We lost an emerald jewel
It was 2016, when we got a call about a rescued bird from OWL (Orphaned Wildlife . They had been called to help a turkey vulture who turned out to be a hen. One of our volunteers, who was a neighbour and a volunteer for OWL brought the hen to us. She was our very first rescue hen. We named her Henrietta.
Right from the beginning she enchanted us with her story of survival, magnificent everffescent feathers and her gentle soul. She was found in crescent park under an eagles nest. She was in shock, stunned at this fortunate turn of events, but her only injury was a crooked toe! A story of escape from a fate that was not her destiny. Her destiny was to arrive at a little farm sanctuary and find a magnificant handicapped rooster named Louise who would became her best friend.
One Tuesday morning this month started like every other morning letting the hens out of the chicken coop. All three sauntered over to the duck area to start their day in the sun. By mid morning Henrietta was found lethargic. We have felt for a long time that as an elder hen each day with Henrietta was a blessing. But this was something other than end of life. This was Wry Neck which is a horrible condition where she couldn’t hold up her neck.
We have never had Wry Neck at Kindred so I called our farm sister and friend, Diane Marsh of the Happy Herd. She has had it before in her flock and has successfully treated it. She generously shared some vitamins and antibiotics to help Henrietta.
One of the causes of Wry Neck is a vitamin deficiency so we started her on Rooster Booster, antibiotics and high potency mash. I was devastated that after a week of 24 hour care by Christine Mayworm she never improved.
When I got to the vet office with Henrietta they were already expecting it to be Merek’s because it is very common in BC. I’d heard of this chicken disease but knew nothing about it. Now I know too much. Merek’s disease is a life sentence for chickens. The factory hatcheries actually vaccinate the baby chicks for Merek’s. But this vaccine is not available to vet clinics or individuals. So we suspect Henrietta was hatched in a small hatchery and caught Merek’s sometime between the time she was born and sold to a hobby farm. It was incubating in her body since she was a chick waiting for Henrietta’s immune system to be compromised.
I made the difficult decision to let her pass and told her she would see her beloved Louise on the other side. Is it easier to let go of an animal who has had a long wonderful life at our sanctuary? I’d say it is bitter sweet because the way her life ended was so unexpected. And I hate that there is a vaccine to prevent this disease, but it is not available to us.
Henrietta was able to defy the odds of a large predator attack but not the attack of a tiny virus.
It was an honour to be part of your flock dear sweet girl. Fly free …..
Featured his best friend Henrietta
