RIP Sophie

[baldrick]

The last of my first ever rescue hens died suddenly and peacefully this morning fully feathered and after 2 years of scratching for worms, destroying plants, escaping, terrorising the dogs and following me like a big ginger robin. Sophie will leave a huge gap in the flock and a bigger one in the household Even Grumpy Mike is gutted.On the plus side she didnt suffer the horrible egg peritonitis, egg binding, prolapse, lameness and short retirement suffered by so many ex bat/ex barn girls. She repaid us in full for taking her with her sweet nature and clever antics.Thank you Sophie we will miss you xxx

[Suechooks]

Welcome to the vine Baldrick! Sorry your first post is such a sad one but I know Sophie died knowing she was loved and cherished and has had a lovely 2 years retirement with you.
Fingers crossed for those eggs in the incy!
RIP Sophie

[Glutton4...]

Welcome to the Vine, and sorry for your loss. I love my Batties, they are such fascinating little characters, and very rewarding to own.

What ya got in the Incy?

I have Buff and Jubilee Orpingtons, we're on day six, and the suspense is already killing me!

[baldrick]

I have a welsumer an aracana and a maran x aracana in suechooks incie. The eggd were destined to go under broody cream legbar Spike (aka mentalchicken/psychochicken/chicken from hell) but she decided she didn't like the broody coop, had a total paddy, battered the door, stomped on the eggs she'd kidnapped from everyone else and decided she didnt want to be a mum after all.................

[frias]

Sorry to hear about Sophie. At least she died in happy retirement.

PS Welcome to the vine.

[Flummery]

Sad that you've lost Sophie. We will be saying goodbye to Garnet, one of our older hens this evening. Vet suspected peritonitis but gave us Baytril to try for a couple of days. She's not eating at all now so the time has come. You can't help but love and miss them.

Welcome to the Grapevine by the way.

[RichmondHens]

Oh sorry to hear about Garnet Flum. It's rotten when you know the end is near. My husband has been nursing his favourite cockerel through a bad case of bumblefoot which we can't clear up. He's even taken him to the vet twice (!!) but the end is now in sight.

[polo]

Lots of bad news in this thread - Sorry to hear the bad news from all of you. x

[baldrick]

Its nasty when they start failing like that. Sophie at least went quickly. she had got a bit doddery, so Id been giving her her first feed and water of the day seperate in the psychiatric coop (coop for cooling off broody people who get violent!). I put her in, and she shuffled off to the nest box instead of her mash, I went to sort the baby out, came out an hour and a half later to see if we needed a vet run and she was stiff as a board. She must have died as I left her :-( At least she was peaceful and her illness was short. Sorry to hear about Garnet, that peritonitis is horrible. Ive never seen bumblefoot thank goodness, though one of my pet rats had it once and its not nice.

[Holly on a spring]

we have buried sofe under a curent bush i mis sofe