karen's chicken diary

[KarenE]

Girls all well. Someone - we think Rems - laid the BIGGEST egg ever on wednesday. It is huge, and could be a double yolker but as Rems doesn't usually lay them, and has been laying a few softies lately - we're perplexed. We haven't eaten it yet

Must get them onto some mash with limestone flour in again.

Tiggs continues to be perfectly fine although oddly enough seems to hardly be moulting at all. Casper is shedding more - she's started losing her lovely big wing feathers now, but you wouldn't know it as she looks really quite immaculate apart from the dirt! If you know what I mean, whereas Tiggs is moulting less but has that scruffy moulty look about her, like she can't keep her feathers in place. We've had Tiggs a year now

[sandy]

Happy birthday Tigger
What is it with girls moulting in the summer? They always seems to moult when the weather is freezing, are they wising up?

[KarenE]

I ate the massive Remie egg. It wasn't a double yolker, it was just a really big egg!

Rems is sitting on the nestbox chuckling away to herself. I think she may be deciding whether to go broody. There's no egg in there though. The girls have been derelict in their duties lately

I've been away most of this week so haven't had a chance to observe the girls much. Tiggs not well, and casper panting away so tylan's gone in the water. It could be the heat but Casper was also making an audible breathing noise so I'm not taking any chances. She and Rems drunk a load of the tylan water so I'm hoping it takes effect and she knocks whatever it is on the head.

Tiggs is a bit more of a worry. Completely off her food and her crop a bit squishy again. I gave her a mini tip and brown liquid streamed out but it didn't smell sour. I don't think she's got sour crop but she may have something else going on so another reason for tylan in the water. But she was like this when she was in the run up to her moult so it could be something or nothing. Of course the little monkey won't drink so I might have to take matters into my own hands later. She also has been pecking her foot and it looks like she may have a little sore on there, maybe even the beginnings of bumblefoot (it's not black though) so footbaths for her and Casp later I think. They are both going to love me!

[sandy]

Aw Karen, the girls must be getting bored so thought they will get some more attention?
Come on Tigger and Casper pull yourselves together girlies

[KarenE]

Well Casper sounds awful, she's sniffling and sneezing but still eating, but her breathing is pretty bad. I am hoping she has a chicken cold and the Tylan helps. I can't see any bubbles in her eyes. Fingers crossed for tomorrow - she drunk lots of Tylan water and ate mash made with Tylan water.

Tiggs spent most of the day snuggling. She ate a few tomato seeds and a bit of mash (Tylan mash) her crop seems normal although empty, so I don't think she's sour. She does gurgle though. Anyway, she seems a bit perkier this evening and even ate a few tiny weed leaves before she went to bed - last, as usual.

Will see what tomorrow brings

[kitla]

I am hearing alot of sneezing amongst my lot too, they have also been on Tylan
for a week because Tiny was getting gurgly. It must be that time of year.

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi .I have some coxoid stuff . Works a treat .
Let me know I will send some to you.
Bob

[kitla]

Hi .I have some coxoid stuff . Works a treat .
Let me know I will send some to you.
Bob

Coxoid is for coccidiosis Bob, best not to give it too casually as it has a 28day
egg withdrawal.

[KarenE]

Have your girls and boy got the sniffles as well Kitla?

Thanks for the offer Bob - I've got a huge pot of tylan so am sorted for respiratory problems

Everybody seems okay today, given the problems. Remie is teflon coated - nothing interrupts her chicken day, not even softies (she has a cast iron constitution). Casper stil snuffling and wheezing and breathing hard but she seemed to get a bit better this evening. She's still rootling and eating so hopefully it's nothing too serious and the tylan will knock it off.

Tiggs was making a right old racket this morning, she seems better today although still very cuddly (has developed a new habit of snuggling right up and resting her head on my shoulder while I stroke her) and is eating a bit better - not much, but enough, and mostly mash. She's been pottering about the garden with the others. If there is a low level infection going on the tylan should knock it - that's what the vet prescribed when I took her the last time. I think she's going to be dropping more feathers.

they all carry on getting better, the little monkeys

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi , I love it when a chicken freely sticks it s head under your chin/shoulder . Not sure if they are showing affection but it feels good for sure .
Best wishes . Must be some bugs around this time of year . Probably temperature related , not constant hot / cold.
Bob

[KarenE]

Yes, well I had a cold for the last 2 weeks so maybe they caught it off me? Not quite bird flu

Casper has been running around in the rain for the last 2 days which should be very bad for her cold, but she's stopped gurgling and sneezing now so looks like the tylan is doing its work. Soaking wet yesterday, she decided to have a dustbath in my greenhouse, which of course turned into a mudbath. She's still absolutely filthy today! It's definitely not the weather to be a white chicken.

Tiggs also seems much better, although still pale on her face and comb and still not eating quite the copious amounts she usually does. She's okay though. I think she'll drop a load more feathers next week.

Girls have been using me as a dry perch when I'm in the greenhouse - Remie does insist on giving herself a good shake, which means I get soggy chicken rain drops all over me!

[bikesandbirdsbob]

Hi, I am going paranoid . If a chicken so much as squats in front of me, blinks , takes adeep breath,sunbaths on her side . I stick them in the dog cage.When I get it wrong they squak the house down in protest. I have come to a conclusion that only way to save them is to get a head of them . Leave it late and it is too late. Getting the balance is the trick . Not sure experience helps as they are good at hiding illnesses for sure. Hope your girls get better soon and back on form .
Bob

[sandy]

Good news for about Casper and Tigger, lets hope they are soon back to full health

[Librarychick]

Sorry to hear about your sniffles and hope all back to health soon. Get well wishes from Bluebell and Ginger

[KarenE]

Thanks for the good wishes everybody. Casper and Tigger both seem fine and running around as usual. Casper seems over her cold and has just had another little burst of moult so maybe her immune system was a bit low. Tiggs as fussy as ever, avoiding pellets where she can and insisting on mealworms - hand fed of course, and away from the others. As if you can keep Remie away from mealworms! So far just a few ginger feathers, hardly worth mentioning but I'm expecting more come the end of the week.

Anyway, they're all huddled in my shed out of the rain. Actually, I caught Casper on the shelf trying to get the lid off the sunflower hearts - and a bit worrying as she has a very good track record of this now, as she has learned to get the lid off the raisins jar (that's had to go back in the cupboard) and has even figured out how to get into the mealworms packet that was lying on the table. Evidence it was her was very clear - caught red handed this morning up there, eating the mealworm crumbs while the dafties Remie and Tigger hovered around underneath the table waiting for any bits that fell. Casper is worryingly smart!

Not smart enough not to leave an evidence trail of poo, claw marks and actual observed evidence of it, well - being her!