Friday, May 3, 2013

Goodbye Dixie. . .

You were an amazing pet.  We never knew that we could ever fall in love with chickens, but soon after bringing you and your sisters into our home, we did.  You had an amazing life for a chicken.  You got to go swimming, sledding, and played with the kids so often.  You were allowed to free range from dawn until dusk and gave our family so much joy.  You had the important job of being at the top of the pecking order and did a good job of eating weeds for me.  You rewarded us not only with your love, but also with your wonderful eggs.  You were a friend to Tara and Madeline and always made us smile.  You will be missed Dixie.  We will always love you.

Dixie died yesterday afternoon.  I finally found a vet an hour away that would see a chicken.  In my heart, I knew that I was taking her to him to be put to sleep.  She was no longer eating and barely drinking.  She was such a sweet amazing patient.  She always made the sweetest cooing noises whenever we were in eye shot of her.  She really loved when when the girls would sit and pet her while she was sick.  Dixie had a very large blockage in her crop and also in her abdominal region.  She is out of pain and I feel blessed that God allowed us to look after this precious chicken all of her life.  She was pampered and very loved.  Tara and Madeline took the news very, very well.  They had been preparing for that moment as they saw her getting weaker and weaker.  They are both happy that Dixie is no longer suffering.  We were very sad when she was suffering, but now that her suffering has ended, we are at peace.  We hope that one day we'll see all the pets that we loved and cared for again in heaven.  So today, we are so happy to have all the wonderful memories that Dixie gave us.  

28 comments:

  1. So sorry for your loss but as you say she is no longer suffering. You were a wonderful family to her and made Dixie's life very special (as she did to you and your family) Hugs and peace to you and your family.

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    1. Thank you so much Joan. We are happy that she's not suffering any longer, and happy that we were given the opportunity to offer her a great place to live out her life!!

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  2. Oh...so so sorry! Dixie sounds like a very special chicken! I know some of my friends don't understand how losing a chicken hurts. It's JUST a chicken, right? But they really do add such a special SOMETHING to our lives! No way are they JUST a chicken.

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    1. Thanks Jessy. You're right that there are people who just don't get it. Chickens really are special pets. Just like a dog or cat. We are just happy that we get to raise and keep chickens. Not many people can fall in love with an animal who will feed them breakfast. It's awesome!! We will always remember Dixie with very happy memories.♥

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  3. I am so sorry for your loss Kelly. I know how hard it is to lose a pet friend. I recently lost one of my cats. But I'm not sad, I Know I will see all my pets again some day, just like you do! Hugs!!

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    1. Thanks Marta. It is hard not seeing her happily free ranging, but I know she's free ranging in heaven without the fear of predators. And yes...we'll see her again! ✿◠‿◠

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  4. Kelly, I am so sorry for you & your girls. God bless Dixie, fly high lovely girl xxxx

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  5. Our condolences to you, your daughters and your other feathered girls. It is always sad when a member of the family dies. Dixie will be missed.

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    1. It is hard. The hardest part was watching her suffer. I'll miss her and her wonderful eggs. I'm just happy that she got to live a happy chicken life with us.

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  6. So so sorry for sad new.....always get posts late,,, always remember she lived life to the full with loads of love and the best care ,,
    thoughts with you all

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    1. She sure did!! Thanks for your kind words.♥

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  7. So sorry for your loss. I wish more vets knew how to treat chickens but most don't so its up to us, which can be daunting. Impacted crops (I assume that's what it was?) are fairly common and can be treated if caught early on. Although free range chicken don't usually suffer from them.

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    1. I wish vets knew more as well. Maybe they will be come more educated about them now that more and more people are keeping backyard chickens. I feel partially responsible for not catching it sooner, but she also had a large blockage in her abdomen. It was a hard learning process for me, but I will be more diligent in seeing the signs of things like this.

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  8. ((((hugs)))) to you and the girls.

    xo
    Lauren

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  9. Oh, I"m so sorry. But such a beautiful blog and tribute to Dixie.

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    1. Thank you. She will always be remembered with joy in our hearts.

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  10. When I saw the words "Goodbye Dixie" I quickly closed the page because I just didn't want to think about the deep sadness you and your girls must be feeling. After four years, I cannot believe how totally miserable I still feel about the loss of our dear Speckles. Somehow, reading about sweet Dixie and your confidence in her happiness now and your assurance that you will be with her again gave me such a feeling of peace. I am so very sorry for your loss, Kelly, but please know that the love you and your family share with your readers is a tremendous gift to everyone who is lucky enough to have found your blog. Wish I could give you all a big hug. Specklesmom/Debby

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    1. I'm so glad you came back and read it Debby. It is always so hard to lose a loved pet. And inevitably we will outlive all of our pets. But we just decided that the joy that they bring us far outweighs the sadness when they leave us. And God is so good and comforting us when we hurt. And He always makes sure that our hearts can love again. I'm grateful that this post helped you to find peace in what you have been dealing with in the loss of Speckles. Thanks for all your kind words Debby!♥

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  11. Hello! I'm an art student and I just stumbled on your wonderful blog while searching for the source of a reference photo I recently drew of your daughter playing saxophone for some hens. I saw it on a forum somewhere, and it was such a great picture, I had to draw it. I thought you might want to see the drawing, I posted it on my portfolio, www.flamingoboots.com. It's the first post.

    Wonderful blog, I'll definitely keep following it :)

    Sincerely,
    Marianne M

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    1. Marianne
      I absolutely LOVED the picture! You did a wonderful job and Tara was delighted to be the subject of your creativity! I'm going to feature it and you in my next blog post. Thank you so much for sharing that with me. It put a huge smile on all of our faces!! ✿◠‿◠

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    2. I'm so glad you all liked it! It was so much fun to draw. Thank you for your kind words :)

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  12. Chickens may not be the whole world, but they make the world whole! Keeping you're family in my prayers.

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    1. Thank you so much. Prayers mean a lot to us.

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  13. Your blog was amazing.But why did you stop in 2013? I love to see your girls and your hens grow up. And your advice in chicken health would be precious too (what was Dixie's symptoms?).

    Your family seems so sweet and so loving, that I ask God to meet people like you and maybe to have them as friends.
    Prayers from you and your family. I'm a catholic from France.

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