💔 Mr T 💔

Since arriving in January 2024 with Hart and Blondie, Mr. T took a lot longer to adjust here.

After their quarantine period was up, Hart and Blondie moved into the hen house and quickly made friends with fellow hens Goldie and Ursula.

(Hart passed several months after arriving due to reproductive disease.)

That left Mr. T trying to find his place among “The Boys” and “The Misters,” two rooster groups that had arrived together and already had their own established pecking orders. It made it especially hard for him to fit in.

Then Mr. Pink, one of “The Misters” who had always preferred keeping a bit of distance from the other roosters, befriended Mr T.

From there, the two were inseparable. They perched together, ate together, and even crowed in unison.

Mr. Pink helped Mr. T enjoy life again, coaxing him out of the rooster house to spend time in the grass and sunshine. For a long time, Mr. T hadn’t wanted to leave the safety of the rooster house or his preferred perch.

Over the last little while, I noticed Mr. T wasn’t perching as much. Mr. Pink would often move to a lower perch to stay closer to him while Mr. T cozied up in a little nest he’d make nearby.

Sadly, this morning, we found Mr. T in the rooster house, a little ways away from his usual nest, unable to get up.

Mr. T had lost the use of most of the right side of his body and had symptoms consistent with Marek’s disease.

Marek’s disease is a viral disease that attacks a chicken’s nerves, often causing paralysis that can progress until they are no longer able to move, eat, or drink on their own.

It can also cause tumours to grow on internal organs, leading to organ failure, severe weight loss, or sudden death.

Once a chicken is infected, the virus remains in their body for life. Some chickens can carry Marek’s without ever looking sick. Others may only become ill later in life if their immune system weakens, another illness stresses the body, or Marek’s-related tumours or nerve damage eventually become serious enough to show.

Sadly, Mr. T’s symptoms progressed very quickly, and there was no kind path forward that would allow him to recover or remain comfortable.

This afternoon, Mr. T crossed over the rainbow bridge at the Provincial Veterinary Lab in Fredericton before his body failed him further.

Mr. T, you were a resilient, beautiful soul. Despite how scary the world was for you, you still found the courage to be vulnerable enough to make a new friend and share your perch (and life) with him.

Mr. Pink watched the sunset alone tonight, without his little buddy, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he is grieving the loss of his friend.

Rest easy, Mr. T. You’ve earned it, my little friend.