Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary

Majestic Diary

August 21, 2008

Letting go of Daisy May...

2002 - 2008

Daisy May died in my arms this morning. She once belonged to one of my dear friends who was diagnosed with cancer and could no longer care for her flock. Daisy’s been here for nearly a year, arriving on 10/13/07.

She started acting sick late yesterday, but we got her to eat some nightcrawlers and we took her for a forage with the other girls in the lawn. I checked on her every hour last night until 10 pm, and then didn’t want to disturb her anymore. I asked her to please not leave me during the night and that we would go to the vet at 8:00 a.m., as soon as they opened for help. I didn't sleep well last night. I moved to the couch, so as not to disturb Tony.

Tony and I checked on her at 5:30 this morning and she was really sick. I carried her inside to the bathroom and set her on a towel nest in the tub and then she started moving—like the start of a seizure, so I picked her up and she died right then in my arms. Like she had hung on, so she wouldn’t die until we were together—in my arms. And then when she was there, she could let go. I’m distraught… devastated… falling to pieces… and at the same time, numb…

Tony and I brought her to the UCONN Pathology Debt this morning when it opened at 8:30 a.m. The doctor called within the hour to let me know when he was beginning and then called back a half hour later to say that she had peritonitis. He found 2 egg yokes in her chest cavity. He is sending off samples to the lab to confirm that it was not a bacterial infection (because if so, all the hens here would need preventative treatment), but he suspects it was just her time to go… natural causes.

I just can’t believe it. She and I had become such good friends… and now she is with Glory and Elijah… and again I am left with this empty space within my heart, that just keeps growing bigger.

I'm left trying to remember every detail about her that I possibly can. How when she first arrived she QUACKED at all the girls through the fence and couldn't be in the same pen with them. She wanted all the boys here--claimed them all as her own MINE, MINE, MINE! She quacked so loud we used to run down to the enclosures, thinking something was wrong. It's nothing; just Daisy May quacking again. She spent all her time with Asaru and Tiwana and she and "Little T" became the best of girl friends. And then when we could finally let her out with the other girls, she really enjoyed their friendship too.

At first she wanted to sleep outside with Little T at night, but then one day she followed the barn hens up the hill and decided to sleep there going forward. Whatever you want, Daisy May.

She loved it when I came with nightcrawlers and would practically climb on top of me for them. She and I had become such good friends. She was letting me pet her belly and coming right up to greet me.

She will be cremated and her ashes will come home to us... with all the others. Elijah comes home today.