So the vet said Tallulah was actually skinny! Her weight was from the swelling in her abdomen, which I suspected as she was waddling and did the tiniest poo this morning. The vet examined her for an egg or fluid or tumour... but found a "very, very large tumour" - so large that poo couldn't even squeeze past it. All of this explained the large abdomen, waddle and tiny poo.
The vet offered palliative care but said the kindest thing would be to have her put to sleep :o( So that's what we chose, just so she didn't have to suffer any more and didn't have to suffer a painful, slow death. We left the room (having seen the way chickens flap just after they die) but then I changed my mind suddenly and rushed back in, closely followed by Mr Nora, as I didn't want her to die without a friend there. We watched the injection and within a second or two, she flopped and quickly slipped away so at that point we left again. Then we heard the post-death flapping and a couple of squawks :o( A little while later, the vet brough her out in her basket. I was crying in the waiting room and didn't have a tissue but some kind lady with her cat rushed over with a packet...
Anyway, Tallulah's now buried in the chicken playground, under some heavy rocks so she can't be dug up.
RIP Tallulah. Some photos to remember her and her happy retirement:
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| First venture out on the day we got her and Ursula, 21st November 2009. |
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| First roost - just not on the roost bar! 21st November 2009 |
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| Now they've got it. Ursula on the left, Tallulah on the right. |
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| Free ranging. Ursula on the left, Tallulah on the right. Nov '09 |
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| First taste of snow. Dec '09 |
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| Bald head. |
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| Scary - what's that green thing? |
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| Little Miss Cheeky. |
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| Sunbathing last Sunday 3/4/11 |
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| Still looking bright but not quite right. Head beautifully feathered. 3/4/11 |
