RIP Chipotle

I was bummed over the weekend. Sunday I had gone out to let the horses out, and they were flipping out. Rearing up by the gate, running around.. I look, and there is Chipotle, our little rescued bantam hen, dead. Her head was gone.
Then later in the day, I saw a possum acting very weird; running in circles, mangy fur. Mark shot it dead. I really think that, based on it and the tracks by her body, that it killed her. I am not one to kill or have killed animals; but number one, this possum was Not healthy. Also, possums spread bacteria that can blind a horse.
Anyway; just a vent on my poor lost hen. Mark saved her frm a cockfighting house in 2007 and at least we could give her a better life for a short time. She could fly as well as any bird, and it still shocks me that she was taken. My other 2 roosters are still mourning and looking for her all over, though I close them in a stall overnight.

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I was bummed over the weekend. Sunday I had gone out to let the horses out, and they were flipping out. Rearing up by the gate, running around.. I look, and there is Chipotle, our little rescued bantam hen, dead. Her head was gone.
Then later in the day, I saw a possum acting very weird; running in circles, mangy fur. Mark shot it dead. I really think that, based on it and the tracks by her body, that it killed her. I am not one to kill or have killed animals; but number one, this possum was Not healthy. Also, possums spread bacteria that can blind a horse.
Anyway; just a vent on my poor lost hen. Mark saved her frm a cockfighting house in 2007 and at least we could give her a better life for a short time. She could fly as well as any bird, and it still shocks me that she was taken. My other 2 roosters are still mourning and looking for her all over, though I close them in a stall overnight.

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Don't all opossums have mangy looking fur? Was this day time? I do know opossums can't get rabies because their metabolism is too slow. Don't quote me on that but i think thats the truth......Now i'm going to look that up!

Possums, as with all mammals, CAN get rabies. That's the main thing I was worried about. If you had saved the possum and it had not been shot in the head, then the head could have been send off to be tested.

Only chickens and other fowl can't get rabies because their temperature is too high(105 degrees or so).

Be VERY careful, Gin...

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Possums, as with all mammals, CAN get rabies. That's the main thing I was worried about. If you had saved the possum and it had not been shot in the head, then the head could have been send off to be tested.

Only chickens and other fowl can't get rabies because their temperature is too high(105 degrees or so).

Be VERY careful, Gin...

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shows you how much i know!

interesting ..........check this out!

http://www.taxidermy.net/forums/Indu...4827AAE6C.html

I am sorry for your loss. I remember the post and the pics of her when you first got her. Very unique looking fowl. (at least to me since I don't see any running around in the 'burbs)

I'd worry about rabies with that critter too. And sorry to hear of your girl. :(

Sorry to hear of your loss, even more so that it was so sudden and horrible.

:( Sorry Gin.... I know that sux to find.

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I was bummed over the weekend. Sunday I had gone out to let the horses out, and they were flipping out. Rearing up by the gate, running around.. I look, and there is Chipotle, our little rescued bantam hen, dead. Her head was gone.
Then later in the day, I saw a possum acting very weird; running in circles, mangy fur. Mark shot it dead. I really think that, based on it and the tracks by her body, that it killed her. I am not one to kill or have killed animals; but number one, this possum was Not healthy. Also, possums spread bacteria that can blind a horse.
Anyway; just a vent on my poor lost hen. Mark saved her frm a cockfighting house in 2007 and at least we could give her a better life for a short time. She could fly as well as any bird, and it still shocks me that she was taken. My other 2 roosters are still mourning and looking for her all over, though I close them in a stall overnight.

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Aww sorry to hear about your loss :(

Thanks. Further inspection revealed that the fur looked mangy. I wish that the head was intact so that we could have gotten it tested. Go figure; Mark shot it in the head to be humane and put it out of its misery. Now that this is something that I know, I will keep it in mind and let him know.
I am scared now though, and I will definately research rabies more. I do not personally think that the possum had it; it was out in the daytime, and had the mange, but what I did not factor in was that it was stuck inside the old dog run (fenced in by chicken wire and attached to an old garage) and was actually jumping into and off of the wire to try to get over it and out. We could see tracks where it had run and done this before.. it was not frothing or making noises. Just trying to get out of the dog run that it had somehow become entrapped in.
The head is still somewhat intact. Though the bullet did go into the skull. Would this render it impossible to test still? The body is in a plastic garbage bag out behind the garage, frozen as it is cold out. Tied so that no liquid or anything could get out if we had a freak thaw outside. We did not handle it without thick rubber gloves that we threw out afterward.

Being that a possum is out in the daytime would definitely alarm me. Since the head isn't intact anymore and it hasn't been refrigerated, there isn't anything the lab can do as far as testing goes.

I'm sorry you lost your cheekin-girl. She was a doll! Hopefully you can rescue some others sometime :)

Here's some general info: http://wrongdiagnosis.com/r/rabies/basics.htm#types

Thanks :) I want to get a few more chix from my friend's farm. They are not exactly rescues from her, but she is overrun by them usually and they would have a better life with us. I don't want anymore roos though! Just hens. 2 boys is enough! I might look into the SPCA or even CList as I have seen unwanteds on there.. I am hesitant to get babies because the roos are already adults.