MJ's little flock

[Shadrach]

I try to remember that it doesn't make any difference for the chicken whether we are very emotional or more peaceful about it's illness and eventual death. What's important is keeping a sufficiently clear mind when needed to take the more appropriate steps of action.

Can't really do both. Emotions tend to cloud the mind and we make some very bad decisions in states of high emotion.

 

[RoyalChick]

Can't really do both. Emotions tend to cloud the mind and we make some very bad decisions in states of high emotion.

Hard to do both. But definitely possible.

 

[MaryJanet]

Hard to do both. But definitely possible.

In my case, the line between what's acceptable and what's too much to impose on a very sick hen will be easier to observe when emotional now I've written it down.

 

[BDutch]

A belated sorry for losing Edie too soon.
Missed the connection for a few days.

The news from the flock is that Mary had her implant yesterday.

I do hope Marys health will improve now.

My experience with Edie has taught me to push back at excessive veterinary intervention. Pain relief, yes. Antibiotics as necessary, yes. Timely euthanasia, yes. No surgeries. No running back and forth to the vet. No diagnostic certainty. It helps that I'm more experienced now and can begin to trust my observations.

Sounds like a wise decision.

 

[MaryJanet]

A belated sorry for losing Edie too soon.
Missed the connection for a few days.

Thank you. I was hoping for a better outcome.

I do hope Marys health will improve now.

Her only symptom was that one soft shelled egg she laid a few months ago and a lump felt last week which wasn't there back when the soft shell was laid. I think the lump may be her repaired hernia, but I've got my eye on her. She seems to be doing fine.

Sounds like a wise decision.

It'll help me make better decisions in future.

 

[MaryJanet]

The Tomboy loves perching in the tree.

 

[BDutch]

Her only symptom was that one soft shelled egg she laid a few months ago

Did she lay only one soft shell egg in the past? And this is enough for you to go to a vet?
I do understand if people want in inplant if a hen lays softshell eggs repeatedly. Because every time the hen lays a softshell egg there is a little risk things go wrong, and a broken softshell egg inside a hen often leads to an internal infection.

Just one softshell egg wouldn’t make my alarm bells go off. If a hen repeats this with the knowledge I have know, I would start to give her extra calcium daily, hoping it stops after a week or two.
A logical next step, if she continues to lay softshell eggs, would be hormone treatment.

3 years ago I had one hen who started to lay softshell eggs. After several months this went wrong . This was my first really sick hen and it happened before I knew much about calcium deficiency and implants. If I had visited a vet when I noticed she repeatedly laid softshell eggs, but way before the obvious infection, I might have saved her. But as you know, I tend to let chickens live their natural lives without interfering. Chickens often heal by themselves too.

 

[ManueB]

Can't really do both. Emotions tend to cloud the mind and we make some very bad decisions in states of high emotion.

Hard to do both. But definitely possible.

This could very well be a philosophy subject for french highschool students taking the baccalaureate "Do emotions hinder judgement ?"
A plain "yes", or a plain "no" for that matter, would not get you very far .

I've come to realise that for me focusing on trying to stay detached toward a chicken in the midst of a crisis is like asking a left handed person to work with the right hand. It's much more helpful to acknowledge that I will get overemotional, and find the right tools to work with it.

Going back to Edie's death, I can very much relate as it was a similar process to what I went through with Caramel. I understood then that my priority above all, which is very much an emotional one, is that my chickens should not die alone in hospital. This is more important to me than giving them absolutely every chance to survive. I needed to go through it to learn this. MJ, I hope the understanding you've gained gives some meaning to Edie's story.

The Tomboy loves perching in the tree.

View attachment 4029109

I love this picture. For me it has the vibe of a japanese painting. I love the contrast between the colours, and between the lush leaves and the starkness of the materials on the floor.

 

[RoyalChick]

This could very well be a philosophy subject for french highschool students taking the baccalaureate "Do emotions hinder judgement ?"
A plain "yes", or a plain "no" for that matter, would not get you very far .

I've come to realise that for me focusing on trying to stay detached toward a chicken in the midst of a crisis is like asking a left handed person to work with the right hand. It's much more helpful to acknowledge that I will get overemotional, and find the right tools to work with it.

Going back to Edie's death, I can very much relate as it was a similar process to what I went through with Caramel. I understood then that my priority above all, which is very much an emotional one, is that my chickens should not die alone in hospital. This is more important to me than giving them absolutely every chance to survive. I needed to go through it to learn this. MJ, I hope the understanding you've gained gives some meaning to Edie's story.

I love this picture. For me it has the vibe of a japanese painting. I love the contrast between the colours, and between the lush leaves and the starkness of the materials on the floor.

I too love that picture and had not made the connection to Japanese art, but I think you are right!
MJ - you really must submit that to all the competitions (POW, calendar etc.). It is gorgeous.

On the decisions and emotion front it is complex. For my sins I have had training in some aspects of managing disasters (think major road crashes sort of stuff), and there are techniques to help pull yourself out of a situation mentally to aid clarity of decision making.
The most important lessons I remember however are two that you have both identified: have a framework for priorities up front; and know your own and other’s skill/capabilities (and limitations).

 

[MaryJanet]

Did she lay only one soft shell egg in the past? And this is enough for you to go to a vet?

It was more how it happened than what happened, coupled with increasing awareness that catching reproductive health problems early leads to better outcomes. And the vet recommended a check up at which an implant was recommended.

I do understand if people want in inplant if a hen lays softshell eggs repeatedly. Because every time the hen lays a softshell egg there is a little risk things go wrong, and a broken softshell egg inside a hen often leads to an internal infection.

There's no sign of broken shell.

Just one softshell egg wouldn’t make my alarm bells go off. If a hen repeats this with the knowledge I have know, I would start to give her extra calcium daily, hoping it stops after a week or two.
A logical next step, if she continues to lay softshell eggs, would be hormone treatment.

3 years ago I had one hen who started to lay softshell eggs. After several months this went wrong . This was my first really sick hen and it happened before I knew much about calcium deficiency and implants. If I had visited a vet when I noticed she repeatedly laid softshell eggs, but way before the obvious infection, I might have saved her. But as you know, I tend to let chickens live their natural lives without interfering. Chickens often heal by themselves too.

We each have our own preferences.