Recently in the Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures thread, Bryan8 posted a horror story of heart breaking proportions. He had purchased oats as a treat for his flock only to find out after feeding it to them in the late evening (it was dark and he couldnt see the warning on the label) that the oats were not for consumption by humans or animals. This was all the fault of careless feed store employees in my book! Especially as Bryan had told them explicitly that the oats were for his chickens. And its by no means the only story of such thoughtless carelessness.
I have a similar story to share. And while my story has a much happier ending thus far, it still illustrates how callous these people can be when it comes to animals and their welfare as well as taking any steps to protect their customers. Something they should be doing their very best at achieving, but all to often are woefully lacking.
My story starts on April 4th of this year. Two days before I had lost my beloved Mildred to causes unknown. She was fine the night before when I went to lock the girls in for the night. The next morning I had found her on the floor of the coop, looking for all the world as though she had simply fallen asleep there and never woke up.
My husband Denny had felt so badly about the loss that the Saturday following Mildreds passing he brought home these three darling little girls.
They are, from left to right, Rachel, Rosie and LizzyBeth. (No, there's nothing wrong with Rachel's eye. It was just the camera flash causing a glare.)
But it soon became very apparent that something was wrong with one of them. She had problems holding her head up and keeping her balance. It struck total terror into my heart when I witnessed her first seizure about a day after receiving her. And I became suspicious. Something just wasnt right with her. While her appetite was splendid, there were signs of her having difficulty in eating and drinking. Especially when compared to her two sisters, Rachel and Rosie. (I had planned on calling her Rhoda, but well get to that in a moment)
So, I called the feed store where they were purchased. Weve always been on good terms with our local store, and I felt comfortable in calling them to report the abnormalities of this little chick. What I was told next completely shocked my on a number of levels!
Shelly, one of the employees of the store, and someone whom Ive always held in the highest regard for both her knowledge and love of animals, said outright to me, Oh, so youre the one who got her! We were wondering who might have bought her
I asked her to explain that remark, as obviously she was aware of there being an issue with this little chicks health. And then I was told the whole horrifying story. It goes something like this:
The morning before Denny showed up to purchase some new chicks as a surprise for me, a mother with a devil spawn child had been in to the store. During their visit, this womans rotten little child had reached into the big tub where the feed store keeps their chicks for sale. Before Shelly or anyone else could react to this awful child, he had grabbed one chick by the neck and then slammed her back down into the big tub. Threw her actually, as hard as his rotten 5 or 6 year old little arms could throw her. Actually, its probably a miracle that the little chick didnt die right then and there!
Anyhow, Shelly quickly came to the rescue of the remaining chicks before Demon Spawn could do any further damage. But, that didnt stop Demon Spawn!! Oooh NOO!!! A determined little rodent he was! He scooped up yet another hapless, helpless chick. But, before he could harm that one, Shelly had snatched the chick from his hands and gave said offending fingers a quick remonstrative slap! To which Demon Spawns mother reacted with anger!
Can you believe it? Her brat is terrorizing little baby chickies and this woman is taking umbrage at Shellys instinctive reaction of swatting the offending childs hand!!! Shes soooo lucky I wasnt there and in the employ of the feed store. I would have told her to remove herself and Demon Spawn before I call the police and press charges of malicious vandalism of my inventory and a charge of animal cruelty for another. Of course, shortly after doing so, I probably would have been out of a job. But, it would have been well worth it.
Anyhow, back to the saga of the little chick. Im still at a loss to explain why she wasnt removed then and there from the sales bin, as she should have been. Shelly related the tale to me of how they gave her some pedialite and just sort of kept an eye on her. When Denny was ready to make his purchase, several hours later, the new girl helped him make his selection.
Helped him make his selection? Hmmm...lets call that a euphemism for she jumped right in there and scooped up the first three barred rocks she could lay her hands on. He told me later that she certainly was Gung-Ho for her job. The down side of all that eagerness was that Denny didnt get a chance to really pick which ones he wanted.
Something you have to first understand about my husband. Hes one of those non-confrontational types of people. While that makes for a great, easy going spouse, it also makes him a pushover when it comes to standing up for himself in public situations. Which is not to imply in any way, shape or form that my husband is a wimp!! Hes quite possibly one of the bravest big hearted men I know.
But, it does mean that he can be pushed around a little bit when it comes to overzealous employees.
If hed had a chance to pick and choose the chicks, theres every likelihood that the little damaged chick would not have come home with him that day and then Lord knows where she would have ended up. Probably in a shallow grave somewhere because few people around here would have taken pity on her and nurtured her to even the 4 months she is now. But, Im getting ahead of myself. I apologize. Youve probably already noticed that I have a tendency to do that!
So, back to LizzyBeth. Yes, thats her name. As I said earlier, I had planned on calling her Rhoda. But with her dizzy little ways, I started calling her Dizzy Lizzy. Then, I decided that this moniker was just a little too crass for one so sweet. Hence the name LizzyBeth or just Lizzy.
While her two sisters Rachel and Rosie were always fine with their sisters disabilities, the older girls I knew were going to be another matter. Rachel and Rosie being so young from the outset of LizzyBeths issues had no idea there was anything wrong with her.
But what to do about the older girls? Oh lordy! How I dreaded the day when the three little girls were too big for their brooding cage and would have to join the flock. I probably put off their introduction to the rest of the flock longer than I have ever done with any other new chicks.
I usually introduce new girls about the time that they are fully fledged and can fend for themselves even against a broody Fussbutt at her worst! I finally did make the introductions about a month ago. LizzyBeth and her two sisters are now almost exactly four months of age.
So far, things are going fairly well. There have been just a handful of isolated incidents between LizzyBeth and the older girls. Usually when Lizzy has a seizure. Thankfully Ive been there or very near by for each incident. On the rare occasion when I was all the way at the other end of their free range area during one of Lizzys attacks, she has managed to snap out of it quickly and get back on her feet. But, they know something aint right with her. Consequently they tend to push her aside from the food dish, bully her away from the treats of fresh lettuce and such from the garden. Just little things like that.
All except for my wonderful, beloved, first in my heart, number one girl, Gimpy! (One of these days Im going to have to let that lady incubate a clutch of eggs and let her be a mommy! I know shell be a most excellent one!)
Gimpy is the only hen that lets LizzyBeth hang around with her during the day. Gimpy is the only one who lets LizzyBeth cuddle up to her at night. Is it any wonder that I love Gimpy so very, very much?
While what has befallen LizzyBeth is somewhat tragic, I often think theres a reason for this. I sometimes think she that was sent to me to be a replacement for the eventual day when Gimpy leaves me for that great free range in the sky. And that I might have been the only one who would take the time to really nurture her along.
Most of the people in our area with chickens have the approach of culling the weak, infirm and substandard. Im just a big enough sap to not be able to put down a bird if theres any chance at all of giving it a good home and life.
In a nutshell, LizzyBeth is simply the sweetest bird youd ever hope to meet. She and Gimpy are the only two girls I have that come looking for me purely for the joy of sharing in my company. Not looking for treats as the other girls do.....just simply to be with me. And I can call LizzyBeth from clear across the yard, telling her Come see momma! Come see momma! and she comes running just as fast and straight to me as her wobbly little head will allow her too! I wish everyone could meet her for themselves. Just to see how truly wonderful she is!
LizzyBeth is a success story that could have had a much different ending. Though I love her and enjoy her presence, the feed store never should have allowed her to be sold. She is honestly a bit of a burden where none existed in my flock before. For that, Im still a bit angry at the employees of the feed store that didnt remove her from the sales bin and keep her isolated. To my mind, every business has an obligation to their customers, both moral and fiduciary, to prevent just such a burden. Even though they made the offer to replace her with any other chick from their stock, it was a bit of a hollow offer to my mind. I had already fallen in love with LizzyBeth.
And knowing what had happened with another chick that I had brought home just a few hours after the first two chicks were acquired, (we thought one of them was going down for the count just an hour after coming home) I swore I would never put another chick through that. JuneBug was always and forever the odd girl out. Not a situation I wanted to repeat.
This story has no ending at this point. Only time will tell how LizzyBeth makes the transition from pullet to hen. I like to think she has a bright future ahead of her. Here she is as of today. Not too bad for a brain damaged little thing eh?
Thanks for taking the time to ready LizzyBeths story. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope it warms your heart in the reading as much as the telling of it has warmed mine. Shes really such a special little girl.
I have a similar story to share. And while my story has a much happier ending thus far, it still illustrates how callous these people can be when it comes to animals and their welfare as well as taking any steps to protect their customers. Something they should be doing their very best at achieving, but all to often are woefully lacking.
My story starts on April 4th of this year. Two days before I had lost my beloved Mildred to causes unknown. She was fine the night before when I went to lock the girls in for the night. The next morning I had found her on the floor of the coop, looking for all the world as though she had simply fallen asleep there and never woke up.
My husband Denny had felt so badly about the loss that the Saturday following Mildreds passing he brought home these three darling little girls.
They are, from left to right, Rachel, Rosie and LizzyBeth. (No, there's nothing wrong with Rachel's eye. It was just the camera flash causing a glare.)
But it soon became very apparent that something was wrong with one of them. She had problems holding her head up and keeping her balance. It struck total terror into my heart when I witnessed her first seizure about a day after receiving her. And I became suspicious. Something just wasnt right with her. While her appetite was splendid, there were signs of her having difficulty in eating and drinking. Especially when compared to her two sisters, Rachel and Rosie. (I had planned on calling her Rhoda, but well get to that in a moment)
So, I called the feed store where they were purchased. Weve always been on good terms with our local store, and I felt comfortable in calling them to report the abnormalities of this little chick. What I was told next completely shocked my on a number of levels!
Shelly, one of the employees of the store, and someone whom Ive always held in the highest regard for both her knowledge and love of animals, said outright to me, Oh, so youre the one who got her! We were wondering who might have bought her
I asked her to explain that remark, as obviously she was aware of there being an issue with this little chicks health. And then I was told the whole horrifying story. It goes something like this:
The morning before Denny showed up to purchase some new chicks as a surprise for me, a mother with a devil spawn child had been in to the store. During their visit, this womans rotten little child had reached into the big tub where the feed store keeps their chicks for sale. Before Shelly or anyone else could react to this awful child, he had grabbed one chick by the neck and then slammed her back down into the big tub. Threw her actually, as hard as his rotten 5 or 6 year old little arms could throw her. Actually, its probably a miracle that the little chick didnt die right then and there!
Anyhow, Shelly quickly came to the rescue of the remaining chicks before Demon Spawn could do any further damage. But, that didnt stop Demon Spawn!! Oooh NOO!!! A determined little rodent he was! He scooped up yet another hapless, helpless chick. But, before he could harm that one, Shelly had snatched the chick from his hands and gave said offending fingers a quick remonstrative slap! To which Demon Spawns mother reacted with anger!
Can you believe it? Her brat is terrorizing little baby chickies and this woman is taking umbrage at Shellys instinctive reaction of swatting the offending childs hand!!! Shes soooo lucky I wasnt there and in the employ of the feed store. I would have told her to remove herself and Demon Spawn before I call the police and press charges of malicious vandalism of my inventory and a charge of animal cruelty for another. Of course, shortly after doing so, I probably would have been out of a job. But, it would have been well worth it.
Anyhow, back to the saga of the little chick. Im still at a loss to explain why she wasnt removed then and there from the sales bin, as she should have been. Shelly related the tale to me of how they gave her some pedialite and just sort of kept an eye on her. When Denny was ready to make his purchase, several hours later, the new girl helped him make his selection.
Helped him make his selection? Hmmm...lets call that a euphemism for she jumped right in there and scooped up the first three barred rocks she could lay her hands on. He told me later that she certainly was Gung-Ho for her job. The down side of all that eagerness was that Denny didnt get a chance to really pick which ones he wanted.
Something you have to first understand about my husband. Hes one of those non-confrontational types of people. While that makes for a great, easy going spouse, it also makes him a pushover when it comes to standing up for himself in public situations. Which is not to imply in any way, shape or form that my husband is a wimp!! Hes quite possibly one of the bravest big hearted men I know.
But, it does mean that he can be pushed around a little bit when it comes to overzealous employees.
So, back to LizzyBeth. Yes, thats her name. As I said earlier, I had planned on calling her Rhoda. But with her dizzy little ways, I started calling her Dizzy Lizzy. Then, I decided that this moniker was just a little too crass for one so sweet. Hence the name LizzyBeth or just Lizzy.
While her two sisters Rachel and Rosie were always fine with their sisters disabilities, the older girls I knew were going to be another matter. Rachel and Rosie being so young from the outset of LizzyBeths issues had no idea there was anything wrong with her.
But what to do about the older girls? Oh lordy! How I dreaded the day when the three little girls were too big for their brooding cage and would have to join the flock. I probably put off their introduction to the rest of the flock longer than I have ever done with any other new chicks.
I usually introduce new girls about the time that they are fully fledged and can fend for themselves even against a broody Fussbutt at her worst! I finally did make the introductions about a month ago. LizzyBeth and her two sisters are now almost exactly four months of age.
So far, things are going fairly well. There have been just a handful of isolated incidents between LizzyBeth and the older girls. Usually when Lizzy has a seizure. Thankfully Ive been there or very near by for each incident. On the rare occasion when I was all the way at the other end of their free range area during one of Lizzys attacks, she has managed to snap out of it quickly and get back on her feet. But, they know something aint right with her. Consequently they tend to push her aside from the food dish, bully her away from the treats of fresh lettuce and such from the garden. Just little things like that.
All except for my wonderful, beloved, first in my heart, number one girl, Gimpy! (One of these days Im going to have to let that lady incubate a clutch of eggs and let her be a mommy! I know shell be a most excellent one!)
Gimpy is the only hen that lets LizzyBeth hang around with her during the day. Gimpy is the only one who lets LizzyBeth cuddle up to her at night. Is it any wonder that I love Gimpy so very, very much?
While what has befallen LizzyBeth is somewhat tragic, I often think theres a reason for this. I sometimes think she that was sent to me to be a replacement for the eventual day when Gimpy leaves me for that great free range in the sky. And that I might have been the only one who would take the time to really nurture her along.
Most of the people in our area with chickens have the approach of culling the weak, infirm and substandard. Im just a big enough sap to not be able to put down a bird if theres any chance at all of giving it a good home and life.
In a nutshell, LizzyBeth is simply the sweetest bird youd ever hope to meet. She and Gimpy are the only two girls I have that come looking for me purely for the joy of sharing in my company. Not looking for treats as the other girls do.....just simply to be with me. And I can call LizzyBeth from clear across the yard, telling her Come see momma! Come see momma! and she comes running just as fast and straight to me as her wobbly little head will allow her too! I wish everyone could meet her for themselves. Just to see how truly wonderful she is!
LizzyBeth is a success story that could have had a much different ending. Though I love her and enjoy her presence, the feed store never should have allowed her to be sold. She is honestly a bit of a burden where none existed in my flock before. For that, Im still a bit angry at the employees of the feed store that didnt remove her from the sales bin and keep her isolated. To my mind, every business has an obligation to their customers, both moral and fiduciary, to prevent just such a burden. Even though they made the offer to replace her with any other chick from their stock, it was a bit of a hollow offer to my mind. I had already fallen in love with LizzyBeth.
And knowing what had happened with another chick that I had brought home just a few hours after the first two chicks were acquired, (we thought one of them was going down for the count just an hour after coming home) I swore I would never put another chick through that. JuneBug was always and forever the odd girl out. Not a situation I wanted to repeat.
This story has no ending at this point. Only time will tell how LizzyBeth makes the transition from pullet to hen. I like to think she has a bright future ahead of her. Here she is as of today. Not too bad for a brain damaged little thing eh?
Thanks for taking the time to ready LizzyBeths story. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope it warms your heart in the reading as much as the telling of it has warmed mine. Shes really such a special little girl.
