10/17/2026
Meet Georgiana, a wee hen who had scared the beejeesus out of me when she arrived. Georgiana and her two sisters arrived in September after their family had to move into the city for health reasons. They're about 2.5 years old.
First slide: Georgiana & Angel this weekend
Second: Georgiana at the vet last week. She's in the crate and Forrest was dancing for her. I never got a good pic of her actually in the clinic!
Third, fourth, and fifth: The day the three ladies arrived
When they first arrived and I was getting everyone arranged, I had two hens in my arms. When I looked down at Georgiana, she was purple, gasping, and looked as though she was about to pass out. After I put her down, she regained her composure and started puttering as though nothing was amiss. But I literally thought she was about to have a heart attack in my arms! It was so scary!
I frantically reached out to the vets for advice. For awhile, I feared it might be a virus and quickly moved Georgiana into a quarantine. I felt so bad that my initial quarantine wasn't ideal. I actually forgot they were coming that day and hadn't prepared the space! The guilt I felt for that was *crushing.* We have everyone vaccinated so I had to hope that if she did have something, that we'd be ok. Still, I carried so much anxiety after that.
I had a video of her throat and was able to show Dr Taylor at Thor's appointment when they took the final pin out of his leg. He didn't think it was likely the ILT virus based on what he saw, which was some measure of relief.
We were able to take both Angel and Georgiana to see Dr Ginger. She felt a soft shelled egg inside her abdomen. She did an ultrasound as well. Based on what she saw and what she heard, everything looked OK inside, apart from that egg.
Any time I picked up Georgiana prior to this appointment, she'd gasp. Although, she definitely had improved since her arrival. But when we were at the clinic, she didn't gasp at all! 🤷♀️
Dr Ginger gave Georgiana a calcium injection & supplements to continue at home, and a hormone implant to stop her body from producing eggs and draining her body's resources. We're huge fans of the hormone implants in this house!
So the theory is she might have had malnutrition - all three of the sisters were quite skinny - and she's been slowly improving with the diet she's had here. It's important for layer breed hens to get enough calcium, which is essential for our muscles, including our hearts, to function.
I still see her gasping sometimes when I pick her up, though it is nowhere near as severe as the first day. I hope that she continues to improve over time and there isn't anything more sinister than that happening behind the scenes.
Thank you to everyone who bought merch and donated at vegfests this summer. You helped us be able to help new rescues like Georgiana.
And please send best wishes for her continued improvement! ❤️🐔
