooks.  They were just getting off the perch.  How interesting to sit and watch them.  They DO have a pecking order.  The oldest hen is the BOSS now.  She won't let anyone of them eat or drink before her.  They sit back and watch her and when she is done she pretty much picks a young gold hen (who just started to lay Jan. 1) to be next in line, and so on.  The oldest rooster eats after the hens, and then 2 other roosters eat.  I gave them some cooked white rice this morning and they weren't sure at first about eating it, but once the oldest rooster let them know it was good, he called the girls over and they really had fun eating it.  So for now all is well, I could sit and watch them all day, if I had the time.  By the way it is only 24 degrees here.  What is the weather like where you all are at?  Thank you all for helping me get through the death of the  poor little hen that died, I really feel better.  THANK YOU   yf Betty p.s. just being out with them today was good medicine.