Blind Giblet & friends at Chickenopolous

[kitla]

It was colder today with a bit more snow in the morning. Bill & Poppy had a little walk around in the snow then decided they'd all spend the day sensibly exploring the run.

Bill found a high place to watch out for the beast from the east! (with a little help from a friend)

Giblet seemed happy to have the others close to her all day. I put a hot water bottle near her food which she seemed to quite like

Later on the beast arrived here! the temperature plumetted, the wind picked up the snow in the field & threw it at Chickenopolous! Despite all my efforts to wrap up the run the fine snow got in through every tiny gap, and despite the heatpads I put down the water froze up. The chooks went to bed early. I gave Giblet lots of extra straw, another heatpad and a thick blanket over her coop. I'm expecting tomorrow to be quite a challenge. I wonder how chicken keepers in Scotland are coping?

[KarenE]

I see Bill has a snow chicken friend! Hope the Opolouses weather the night well. I've brought my lot in. And I wish I'd fitted tarps to the sides and front of the run, all the snow blew straight in!

[Cheshire Chick]

Lovely photo's of Bill and the girls. This weather is certainly a challenge for us and some kind of storm is predicted for tomorrow here in Stockport. My friend lives in Scotland and has just homed 4 rescue girls. I just hope that their feathers are growing back quickly and that they are all OK. Fed up with this now - I want Spring!!

[kitla]

when I did a coop clean I found some big dollops of blood a quick inspection of the girls revealed poor Misspiggy had a very scabby comb, I wonder who did that to her! She has a bald patch on her tummy - ready to go broody, they often attack her then. Anyway she now has a sudocream head!

[KarenE]

MissPiggy going broody is a sure sign that spring is on its way!
she says hopefully...

[kitla]

oh dear, they've all gone back to bed & wont come out! It's the wind making the roof bang and the tarps flap & crash, the poor chooks are petrified! I could put them in the greenhouse for a while, lets see if it calms down .

[kitla]

The wind did lessen enough for the chooks to come out & have some treats & a dustbath in the dry bit, they seem ok so I left them be. However, Giblet's food was still full by mid afternoon, so I wrapped her in my scarf & brought her indoors with a pot of food. She had a little feed & then snuggled up on me & slept on & off for ages. She's getting a bit thin for my liking, it's sometimes hard to know how much she's eaten when she throws some on the ground & the mice (& sometimes the rat) help themselves too. I hated taking her back to her coop, but I thought she'd be ok in her familiar bed - full of soft straw, hot water bottle & heat pad & covered with a warm blanket. I might just bring her in again tomorrow morning
The rat was in there this morning, the run doors are shut during this weather but I found where it got in, it has gnawed a hole in some wood where the coop joins to the run, poor thing must be desperate. However, I blocked the hole up & later I saw little footprints & swirly tail marks in the snow all around the run. I feel sorry for all the wildlife at the moment - even the rat

[kitla]

Gibby spent a long time indoors being cuddled again yesterday. I think she'd be happy being carried round all day in a baby sling! It made me remember how she used to cuddle up to her sister Twinkle & Mrfluffnut. I so wish I could find her a friend that would stay in with her, keep her warm at night & eat with her. sigh. It could only really be another disabled/blind hen, & most of those I hear of are pts or kept as special pets. Maybe something will turn up, in meantime its hot water bottles & cuddles from me.

[KarenE]

Poor little Gibby, I hope she's had lots of cuddles to kleep her going through this awful weather. Perhaps you should drop fsfh a line - they are having some rescues this weekend and next and they sometimes take disabled hens and rehome them carefully - you could offer?

[kitla]

Dear Gibby has been coming indoors for a cuddle most afternoons. She hates the cold, noisy wind & is so relieved as soon as I pick her up that she falls almost straight to sleep on my shoulder every time! After a good zonk, she pecks some snacks from a cup - whilst throwing most of it on the floor, then goes back to her coop with a full crop & a heatpad.

zzzzzzz

[kitla]

what a lovely sunny day it was today at Chickenopolous. I was busy catching up with some gardening before the cold weather comes back next week, while Bill & the girls dug over the veg patch for me. Giblet found a patch of long grass in a sunny spot of her run & spent ages lounging in it. Unfortunately the rest of the day was ruined when I discovered
in the coop & had to do a full cleanout & spray! I've been a bit complacent about them over the long winter, so not surprising I got caught out really

[Cheshire Chick]

Ah bless her - what a lovely cuddly girl you have there. Isn't it lovely when they enjoy your company.

[KarenE]

Oh my goodness, I thought red mite would've been killed off with all this cold we've had??? I thought they weren't a problem in winter. You've put us all on (pardon the pun) red alert for them!

Good job you caught them quick though, especially if your broodies are gearing up for business

[kitla]

I think Giblet is poorly. I thought she looked a bit puffed & not quite right, also her poops are a bit too green. She's layed a few thin & shell-less eggs lately, yesterday I heard her crowing first thing & found she'd layed a proper egg. I just brought her indoors for an hour & she did a foul smelling runny poop on me, I also thought her breathing was not quite right. So I reckon she may have an infection at both ends, or a tumour on her ovary - like her mum Spotty who also used to crow sometimes. I'm gutted to discover my favourite chicken expert vet has left, so Giblet's trying someone new at a different vet later today.
If anyone knows of another good chicken vet in the northampton/kettering area I'd love to know!

[Cheshire Chick]

Oh dear - I do hope poor Giblet goes on OK at the vets. Luckily you have spotted some unusual symptoms quickly and are getting her looked at. Good luck.