Maggie, The Big Hearted Chicken

I’ve not had the strength of heart to write about her, as yet. She passed away June 4^th, and this place (or my heart) will never be the same.

Maggie was rescued from a breeder who had her and her sister Molly (and a lot of others) crammed into a small little cat box, with filthy water and barely any food and was planning on raising them that way. I grabbed two (because I couldn’t take them all) and brought them home. I was lucky to get two females…

Here they are as babies:

Because I lived at 7,400 feet, (mostly cold) they lived in the house their entire youth. That gave me the opportunity to spend quality time with each of them, cuddling at movie time, and in my lap at my desk.

Needless to say, they became very attached to me and I to them. Maggie though, was especially sweet. Molly was a bit aloof and not as anxious to spend time with me.

They were quite different in personality, and I always knew who Maggie was because she always wanted to be near me in some capacity.

Once I moved to Oregon in 2012, they became outdoor chickens, as it should be.

I tell you this story because it is what I believe created such a bond between us. Maggie more so than Molly, but they were both sweet, loving chickens.

When I would go out into the yard to feed, clean, water, or just to visit, I’d only have to call Maggie once or twice and she’d drop what she was doing and come running – full throttle – to see me. If I was sitting, she’d jump on my lap and cuddle up to get hugs and kisses. She loved being hugged.

I’d never before known a chicken so loving and sweet and anxious to be with me. I’ve had many and many loved me and vice versa, but this was different. She actually showed her love more than any other chicken I’d shared life with.

But sometime around Memorial Day she started acting strange. I inspected her and discovered she had sour crop. It’s an ailment similar to a yeast infection in their crop, which doesn’t allow them to eat because they feel full – and are full of fluid and a yucky fungus.

I did what I had done in the past – gave her apple cider vinegar, lots of water, and brought her in the house so I could tend to her every few hours. I spoke with a veterinarian on the Internet who said ACV was the worst possible treatment, it is acidic and giving sour crop more acid is only going to make it worse… so I listened. I got the Kefir he suggested (liquid yoghurt) and began treating her with that. He said the probiotics would clear up the yeast infection. She continued to decline, having one or two good days, but she would always drift back to not eating, being lethargic and just losing more and more weight.

I freaked. I decided the Kefir wasn’t working and switched back to ACV, but it was too late. She was so weak, thin and sick that I saw the signs she was leaving soon by the way she acted.

I was with my precious Maggie when she passed. I held her, told her I loved her and petted and kissed her sweet head. She went peacefully.

She left such a hole in my heart and on this property that it is difficult to go outside. I miss her every single morning, afternoon and night.

Rest in peace my sweet baby.