I noticed three or four days ago that Blondie, our new easter egger pullet smelled funny. "Stinky chicken, but you sure are pretty," I told her. "That's okay, you'll clean up and smell just fine after you've been here a while."

Later I noticed her being a little standoffish. She and her sister, Blue would huddle in the corner together with Blondie usually stooped low. I figured it was being in a new flock. She'll get used to it here. Chickens are resilient.

Saturday, during the morning routine of putting all the chooks into the run, I noticed her eyes were weepy and her nose was runny. Uh oh. Better check the FB group (whatever one hadn't been shut down yet) and see what's up.

"I just lost four chickens this week and one is barely holding on. It's called chronic respiratory disease." - My first responder.

Well shit.

I frantically replied with a few questions and set out googling. Is it contagious? What are the chances my other birds have it? How can I treat it? I received no helpful response from anyone in that group, and I found out from a friend that it's not CRD, it's an illness called Coryza.

The only options from anything on Google were to cull the flock, sanitize the coop and run, and wait two months before starting over or treat with antibiotics every three to six months for life. I commenced to losing my mind while some blessed angel rounded up everyone and started a fundraising drive from within the @naturalmedicine and Homesteaders Co-op communities.

179 steem and 10 SBD flooded my wallet in 24 hours

@tryskele, @riverflows, @alchemage, @artemislives, @kay-leclerc, @ligayagardener, @bobydimitrov, @porters, @wildhomesteading, @senorcoconut, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all.

So back in the chat I was weighing my options. At home, Melissa got tired of me telling her I was worried about my chickens. I didn't know what to do. Do I kill the birds that so many people had helped us get? Do I start over again? Do I go forward knowing that my birds will be hooked on big birdy pharma for their survival the rest of their lives, and that any other bird we bring in will be infected too? Which of those choices is most in line with permaculture? Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. I realized that neither of those are permaculture answers.

Then along came @minismallholding, as I was closing my eyes to rest for the night, reminding me that to cull and medicate are advice from the industrial paradigm. Then it clicked. That's why that's all there is online. That's why I was so torn. And that's when the decision was made.

The chickens stay.

After all the different advice from everyone in the chat, that one comment from mini really just gave me clarity. Those solutions are industrial solutions. I'm not trying to run an industrial system. I'm trying to support a system of forgiveness and nourishment. Then all the other recommendations in the conversation all fell into place.

So to celebrate the decision, the birds got out in the forest today.

They didn't go far from the coop. In fact, they didn't venture to leave til after noon. The littles did though. Then when everyone came out they all hung out underneath it in the shade with the water. ACV, Turkeytail Tincture, and yarrow tincture in the waterer will be a regular thing for a while. And garlic too.

The stinker herself. Blondie was much more lively today. I'm glad I didn't cut her head off and bury her. She's a pretty bird. I'll enjoy seeing her in my garden.

This is where they spent the most of their time. I'd been tossing scratch grains over there to start a treat garden. So they got some sprouted grains today. Spoiled.

@minismallholding, this is Clyde the rooster. He says thanks.

All action for the good of all.

Nate.

---

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