Golden Feathered Goldilocks
Goldilocks wasn’t with us very long. She joined our farm family last summer. We didn’t really get a chance to know her. But she did always stand out in the crowd with her gorgeous golden feathers.
Goldilocks became listless and she was moved into the office. The office is warm and we can better observe anyone who is sick. She developed some symptoms that we’d never seen before. I took her to the vet on Monday. Dr. Allmark examined her and found a large canker in her mouth which was the reason she wasn’t eating and was having trouble breathing. She was diagnosed with Trichomonosis (something I’m not familiar with).
Dr. Almark said that Goldilocks was at high risk of not surviving the surgery to remove the canker. I was devastated to make the decision to help her cross over.
I’ve always known that cleanliness is the one of the most important tasks with all our animals and I’m so proud of all the hard work you do with the birds to keep it clean.
What I’ve learned is that this protozoa comes from wild bird droppings. It thrives in contaminated water and wet food. It is highly contagious to birds but not to any other animals or people. I will be recommending some new prevention procedures with the chickens and will consult with the Barn Managers and Team Leaders on the best course of action. We also will be watching our other chickens closely to look for any early signs of this infection and then they can receive a dose of metronidazole.
Our team is made up of compassionate souls and, as always, a loss is devastating. I think the best thing we can do is be kind to yourself and each other.
And thank you for believing in the mission at Kindred Community Farm Sanctuary, for all your support and encouragement and for being part of our community.
