My two year old Speckled Sussex seemed fine yesterday but today is very unwell. Not wanting to move much, practically not eating. I thought initially she was broody because when I locked her out the coop and run she was shouting to get back in. When I let her back in she sat in a nest box for an hou...

sandy wrote:I am so sorry to read you have lost your lovely Bella

Thanks Sandy. It was really devastating

Henpal condolences to the flock of the Stripey Donkey on the loss of Beautiful Bella Barnevelder. Whilst of course it is terribly sad that she died on the hoperating table, her mummy and flock mates can take some comfort in the knowledge that she was given excellent care and a chance of recovery, w...

SD there's a heart rending and really uplifting story of a rescue from the last FSFHs - a girl called Fleur who was pulled out half dead and is being nursed back to life by her new mum Haidy. It's on Belle - A Caged Hen's story facebook feed (Belle is the previous little sick girl Haidy rescued). I...

SD it sounds like you are having just the most heartbreaking year so far. You will get through this, but be kind to yourself while you are on this journey I can't help with breeders in Scotland - the DTL Facebook site might be a good place to start - but I do know Fresh Start for Hens have some res...

Tuesday 10th April - lovely Bella Barnevelder crossed rainbow bridge. Her heart gave out as she came round from a crop operation. Not yet one year old. She was a big, noisy, nosey girl. The garden is so quiet without her.

So sorry SD that you have lost your beloved Bella, especially after the traumatic upset of losing members of your family. What an awful time you have had of it. It's a lovely idea to get 2 more girls. I have got 2 more young girls, so I have a flock of 4 now and it's great. Good luck with getting y...

I'm so so sad to say that my darling Bella died yesterday. Her heart gave out as she came round from the anaesthetic. She wasn't even a year old. They did a pm and found that there was a thickening between the crop and gizzard so food wasn't getting through very easily - thus the crop emptying probl...

It's great when you get some quality time in the garden with the girls. Mine aren't lap sitters but do follow me around.

That's a shame Bob. You are doing the best for her, as always. Come on Chocolate, get well.

Latest update on Bella... After a visit to my vet last week, Bella has been on Cisapride - used for constipation - to get her guts moving fast. She has been pooing for Britain. Crop still huge and never reducing much at all though. My vet referred me to an avian specialist, whom I took Bella to, thi...

Oh dear, I hope Bella is easier to dose with her cisapride than your girls are with their medicines. How do you house your girls that are brought indoors - dog crate?

Hi Bob,

I've been offline for a while but back now. Glad to hear things are going well with your flock.

What are her poos like, when she does them? It sounds as though something may be slightly obstructing the crop opening or perhaps lower down in the gizzard. Keep up the massage, epsom salts and oil. If you do try the maggots as Kitty suggested, you will have to get them into her alive which means y...

you could always try live maggots,the theory is they'll eat what's in the crop then get digested. I've had hens with crop issues that actually had some other illness & the crop problem turned out to be a secondary thing, could Bella be poorly? is she losing weight or anything? Bella doesn't app...