Hannah_xx
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My little Sooty..or soot soot, or chicky chick, or booty. Many nicknames you required in the short 5-6 months I had to know you.
Sooty wasn’t right from the start, the day I bought her and her sister home. Sooty was much smaller, a week in, and her health deteriorated. After much tender love and care a few weeks later she started walking again, and soon enough she was skipping around the garden playing with her wonderful big sister Rosie. But sadly your little legs started to give up again. And before we knew it you was too wobbly to stand. We tried so many different things, spent hours on google and had 2 different exotic and costly vets and 1 farm vet examine you. But with little to no answers. Eventually we decided it must be a neurological disorder causing your legs to not be able to function normally. They could move, but not in the right way. She had to roll or scoot to get around.
A couple of months in we couldn’t see her recovering this time. I lived in constant worry about her. Always on my mind, Every day she was perky and bright. But there was moments after flapping around trying to move that you could see the frustration and sadness in her eyes. Pop some of her favourite soaked oats or scrambled egg in from of her and she would perk up again, vigorously eating. She loved her food. And never turned down a good meal! Unless it was peas!
I made sure my days were revolved around her, giving her time out of the chook houses to enjoy the sun, peck at the grass of have a ‘dust’ bath. I sat with her, moving her around to have pleasure and joy that she should experience.
Rosie was always the BEST sister, she ran to be with Sooty whenever sooty cried. She sat with her to have grooming sessions and just in general looked out for her little sister at all times. Many chickens attack sick ones, but Rosie loved Sooty ever so much. For obvious future reasons I had to introduce another hen, For Rosie’s sake. I found a funky looking bantam looking for a new home. I was so nervous introducing a newbie, what if she was mean to Sooty. But she wasn’t, she was great from the get go! Rosie put Roxy in her place, Protected her little sis Sooty, and Sooty also gave Roxy a few pecks. And soon enough all was perfect.
But Sooty wasn’t improving at all. Just adapting to life with useless legs. I couldn’t cope anymore, it just wasn’t fair on her anymore. The time has come to let her go before she became sick, while she was still ‘happy’.
And today was the day.
This morning she enjoyed a dust bath with her sisters that I put her in, she munched on loads of great food and grass. Even got to feel a bit of winter sun. And then with her sisters company, we went to the vets.
She went to sleep lovely and peacefully in my hands, her sweet little head slowly drifted away in my fingers. And off she went to chooken heaven, where her legs let her frolic and play and with all the sweetcorn she could ever dream of.
I hope Rosie doesn’t cry for her little sis too much the next few days. I know I will be. We’ll look out for each other. Roxy will have to help us smile.
I’m proud of her, she grew from a little baby to a ‘healthy’ young hen despite her disability you grew and shone.
I’ll be lost without you in the Morning Sooty. I’m sorry I couldn’t fix you. I’m sorry you had to go so young. I love you, forever and always. You had a huge impact on me.
Sleep well Sooty. You’ll be missed by many x
From the beginning to the end.
Sooty wasn’t right from the start, the day I bought her and her sister home. Sooty was much smaller, a week in, and her health deteriorated. After much tender love and care a few weeks later she started walking again, and soon enough she was skipping around the garden playing with her wonderful big sister Rosie. But sadly your little legs started to give up again. And before we knew it you was too wobbly to stand. We tried so many different things, spent hours on google and had 2 different exotic and costly vets and 1 farm vet examine you. But with little to no answers. Eventually we decided it must be a neurological disorder causing your legs to not be able to function normally. They could move, but not in the right way. She had to roll or scoot to get around.
A couple of months in we couldn’t see her recovering this time. I lived in constant worry about her. Always on my mind, Every day she was perky and bright. But there was moments after flapping around trying to move that you could see the frustration and sadness in her eyes. Pop some of her favourite soaked oats or scrambled egg in from of her and she would perk up again, vigorously eating. She loved her food. And never turned down a good meal! Unless it was peas!
I made sure my days were revolved around her, giving her time out of the chook houses to enjoy the sun, peck at the grass of have a ‘dust’ bath. I sat with her, moving her around to have pleasure and joy that she should experience.
Rosie was always the BEST sister, she ran to be with Sooty whenever sooty cried. She sat with her to have grooming sessions and just in general looked out for her little sister at all times. Many chickens attack sick ones, but Rosie loved Sooty ever so much. For obvious future reasons I had to introduce another hen, For Rosie’s sake. I found a funky looking bantam looking for a new home. I was so nervous introducing a newbie, what if she was mean to Sooty. But she wasn’t, she was great from the get go! Rosie put Roxy in her place, Protected her little sis Sooty, and Sooty also gave Roxy a few pecks. And soon enough all was perfect.
But Sooty wasn’t improving at all. Just adapting to life with useless legs. I couldn’t cope anymore, it just wasn’t fair on her anymore. The time has come to let her go before she became sick, while she was still ‘happy’.
And today was the day.
This morning she enjoyed a dust bath with her sisters that I put her in, she munched on loads of great food and grass. Even got to feel a bit of winter sun. And then with her sisters company, we went to the vets.
She went to sleep lovely and peacefully in my hands, her sweet little head slowly drifted away in my fingers. And off she went to chooken heaven, where her legs let her frolic and play and with all the sweetcorn she could ever dream of.
I hope Rosie doesn’t cry for her little sis too much the next few days. I know I will be. We’ll look out for each other. Roxy will have to help us smile.
I’m proud of her, she grew from a little baby to a ‘healthy’ young hen despite her disability you grew and shone.
I’ll be lost without you in the Morning Sooty. I’m sorry I couldn’t fix you. I’m sorry you had to go so young. I love you, forever and always. You had a huge impact on me.
Sleep well Sooty. You’ll be missed by many x
From the beginning to the end.
Sooty was beautiful and had an amazing life with you and her sister. Sleep tight Sooty xx
