Sandy's Pink Ladies

[sandy]

Well Violet and Megan were booked in at vets, wednesday night they were practically frolicking about the place so thursday morning I rang vets and substituted Naomi and Sally. I met Mr Ped wednesday evening and asked him to look at Naomi's breathing and feel her backside (Karen her breathing was bad tuesday) he said yes she is breathing very fast but shes okay, made him feel her backside , he said its very hard and bloated cant we squeeze it I told him straight she would have to be out to sleep, seen this so many times with my beloved girlies(Georgie,Olive, Elsie) or she would linger for days and was definetly not laying eggs. He agreed but felt I was pushing my lucky asking to say Sally up too. Andrea took one look and a quick feel of Naomi , she agreed nothing could be done and she was already in great discomfort. Sadly a lot of awlful fluid, mess and blood came out of Naomi when she was injected. Now for Sally who was sat in another cat box waiting to be seen. I held my breath while Andrea examined her but she could find nothing wrong with her. She gave me septrim as she said obviously something was going on by my description, could be liver related but wouldn't know without doing a blood test. Tears of relief and loss were welling up but Andrea said Naomi only had suffered just a few days and Sally was going home. I snuck Sally back in gave the girls some corn and then had a good cry as Naomi would always hang back (like Honey) for her own treats I would put by my feet.
Sally did the same although she is definetely eating and drinking and at least I have got her seen by a professional . Daddy Ped away this weekend so gutted and cleaned the Peds bedroom and duckhouse. Sally has started sleeping in the duckhouse now joined by Callisto when she finds I will not let her sleep on top of the duckhouse all night. Millie has been joining her but when moved she goes into the henhouse which looks rather bigger with just Millie and Candice in there.
Haze is getting a mucky bum as she sleeps in her poo in the office so I will have to get out the old nesting box the batties used to use and out some bedding in. Lovely and sunny but not in the mood for photos yet.
Both Lottie and Dottie are un broody and started laying again, they are so funny they love one anothers company, they looked so lost when one of them was stuck in the nest all day. Ordered a pick up poop scooper, used it today, Honey thought it was fun to sit on the shovel while the others thought I was going to kill them with it especially Violet who had a spot of empril today(Andrea gave me that and parafin as Violet couldnt make an appearance herself which was good as usually vet wants to see the patient) and was already wary of me. Funny huge Violet is easy to give meds to once caught but Sally fights like mad.
More cleaning out tomorrow and getting the worm pellets in buckets, yes they already have worms back
Jurassic Park is on while I type this just know when they play any of the theme there will be tears for Janet

[sandy]

With a lot of family and friend worries, theirs not mine although of course it worries and saddens me, I really feel like when my girls are all gone that will be it. What with the roof leaking again, a good water container breaking and dowsing me the worry of Sally and the sudden loss of Naomi Num-Num now Megan is just like she was last monday when I booked her in to see the vet. That appointment was of course cancelled re my last post but today and all day she has been crouched down not moving at least I am home tomorrow(work is driving me mad sending me all over the place) so just hoping an avian vet is on. Honestly I just feel so weary with so many ups and downs all the time I am beginning to feel like an emotional wreck.
Starting them on flub pellets tomorrow not 3 months since they had them but so many foamy poos.

[KarenE]

I've got a lot of foamy poos so it's that time of year really

So sorry to hear Megan isn't well, I really hope she's okay for obvious reasons of course but also because you sound very down. You're going through a tough patch at the moment. Take Megan to the vet even if she picks up, get a diagnosis or some peace of mind.

You are allowed to feel sad and maybe a bit overwhelmed, when things are tough. Have a few of these

[sandy]

Sorry about my little rant all the other problems people understand and share but there is a lot of eye rolling when a hen is sick, like really! And where else would anyone understand?
Anyhow took piccies today…
Sally Ped, last day for her meds strange little girl so down and then so high, just like Megan wonder if breeding Amber Stars with Bluebelles is a good genetic thing as Megan acting almost the same but with much longer intervals?

Her sister Candice

Callisto(aka Duckhouse Cal) has lost her bedroom to Sally in the duckhouse

Top girl Eva with the ultimate top girl in the photo Abbie

Megan hyper this morning Vets booked at 2.00pm saw Chris could find nothing wrong with her but she is on one dose of septrim a day just incase

Eva and Abbie again


When Chris got Megan out of the basket he said my she looks a bit odd, like a vulture I asked, he laughed yes just like a vulture. Apparently her wing that is always has the one feather hanging down is called angel wing, more common in ducks and swans

Gave Gracie and Haze a snip around the backside today, Gracie has a problem aiming her poo out straight but Haze has been sleeping on the hard wooden counter and sitting on her poo so made her up a bed which Eva had to inspect

Gracie persevered her trim that inspected the new apparatus

Megan forgave me fairly quickly for chasing her, taking her to the vets and giving her meds pretty soon


Haze, spunky and looking more like Gwen everyday

Violet's crop rather good today so no messing with her

Haze, she was the only girl apart from Lottie to lay today

Most of the gang went to inspect the new bed with clean sheets


Megan and Maureen, they had a good dustbath just before this

Dottie


Lottie the two girls have dustbathed, perched on the chair and love getting as close to the others through the wire


Worming started today, but a few treats this afternoon while 'we' watched Chicken Run to cheer ourselves up

[amber66]

Hello Sandy.
It feels horrible when one thing after another seems to be going wrong. Like you say unless you are a chicken keeper i don't think people really understand how much we love our girls.
They are lovely photos of your girls, Haze looks just like my Ruby with a crafty glint in her eye planning her next move.
I will be keeping everything crossed for Megan and hope she is on the mend soon.Thinking of you and sending a hug from me
Amber.

[HilierWard]

All beautiful girls.

The worry and constant trips to the vets gets us all down. Like Amber says, unless you are involved in this world, no-one understands.

Sending you

[amber66]

Hello Sandy.
How is Sally and Megan doing?
Amber.

[sandy]

Amber Sally and Megan are both very well thankyou.Sally still a bit quiet but eating, drinking and preening while Megan is acting like a youngster.
Wish I had had the camera thursday afternoon, I sat in with the girls on the bench and put my feet resting on the tyre. My leg soon became a chicken kebab! Lily and Gracie were perched on my knee and fore leg and Haze on my foot rearranging my sock. Honey and Eva were both on my lap. Bliss except I had my work trousers on and quite a few threads were pulled.
Had camera tonight but battery exhausted so not so many pics to slumber you with
Quite light when girls decided to trot off to bed
Eva on her way

Maureen and Violet settling down

Ped Girls must have light later as they are always last to bed
Millie, gave her bum a trim again today, my she is one heavy big girl

Callisto and sally were on the duckhouse tonight both protested slightly when removed, love picking up Cal she still has that lovely fresh smell about her

Candice looking a bit cleaner

The much better health wise Sally

Haze very quiet last night she actually pushed herself into the nestbox with `gracie in the office, this morning when I put the light on the girls went beserk finding Haze's softie all over the floor and in the ice bucket.
Andrea gave me some empeprid for Violet so gave her some thursday as she was a bit heavy in the crop, quite well today. Megan has finished her meds, plenty left over for emergency use if anyone falls sick over weekends bank hols.
Wormy pellets finish tomorrow good judge this time 15g for 14 hens or 12 and two halves!
Going to order them some garvo and see how the softies are managed. Limestone and shell dosent seem to make any difference.

[amber66]

Hello Sandy.
That's good to hear every one is doing ok and long may it last.
Amber.

[sandy]

First time ever NO EGGS from anyone! Ho hum who cares. Sally very quiet when I got home, Haze had been bad this morning but just knew that was a brewing softie which must have been devoured when laid, she was fine when I got home. Sally not so gave her her prescibed meds and will keep an eye on her. Changed the Peds house around today to make it more interesting. Was beqeathed two sturdy wooden chairs tonight so one in each house, very handy for sitting on to see to Sally who still fights like a ninja.

[kitla]

Just caught up on your diary Sandy. Some lovely pics of your girls, and loving the very clean and organised shed! It certainly shames my untidy little feed shed

[HilierWard]

Lovely looking girls, Sandy, and great pictures

Hope everyone is ok

[sandy]

Lovely clean shed? It is quite dirty you just cant see the grime! It is actually the 'office' or now Haze's bedroom. Haze still had to sleep on the counter when Gracie took over the new nestbox I put in for her, for the past two nights Gracie has gone back to the cottage but Haze is still on the counter silly girl! Gracie had to have a good spa up the house, such a dirty bottie. Her vent protudes which may be why she always has poo down her backside. It was red and looked sore put on some gentian violet to cover it after her blow, cut and dry and rubbed in sudocreme. Violet very liquidy today, had a massage and some empeprid, still wont tip her I am afraid . Sally recommenced the meds she was given so quiet yesterday, fine today. I had a visitor to see the girls today, Honey was very unpopular as she insisted on following us around and pecking legs, strange how people find that annoying Lottie has gone broody again Poor Dottie is milling around on her own, Haze obvioulsy thought she needed company and slipped through the door to her run. Haze ignored the puffing up ball of silver and grey and began eating from the food bowl. Dottie began screeching very loudly and made a charge on haze who turned around surprised. Wonder if I will be able to mix the girls(oh I would love to) but 8 on 2 seems a bit extreme when they are so tiny.

[HenPen]

Wow! Dotty's got some gumption, hasn't she?
I always read your diary and think how very lucky your girls are to have found their homes with you, Sandy. You take such good care of them and are so on the ball about their health.

[sandy]

Someone on the lane was rather about us giving meds willy nilly but today I have been a walk in clinic. Violet is on Doris's empeprid BUT Andrea told me to give her that if her crop was a bit dodgy so I have. She was a bit smelly a few days ago , fingers crossed not so bad yesterday and today. Megan was down in the dumps so had her prescribed septrim, told to use it if she was looking a bit poorly and then I gave some to Lily last night and this morning. Lily stood about yesterday, eyes closed head down, though wings still up. Didn't want mealworms or corn , had a good feel crop fine , backside not squashy or hard, breathing fine. Brought her up the house to sit on my lap. She stood perfectly still through the Russian Grand Prix bless her. Decided to get some food inside her so took her to the kitchen and broke a bantam egg in the bowl which she lapped up, hurray! She continued to eat her way through a whole yorkshire pud then do a massive normal poo. Today she is okay , noticed some patches so maybe she is moulting?
Friday was awlful, felt terrible so had the day in bed after dishing out breakfast, didnt even poo pick! By 5.30 got up to do a poo pick and check girls, poor Sally looked awlful, poped her in the henhouse with an egg, she tentively pecked at the yolk. Saturday morning Daddy Ped up before me as off to work. Of course Sally was nowhere to be seen Feel dreadful I felt so dreadful on her last day but then if I hadnt I would have been at work anyway.
I am off away until friday so girls had a good check over and a clean . Dottie is now broody as well as the raptor Lottie, they look hysterical sat together in their bed. I sat on the bench and put my feet up on the tyre and heaven again.
Haze and Gracie on my leg, Lily on my foot, Honey trying to grab my hair from my lap and Eva has turned into Beryl She leaps up sits down, preens then dozes.
Megan, Mauren and Violet of course are all very stand offish. It seems browners are in my fan club only. That will be good as going to my first hen rescue on sunday.
Girls have been warned to be very well and well behaved for daddy Ped.