Ideas on memorializing my gaggle

[starrymutt]

I posted recently about losing my gaggle traumatically and suddenly starting on Wed and my final gander passed away yesterday or early today. I don't know what caused it yet but the vet tech that came on Friday for testing said she didn't think it was bird flu, I'm currently guessing it's NCD or possibly DVE or boultism.

Due to the nature of their deaths I'm not 'allowed' to touch the bodies until we get results on Monday at the earliest and/or send in a body for necropsy (which then I'm dreading on which one and if I'll have time to get feathers for keepsakes) but I'm still wondering on how to honor them and memorialize. I hatched 4 of them and raised my first, and favorite, girl from a week old.

It's my first time going through something like this and it's beyond difficult to process, especially as they mostly showed no signs of illness until it was too late, with the exception of Ella, my first, who hung in there until the end. They were my babies and companions. I'm definitely grieving and wondering what to fill my normal routine with now, I still expect to hear them honking for me and fly up to the house.

 

[Goosebaby]

I posted recently about losing my gaggle traumatically and suddenly starting on Wed and my final gander passed away yesterday or early today. I don't know what caused it yet but the vet tech that came on Friday for testing said she didn't think it was bird flu, I'm currently guessing it's NCD or possibly DVE or boultism.

Due to the nature of their deaths I'm not 'allowed' to touch the bodies until we get results on Monday at the earliest and/or send in a body for necropsy (which then I'm dreading on which one and if I'll have time to get feathers for keepsakes) but I'm still wondering on how to honor them and memorialize. I hatched 4 of them and raised my first, and favorite, girl from a week old.

It's my first time going through something like this and it's beyond difficult to process, especially as they mostly showed no signs of illness until it was too late, with the exception of Ella, my first, who hung in there until the end. They were my babies and companions. I'm definitely grieving and wondering what to fill my normal routine with now, I still expect to hear them honking for me and fly up to the house.

I’am so sorry. I’ve saved feathers of geese I’ve lost and I suggest you should too while you still can. I’ve seen some people fill clear round ornaments with feathers of their birds that have past away. I’ve also seen people make clay imprints of their bird’s feet. Whichever way you feel is right you should do.
My geese are my kids, it’s broken my heart when I’ve lost some, I can’t imagine the pain of losing them all in such a short amount of time, I can tell you cared for them deeply and I hope that you know that you did everything you could. Even when we do our best it just isn’t enough and it’s not our fault.
There is also the comfort in knowing that they’ve passed over the rainbow bridge together. When geese lose another goose they’ve grown up with and bonded with that pain is deep and can last a lifetime so there is a mercy in that they’ve been spared it.

 

[starrymutt]

TTh

I’am so sorry. I’ve saved feathers of geese I’ve lost and I suggest you should too while you still can. I’ve seen some people fill clear round ornaments with feathers of their birds that have past away. I’ve also seen people make clay imprints of their bird’s feet. Whichever way you feel is right you should do.
My geese are my kids, it’s broken my heart when I’ve lost some, I can’t imagine the pain of losing them all in such a short amount of time, I can tell you cared for them deeply and I hope that you know that you did everything you could. Even when we do our best it just isn’t enough and it’s not our fault.
There is also the comfort in knowing that they’ve passed over the rainbow bridge together. When geese lose another goose they’ve grown up with and bonded with that pain is deep and can last a lifetime so there is a mercy in that they’ve been spared it.

Thank you. Due to the nature of their deaths (and now that we're losing chickens too), it's not advised to touch the bodies until we get results back, but collecting their feathers was my first thought and it's causing some anxiety that I might not be able to. I do have about 3 from when my oldest ones were going through their baby molts but I didn't label so I'm unsure which is who's heh.

That was also something I dreaded, their mourning, and I think they might've started. After Ophelia died, Ella did a honk and walked into their coop for a bit until she made her way back up to her brothers (and me), but she shortly passed away after. Then my boys seemed really confused and quite, waiting for the girls at bedtime, and they each died off right after. Jack first, who was lethargic anyways, then Dopey and Forrest (Gump) went together over the night.

It's hard not to think it also might've been from a broken heart but I know they were all sick with something. I am taking some solace in the fact that they're together now and at least for the boys that they didn't go alone (I separated Ella and now I'm slightly regretting it as she was going to the coop with her brothers for bed after she gave me a nuzzle goodbye).

I'm sorry for your losses too, it's so hard. I used to be afraid of geese ironically after some bad childhood experience, but these guys really taught me so much.

 

[Goosebaby]

TTh

Thank you. Due to the nature of their deaths (and now that we're losing chickens too), it's not advised to touch the bodies until we get results back, but collecting their feathers was my first thought and it's causing some anxiety that I might not be able to. I do have about 3 from when my oldest ones were going through their baby molts but I didn't label so I'm unsure which is who's heh.

That was also something I dreaded, their mourning, and I think they might've started. After Ophelia died, Ella did a honk and walked into their coop for a bit until she made her way back up to her brothers (and me), but she shortly passed away after. Then my boys seemed really confused and quite, waiting for the girls at bedtime, and they each died off right after. Jack first, who was lethargic anyways, then Dopey and Forrest (Gump) went together over the night.

It's hard not to think it also might've been from a broken heart but I know they were all sick with something. I am taking some solace in the fact that they're together now and at least for the boys that they didn't go alone (I separated Ella and now I'm slightly regretting it as she was going to the coop with her brothers for bed after she gave me a nuzzle goodbye).

I'm sorry for your losses too, it's so hard. I used to be afraid of geese ironically after some bad childhood experience, but these guys really taught me so much.

I’m so sorry. You could always collect feathers wearing some gloves and a mask. If you place them in a clear bag and expose them to sunlight or artificial UV light it kills a lot of surface germs and viruses.