It's with a very heavy heart that I sit here and blog that we lost sweet Pickles today.
There was something always off about that little bird. I had my suspicions that she wasn't right. But she strut around the garden with her tail held high. She scratched, she dust bathed, she ate, she drank and a few days a week, she'd reward us with a teeny, tiny egg.
Wednesday morning I noticed that she had caught her comb on something and tore it. I treated it with ointment but she really tore it and kept shaking it which kept causing it to tear and I knew that it needed proper medical attention. So I took her off to my favorite vet. The vet said it was an easy fix, she'd give her a puff of gas to put her to sleep and put several stitches in the comb to secure it and keep it from flopping around.
But as soon as she received the gas, she stopped breathing and despite the vets best efforts, she never came around. A mini necropsy confirmed what I had always suspected. She had a big mass on her ovary. Another one some where else inside her. Her lungs were badly scarred indicating she had a chronic case of pneumonia. And her liver was just a mess. I'm amazed that she acted so happy and healthy after learning all this.
Here's hoping she's in a better place and no longer suffering. I will miss you sweet Pickles. You were a very special little bird.
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| She always wanted to know what you were doing. |
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| Never had a feather out of place. |
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| She might not have a feather out of place but she ALWAYS had a dirty beak. |
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| One of my most favorite photos of her. Life Imitating Art! |
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| The last photo I took of Pickles. She's the one in the middle facing Coco. |
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| Not sure which one she is but she was one of the four Peeps. |
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| Pickles tiny little egg compared to one of her sister's large egg. |
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| She LOVED to smell the roses. |
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| And she loved a dust bath in the sun. Especially, when she had the bath all to herself. |
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| She LOVED this pot of forage blend I grew for the hens. And she always had to stand on top to eat. |
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| This is a card that someone gave me. It is exactly how I picture Pickles. A fairy princess with her tiara properly on top of her head just floating through life. Always be fabulous Pickles. Live up to your name. |
