About a week ago Vera started to look a little peaky. She was a little unsteady on her feet, though her comb and wattles were still a good read colour. I picked her up and felt her, but she didn't seem overly thin, or lumpy in any of the wrong places, so I decided to see how things went. After two or three days she began a big moult so I thought maybe this was the reason she wasn't on top form.
She tended to stay in the roosting area in the morning, so I would look in on her and she would begrudgingly go down the ramp. Always a little unsteady, but otherwise seeming fine.
Last night she was lying under the bottom of the ramp. She seemed to be just resting, but I suspected the worst. At this point, I suppose were I able to despatch a chicken, this would be the time to do so. However I have never learned to do that. She didn't seem to be in any discomfort, just lying down, and the other chickens were ignoring her and certainly not bothering her, so I left her be. This morning I came down to a dead chicken.
I often wonder what is best. I could have taken her to the vet, but I have done that in the past, and the journey to the vets has pretty much finished the chicken off. On the whole, if they don't seem to be in any distress, it feels kinder to just let them drift off.
RIP Vera
