karen's chicken diary

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sandy
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by sandy »

Aw Karen so sorry to hear about Willow she was a lovely girl, so glad I got to meet her {hug&kiss}
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/

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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Well I have been missing Little Will a lot, she was my little mate in the garden and you know how these little shy bottom hens work their way into our hearts.

Pokey has feathersploded (nicked that word from Kitty!) all over the place. She was Point-of-Lay last year so this is her first proper full on moult, and she is weathering it quite well. Everytime she moves or flaps, there's a feather cloud. She seemed a bit quiet today, the 3 of them spent the whole day practically sheltering under the bushes near the back door, and it wasn't even raining. Dory continues her moult to, although she does seem to have stopped shedding feathers. She may start again, she likes to go in fits & starts

Sadly the real worry is now Mango, who is looking very ill over the last 2 days. I think it is her crop, she keeps wiggling it about. I gave her a gentle rub this morning and brown water came out, although I couldn't smell any sourness. She has really slowed down, and I'm not terribly hopeful to be honest. She is showing little interest in food, although scoffed the noodles that we brought out for them (surprising as she has been turning her beak up at everything including special porridge mash I made her this afternoon). I am hoping the crop thing is only a minor thing and she's revving up for a moult too, but who knows. We do know crop problems can point to other problems internally. >fi< for Mango

Found a load of photos I'd taken of the girls over the summer and never got round to processing, so when I get a bit of time & inclination, I'll post up what have turned out to be the last photos of Willow, (and possibly of Mango) and the others enjoying their summer.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , fingers cross.
XXX
Bob
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by Cheshire Chick »

Just catching up Karen and I am so sorry to hear that you have lost your Willow. Never gets any easier and always breaks your heart. I will keep everything crossed for Mango as she is obviously not feeling well at the moment and must be another big worry for you. I know one of my previous girls had sour crop and I used to tip her up to try to empty it. I also gave her natural yoghurt, which apparently is meant to be good for crop issues. She made a full recovery so fingers crossed for Mango. Good luck.
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kitla
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by kitla »

So sorry about little Will Karen, it doesnt get any easier does it. Pokey is a bit late with her big moult, I hope they grow back before the cold weather.
)ot: I read about that big black panther being seen recently around Wakerley Woods, it had a go at someones dog apparently. Not far from you so watch out!
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

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Well Mango the super chicken lives to maraud another day. Whatever the problem with her crop was seems to have resolved itself, perhaps my tipping helped, and she seems fine now. Can't help thinking she is revving up for a moult - I am hoping so as that would explain her illness this week, but so far no sign. They are all quite miserable though, especially Pokey who is in the middle of her moult and seizing every opportunity to snooze on my knee. Dory has grown her tail back - it is looking pretty tatty already! - and has lost her head! Or at least her distinguishing feature, her wig! She's still shedding feathers - caught her eating one today, she does that. They are definitely not enjoying this miserable weather! No eggs from anyone, including the formerly regular Mango, which is also adding to the mystery of her current condition.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Poor old Pokey is quite out of sorts at the moment, with her moult. Bless her, she is most unlike herself. The 3 of them have spent today hiding under the bushes and refusing to come out even when I opened the door to see where they all were. Can't blame them mind, it's been rotten weather. Pokey spent a bit of time snoozing on my knee just before bed, in the greenhouse. She does so remind me of Nugget!

Mango appears absolutely fine, still no signs of feathers so I'm really not sure what all that business was last week but she seems back to normal now. She's stopped laying.

And as for Dory Grey - she is beside herself because the WIG IS OFF!! She's sporting a rather edgy mohican now.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
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kitla
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by kitla »

)piicy( we want to see Dorys mohican
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
--Immanuel Kant
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

)piicy( we want to see Dorys mohican


That'll be my challenge for today then! >ch<

The mystery of Mango's illness is solved! I still think she had crop problems, but luckily nothing too serious, but today she's preening feathers so it looks like at long last she's moulting! Just what I had hoped for, but you know you can never be sure until you see the feathers coming out.

Thank goodness that's one mystery solved.

I might pick up some probiotic yoghurt for them, just to give them all a bit of a boost. They are all looking very sorry for themselves, what with their moults and the weather, especially Pokey who is at the pinfeather stage and obviously not feeling herself at all.

Dory continues to be beside herself at her lack of wig.
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
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sandy
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by sandy »

Good news on Mango.....now where is that photo of Dory?
The Pink Ladies..Audrey,Ingrid-Bergman,Madeleline,Norma-Jean,Dora,Janice,Jo,Robyn,Chrissy and Joyce
The Peds…Mork,Mindy,Bell,Saphire &
Vorky ,Blueped,Ginger,Ninger &Linky

Sunny Clucker was ere July 12-21 2012
Sunny Clucker was ere July 6 2016 to Sept 9th 2017
Sunny Clucker is here , rehomed Aug 18th 2018/
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Much to their disgust - they don't like being papped in their own garden - here are the photos you've all been waiting for!

Mango and Will photobombed by Pokey:

Image

Dory has the wind up her :-D :
Image

Dory with her edgy, super cool mohican. It's all the rage this moulting season:
Image

Will and mango having a little drinkie in the garden:
Image

Mango posing in the garden:
Image
Image
Image

Pokey and Dory having a good chow down on the pumpkin this week:
Image

Will going scrumping a few weeks ago:
Image

And in case we had forgotten what the magnificent mane should look like:
Image

There has been a litle white dove in the garden all day, hiding by the side of the house. Marley has been chasing it all over the place and it hasn't flown away so i assume it can't. It huddled behind some wood on the patio for the night - well i couldn't leave it there, so I scooped it up before Marley could get it and popped it in the run where at least it would be safe from cats. Marley scared it and it ran off into the coop so hopefully it wil be safe in the night and will be back on its feet (wings) tomorrow. Have to let it out before the girls get miffed. Maybe it's injured - it did look quite young, but there were no parents about.

3 girls all doing fine, Mango is scattering feathers all over the place and Dory has started again, and Pokey takes every opportunity to jump onto my knee and preen - honestly I am covered in bits of Pokey Preen when she's done!
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
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kitla
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by kitla »

was it a wild dove or from maybe someones dovecot?
"He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by Cheshire Chick »

So glad that Mango seems to be over whatever it was making her feel poorly. They are really a mystery sometimes these girls, one minute up and the next down. I really enjoyed looking at your wonderful photographs. )like(
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KarenE
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by KarenE »

Everyone doing fine at the moment, touch wood of course - even the little white dove who has taken up residence in our greenhouse where it is having a high old time. It's got a box filled with straw, and is fed on corn and garvos, and occasionally its parents come down and feed it too. For some reason it still isn't flying and has now started limping, probably becuase Marley chases it, but it is an utter mystery why it's there. It disappeared for 2 days, we thought it had been 'got' by something, and then popped up on the patio again! All very odd, but I think we now have a baby dove to look after too >coc<

Dory is back to full wig glory now, and looking very splendid. Pokey and mango are still scruffy, but inexplicably Mango is laying again. What a strange girl, laying while moulting - and fairly regularly as well. What an odd lot I have!
Karen
Alpha chick to: Smudge, Matisse and Bluebell
Chief servant to Marley the cat
Remembering Weeps, Rexie, Sage, Cassie, Toffee, Captain Gabby, Commander Nugget, Ronnie, Juno, Special Poetry and Reading Casper, Tigger, Tophenanall Rembrandt, Chestnut, Tiddly, Willow, Mango, Coco, Dorian Grey and Pokey.
Also my lost furries Charlie and Jasper
bikesandbirdsbob
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Re: karen's chicken diary

Post by bikesandbirdsbob »

Hi , be careful with the wild birds , they sometimes have illnesses that can be caught by your hens .
Could take to a vet for a check over . My vet do free checks on wild animals as charity cases (they do have a fund for it but not well advertised as you can appreciate .) or RSPCA etc.
Wishing it and you and flock well.
Bob

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