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Natacha Jacobs has forked out R14 000 to keep her pet chicken Tjortsie alive over the past week, but she still doesn’t know what’s wrong with him.
“His white blood cell count is too high, he gets strange white fungus in his throat and he makes funny noises when he eats. We’ve had him at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital’s exotic animal section three times, but nobody knows what’s wrong with him,” said Jacobs (48).
Jacobs, who runs a construction business with her husband Johan in Claremont, west of Pretoria, is desperate for answers.
“Tjortsie is no different just because he’s a chicken, he is my child. I just want him to get better. I want him to be outside so he can be a chicken again,” she said.
Tjortsie joined Natacha’s family as a chick eight months ago and the two have been inseparable since then.
“Since I got him, I haven’t been able to eat chicken and after he got sick two weeks ago, I won’t ever be able to look at a whole chicken again. My husband is crazy about KFC, but that will never happen again in my house.”
The costs associated with Tjortsie’s illness have been a heavy burden.
“I used the money meant for water and lights to pay the last vet bill. What else could I do? He was in our house from his birth eight months ago.”
She said Tjortsie was not doing well.
“Now his brother has also stolen his girlfriend, but he will be okay. I’ve already begun looking for a prize chicken girl for our boy on the internet and in magazines.”
Her voice grows soft. “Me and him have been together every day for the past eight months. I get up at night to make sure he is covered up and warm.”
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