My attempt to keep chickens.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , well the boys earned their feed this morning , got to work well early as the devils got me out of bed .
Flock out a crack of dawn followed by the lazy hens (late risers ) Broody hens still sitting it out with no sign of giving it up.
Mrs Woo is going to be booked again at the vets to have throat sucked out again. cannot eat properly also yesterday her beak seems out of line , don't know how that happened or why .
Dog front Polo not eaten until I took her at midday to SHMBO (passing by doing my job run ) she offered her the same piece `s of chicken previously had and she woofed it down .
Loyalty does not count in my home.
Harley is getting best of both worlds best food and all the normal stuff she has .
Wed polo is going back to vets . probably take Mrs Woo as well , if not sooner.
New hens from BHWT are well into being spoiled and think nothing of kitchen raiding , front garden mowing and generally following me about pecking my calf .
Well normal does not exist with me and look forward to the surprises that are round the corner .
Good thing , decorating the house has been put on hold again , Horray....
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , Mrs Woo and Polo booked with vet tomorrow 11.40 am .
On same note in this months Your Chickens mag the article on Chicken crazy -Slasher has the same problem and reading it it came from wild birds and takes a very long time to clear....
Collar dove taken to animal sanctuary had it many months ago.
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , well another nice evening with my flocks , noisy morning 3.45 am the boys called for attention .
Neighbour next door said last evening that the boys do not wake them up , cannot believe it . Gave the other side neighbours 6 eggs yesterday as well , which he appreciated very much. I think some people are not doing as well financially lately in the street . Must be inflation getting the better of it . seem a lot of people counting the Feb pennies .......
have had a lot of spare eggs so giving some away to those in some need does not do any harm.
a new vehicle being made has reduced the weekend work so have a bit more time to chill out .
polo still not poo`d yet but eating so something is going to happen soon?????

Jack has become a close friend in the evenings and helps feeds the hens through the wire . He tries to get them to come out with bits of food and his calling . I leave some of the hens out (new girls that do not know any better ) but he has not got any romance in him just a mad boy . Shame as he would love the company for sure .
Put him back and then let the other two out till dusk and they go back on their own .
Anybody got any suggestion on how to mix the hens with the boys be good to hear . I think Jack would end up harming them . I thought maybe like a wire between them and let them get to know each other etc. . But I still think the problem would be the same .
Also which lucky hens get the pleasure of his company. it may shut the boys up in the morning a bit if they had their own flock . I still stand on the view of better what they have with a chance of improving their lives in the future than being DEAD ....
Bob
Hoping Mrs Woo gets some more treatment and I will be getting more meds as well 50 pounds to her bill.
Also been thinking of Cuddles and Penelope lately due to the new girl being such a cuddly little thing. Not a bad thing to remember .

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , Mrs Woo has had her throat PICKED out not sucked out by Alberto the vet and the lady that saw her before ( Louise I think ) .
She looks better so they say . Weighed in at a 1.07 kilos up from .95 kilos .
So hoping I can increase her food intake before it gets clogged up again .
Polo back on Friday 11.10 am , if no movement made another X-ray to be done .
So all in all not a bad result .
More food and more exercise and see what Mrs Woo can do .
65 pounds medication getting on Friday for her . Big bottles of Baytril and M.....
Cheaper now in bulk .
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

hi all , well yesterday Captain Chaos was under the weather . I gave him some Metacam . Sat on my leg for ages while I checked him over for bugs. He seems to be growing feathers so maybe a moult mood . see if the vets will have a look at him this morning .
Polo back to vets as still not poo`d and struggling , I can look forward to another big vet bill , 65 pounds coming for Mrs Woo meds .
Desmond has forced his way to second boy after Champ , Capt. Chaos slipped to third place as off colour. Girls are as hungry as ever and out at 4.45 am
Jack is the boy a carry around as quite happy to escape from his cell. Mrs Woo is eating 20 bits of frozen sweet corn in the evening so maybe a reason she is putting on some weight . It is going to be a long haul with her . Bualk med buy as cheap[er in the long run . Baytril and Mezo something . Plenty of Metacam .
Sandy plenty to send if you need it but fo not leave it till last moment as delivery takes time .
Hope all flocks are well.
Remembering Marion another favourite of the past . With all the boys Parker and LAV .
My first boys with Champ.
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , another fun day at the vets . 1000 pounds paid out .....
Mrs Woo has her big bottles of meds .
Polo had another scan / X-Ray plus even larger bottle of lac`s.... Another vet visit booked on Monday.
New member of this months vet visitors is CAPT. CHOAS .
He has been off colour of late . So took him as a add on to vets with Polo .
The vet (WHO WAS HEAVILY PREGANT ) (CONGRTES GIVEN and joke about which vet was delivering in 3 weeks ) Gave CC (KNOWN AS THE STRAY AT THE VETS ) . Said he was hot though normal temp. This may have been due to the cuddling in the waiting area . Was a focus of attention again. (They was many comments of a TURKEY ) . Could not find a lot wrong and said keep on METACAM to keep temp down . But then she said hold him upside down a bit and she felt around his inside legs. There was lumps (2 ) she called lympth nodes . She took samples and she was sending off (more money ) and she was going to check her self for obvious signs . Polo was done next X-rays should the block again and they freed her up ,increased lac`s to 30mil a day .main thing is if her bowels are not working in a section which is drying out and blocking further travel of Poo....
So 3 on the vets sights to keep wages coming in.
Harleys lump is the same and hopefully will leave the bank balance alone.
All I need is the cats to join in and I will need a lorry not a van and a mortgage to pay for them all.
Rest of the flock are good and seem happy at 4.30 am in the morning . Pressure of them as ever one is worrying about Polo.
Well that is all for now if that is enough . Hoping to get back to decorating etc. and tiding up the house after a week of neglect.
Racing Sunday -National MTB XC and take my mind off things . Good bit there is I have lost weight and less to push around the tracks.
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

hi all , Mrs Woo was at the vets this afternoon.
Her weight has gone down to .85 after putting weight on . I INSTRUCTED the vet to get the muck out of her throat . H e tried , not as good as the lady .
I think by his face he wanted to PTS her. I said that if she gets worse it will be my course of action . But I said if she can start eating again easily then she will increase her weight. So I will be force feeding , energy drinks and generally medicating her as much as I can get away with. I am hoping I can get her weight back up again . Will know in a couple of days. The weekend I thought she was going to die . She is a fighter and still plenty of go in her .
Polo had stitches out poo`d everywhere , wee`d the Nile and generally please to see the vet.
Rest of the flock good and no more vet trips planned ,so money recovery time before the next bout happens.
Bob

[KarenE]

This canker thing sounds awful Bob. What's the meds the vet have given her? I've read some stuff online about using copper sulphate diluted in water with acv. Be a bit careful though as it's passed through shared food & water sources - don't want that taking hold in the rest of the flock

Hope Polo, Mrs Woo and everyone else perks up soon

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi , Mrs Woo was looking sorry for her self today . She is having up and down days.
I nearly kill her by blocking her throat up with sweet corn , frozen.
Thing is once I have cleared the muck from her throat it gives me a window of opportunity to fill her crop.
She takes as many as 20 corn bits .
Do not give her anything else as to dry to go down . Wash it down with a squirt of water which nearly drowns the poor girl .
We have got the hang of it now as she opens her beak ( which is twisted sideways as well ) I stick a corn in the side that is clear and down it goes , if not flicked properly it sticks and a ear bud goes in to force down and clear the muck at the same time . She is getting 0.3 k.... Metacam 2 a day ,0.56 Baytril 2 a day . Plus the wonder drug 0.34 .... MEDIZONIALE I will get the right spelling of bottle next time . It is a wonder drug in so much as I WONDER IF IT WILL WORK.
She has also a infection and canker . She is still fighting so I will as well. She wonders out the front door and eats food in the grass .When she has had enough (or she fancies the cat /dog food she wonders back in pass the cats and dogs and me .
She knows I am helping her as she sits on my leg and eats and allows me to mess her about . Poo is good so her bodily functions are still working and not stopped.
She is in the dog cage and the flock visit her through the back door . She can see the flock and the boys that look through the window at her , giving her the EYE up.
It is a one day top of the world next fighting to keep the progress going .
Sometimes it is hourly .
I am working on the principle that it is a long time to fix and whilst she is eating and drinking (and BREATHING ) she has a chance. I will be really upset if I lose her as the time and effort we both have put in not counting the expense of a failure would be totally unfair for her .
Her comb week or so ago was crusty , but now cleared up , it went purple then now has gone larger and redder. This has deceived me as it was a sign she was getting better , then worse then now she has a comb over and a nice colour and still not better .
Not much more I can do other than keep it up and hope for a breakthrough with the canker.
Polo has/ was signed of by the vet Monday and her stiches removed , but today I saw her straining again . Watch her tomorrow and may give her some more oil down the throat to keep her clear .
Flock are getting long days out , early morning and as I went to work put awau at 5.00pm.
Moved Jack to one of the runs separated from the 2 new boys . Give him some space . The other two still have room to stretch and move away from each other .
Before I went to work I put him back in the coop . Have not totally covered the flock up as still 4 hours light left , but as I am not there till 5.30 am I am sure they will be crowing the street up[ . (3.45 am )
Actually done some painting and started to do house work ,got to do something at 4.00 am in the morning . Took a door off and left it in the front room.
Way I am working it will be 6 years &0 years old before I leave work and retire.
weather turned colder and sun not shining at all today with some rain as well.
Still not started on new coop / run for the boys yet .
Well enough going on at the moment , so stop now before I bore myself and any body else that reads this rubbish . One thing your not forced as I am to have to do all above . I also have taken wild bird to animal sunctury also in my SPARE time donation of a 5 pounds I think the animal world is looking for me .
Bob

[Cheshire Chick]

I bet the animal world is very grateful to you Bob. Hope Mrs Woo makes a good recovery after all the love and attention you have put into her. Fingers crossed!!

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , Well Mrs Woo is still alive . She managed to eat lots of sweet corn by hand and ate cat food (fish ) by her self ,stole some dog food ate a few small slugs on a pot this am . All day been popping sweet corn in her . Pm she ate lots more . Like a machine gun pop, pop , pop . We got a method . She holds her head up beak open (like a chick ) . I slip a corn on to her bottom beak far enough back so as she can grip it with her top beak then throws it back down throat . By the time she eaten it I have another piece ready . When a misfire happens (drop it or it gets stuck . She does not hold head up or shakes it out and then I clear the throat by poking it down or near the hole at the back of beak. I have also squirt water down her throat to keep it moist . It seems to be working though she still has moments with her tail down . She had 4 hybrid new girls out the front for company and she livened up quite a bit , still wants to be a tophenanal. One hen my cuddly one is the one she bosses.
She was not going to left out of the ruck for the seed in the grass .
Whilst out the front 2 ring red girl from friend at work found a dead rat about 3 inches long not including the tail . It was dead under my van , a left over from the cats nightly hunt . She ran off with me chasing her (I wanted to see what she had ) Before I or the other girls ghad a chance to take from her , head first straight down the crop . Could not believe it the size and it just disappeared . If she could smile like a cat , she would have it from ear to ear . Well pleased with her mornings work . hence there are about 4/5 hens that if I stand at the door will come over and expect to be picked up and carried through the house . If I am not quick enough they just RUN straight through to the front door and out to the grass.
Meds again . Weighed Mrs Woo and she was the same . I think my scales are wrong by less . Her throat is a lot clearer with hardly any muck in it . I clean it out with a cotton buds , so as it is not becoming over sized . She is allowing me as she understands it is helping her . Not out of trouble yet but silly me feeling I may have turned the corner. Hope I can take her back to the vets and say up yours for thinking PTS ......
Captain Chaos is bottom for sure now and Desmond is not letting him have the hens back. Champ has his hens and keeps Desmond on his toes but happy with his lot. Jack out again . 2 hens did not want to in run tonight , soon changed their minds as I let Jack loose , he was not slow in catching one , which I rescued from him , the other see him coming and went straight in the run when I opened the door. It gave Jack some excersie and the hens a warning to go in the run when called.
No harm done. One of the hens this morning went on my paint pot lid . I know this as white claw prints across the floor . I found out who as she had white paint on her claw . Not eaten it as beak was clean. She slipped in when I was working when out the front.
Well amazing how the sun has m ade a difference . Mrs Woo sunbathing on the front lawn , me on the bench , smoking and having a coffee , chilling , dogs laying at my feet and Darcy the cat beside resting his head on my leg . All good , would be quite but the boys had other ideas........
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all ,Mrs Woo is still here and eating as many bits of sweet corn I can put in her.
A Romania family visited me today . After chatting away itr ended up he wanted to eat POM POM.
Going to LOCK the back gate now as he and his mrs and 5 children - out of work etc etc.

My better nature got the better of me and I should have told him at the start to sling his rear end. Still another lessoned learned at the cost of a cig....
Lovely day with the flock and Mrs Woo .
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all , Mrs Woo is still eating sweet corn . She can eat by her self but as she has a twisted beak she has a few problems , she turns her head to a side and picks bits up that way . eats cat food chunks as well.
I let the kitchen raiders eat the sweet corn I drop which they are now expecting. Saves tiding up.
She wanders a couple of gardens up to some pot plants . Caught her digging up the neighbours lawn!!!!!
At least Mrs Woo is enjoying her life at the moment , me a servant to her feeding 3 times a day , taking her out as a body guard.
Hope she is getting better , though not putting weight on. That takes time , she cannot afford to go down hill again as she has no reserves left.
Out tomorrow most of the day , so will fill to the top with sweet corn and again in the evening . Normal stuff with the rest of the flock 2 broody hens , Moe and a Spec.
Goldie is throwing her weight around again , especially round a wet /muddy pool .A case of that's mine , that's mine and that is mine as well......
Ring vets tomorrow find out what Captain Chaos has . Have not paid the vets any money in what seems ages. (Last Monday )
Well another weekend off with plenty more to came ( till at least the end of the month) so trust House visiting Saturday . Airport run Sunday (Pm)
Have a good weekend ,
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi Worked out why Mrs Woo is not recovering as fast as I want her to .
I ran out meds a while back and as a fall back added water to the bottle and I am still using it . Stilly me , when I looked at the new bottle the fluid in it was thick and not clear. She has now been improving in flaps and hops .
plenty of sweet corn all day . The kitchen raiders are picking up the dropped bits .
Rest of flock good only a spec broody now , as Goldie and Moe are back in the garden causing commotion .Desmond standing up to Champ and Champ is happy enough with his hens not to have a stand up fight over it . Captain Chaos has his hens that come to him for company. A lot happier just a phone call to make for CC results , should be in by now . Nobody rang to see him again yet.
days for next week so the flock will have to get used to the garden (joke that one ) on there own.
Bob

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi all. had vets ring me 3 times yesterday about Capt. Chaos . Lumps are not dangerous other than solid lumps. Told to check if bigger they will remove. Perfer not to .
So it maybe a return visit to vets for him again.
Mrs Woo this am had trouble swallowing sweet corn . Got quite a few down her and meds and water .More later today.
I think she has got worse. Not sure how much more I should do for her. SHMBO asked a question and I struggled with it. here it is , bearing in mind she loves animals and would never wish /do harm to them.
Am I doing to Mrs Woo for my own benefit or for hers.
It made me think should I be putting her to sleep.
She has a quality of life far different to the hens in the garden , not in pain as far as I can see. The illness does not seem to be getting better ,though good days and bad ones.
Anybody with the knowledge of recovery rates of chicken CANKER be helpful.
It is not a case that I spend hours and hours with her that will make up my mind.
So I will see what I can do today to clear her throat.
Bob