karen's chicken diary

[HenPen]

So sorry for 003, but you're right that you have given her a taste of a wonderful life and I am keeping my fingers crossed that she will want to hang about to enjoy it. All this heat must be a bit of a shock for her little body; I assume her previous life was totally climate controlled. Maybe if the weather cools a bit, she will feel less poorly? Hoping

[sandy]

Defintely sending lots and lots of to 003 I was convinced I was going to lose in the first week she was very poorly, maybe it is just the complete change that unnerves them at first, lets hope so. Love the new palace under construction, just one thing you have the same bolt on the door as me and in this heat the wood has warped and wont shut!

[KarenE]

Back from a week in edinburgh to see the start of the fringe - great experience, saw Nina Conti who is brilliant, we spent the whole show screaming with laughter!

We spent the whole week trying not to think of poor 003, and feeling ever so sorry for our chicken sitter as we were convinced she would come in the morning to find a dead little girl. Well henpals and DTL wishes worked and the wee thing is still with us!

According to our sitter, she's been pottering about with the rest, but she's slow today and her face is swollen. I think it's yet another instance of the dreaded (and persistent) respiratory infection (I can't see any sign of wounding for infection) but she's definitely better than when we went away. I've started them all on a course of tylan yet again as i wasn't able to finish the last dose before I went away (maybe she was getting better and the infection has returned?). Plus maybe the cooler weather has helped her feel better too. Everyone else seems fine, including the little bottom scruffly girl. If anyone has a better diagnosis, please shout!

Still no names for the girls. Our sitter has been calling them Egg and Bacon but I think we'll see if anything else occurs. Perhaps now is the time for Xena.

Remie continues to be a Top Hen Terror. She was squirted today, naughty thing, and didn't like it at all - she huffed off to bed. Our sitter though found her sitting on the nestbox for 2 days and turfed her out on the second day (to much huffy protest apparently) and found Remie had collected 5 eggs under her. She shows no sign of broodiness though and was happily playing round the garden today so fingers crossed our sitter broke any potential broodiness in its tracks.

[sandy]

Glad to hear you had a good week, nearly went there in 1990 to catch Last Tango at the End of Winter but couldn't get the time off!Even gladder Callisto is still with you. Your sitter sounds wonderful

[KarenE]

Can't call her Calisto, she seems quite normal, very sweet and not a twisted raging psychopath at all. That's Remie's job seemingly.

So little scruffily hen is now Tigger as she bounces around with enthusiasm all the time. Is very friendly and insists on running between my feet all the time, won't go to bed until she absolutely has to and is quite vocal. She's such a lovely friendly girl and is already growing the odd new feather. And she's showing Bottom Hen food stealing skills -she nicked off with half a tomato right from under Casper and Remie's noses. Cheeky madam.

Casper is a clever little thing. She's figured out I'm hand feeding my little sick girl, and is following me whenever I walk towards her. She's also figured out there are 2 entrances to the run and will use the quickest to get in if she thinks there are treats there.

My little sick girl I've called Juno. don't know why, it just seems to suit her. She is still not well, definitely a resp infection. Her face is swollen and I could see bubbles in the corner of her eye yesterday. She spends a lot of her time dozing in the bushes or sunbathing, mostly to stay out of the others way -she is terrified of Remie, and less so of Casper but still will rush out of their way. She must've had a tough time while we were away, bless her. I'm making sure she gets her tylan water, and I'm had feeding her with corn as she isn't eating otherwise (mainly cos the others don't let her much) -I know corn isn't ideal but I'd rather that than nothing. At least she's eating. Hopefully the tylan will kick in over the next day or so.

I've changed their nesting boxes and straw as there is obviously some lingering infection there that is being passed around. I'm wondering if it started with Toffee, continued with Nugget, Ronnie and now Juno. Rems and Caspy have also had it a bit but they seemed to clear right up in a day r so. At least tylan should knock it on the head for the others f nt Juno. she will be alright though

[sandy]

Sending lots of for little Juno
Do you know Callisto is pyscho Olive's fav character, mine was obviously Ares! Are your newbies finding their way to bed on their own? Or are you doing the Benny Hill as well?

[KarenE]

No, my girls are straight to bed good as gold. I had to escort Tigger in on her first night but since then she's been fine, although wants to stay up as long as possible!

Juno looked a lot better yesterday, there was a softie in the nestbox which was an ex batt one. I am wondering if it was hers. They all scoffed it of course, even Juno was brave enough to go to the dish when remie was there. She's looking a bit quiet again today although the swelling has gone down in her face so I'm taking that as a good sign. Poor little mite if she is getting softies as well! They could be down to the diet of course.

Ares fan eh Sandy? Me too!

[KarenE]

Juno's swelling nearly gone, which is great and she's pottering about a bit more. Still very slow, and I've noticed she's keeping one eye closed a lot - I wonder if she's having problems with it? It is the side of her face that was most swollen. Plus she may be laying softies as well. I'm keeping a close eye on her. he's started making a few noises as well and gives Tigger a little bok on the head so she must be feeling better!

Casper on the other hand is due a trip to the vets today as I think she has bumblefoot and in both feet as well Hopefully it's treatable with ABs. Honestly, it's never ending at the minute!

[KarenE]

Juno's eye not looking good so bundled both of them into carrier boxes and off to the vets, only to discover that it is obviously the summer holiday thing of choice to do with your kids, as the vet was completely full with an hour's wait! I have a meeting in the middle of the day so have had to bring them both home and will try again later today. Quite worried about Juno's eye, looks like it's infected now

[KarenE]

Good job the vet opens late into the evenings. Back with both of them, they were very good girls. Poor Juno has been in the wars lately. She's fine, she has a tiny scratch on her cornea so we've got some cream to treat it with. Luckily she's such a docile girl so I'm hoping it won't be too much of a problem... famous last words perhaps! The vet did tonight's treatment so hopefully she'll start to feel better after a few days treatment.

Casper has bumblefoot in both feet. The vet didn't think it was too bad and he's given us pills to give her, plus an iodine foot bath each day. Tried hiding a dose in grapes this evening but she wouldn't touch them so am going to have to be inventive tomorrow. I would rather not have to syringe the mixture in as she's already very wary of me, what with having been boxed up twice today. But of course i need to get the meds down her so if we have to be cruel to be kind, so be it.

[KarenE]

Juno really not looking good at all today - yesterday she spent all day in the coop, even when i brought her out she went back in. Hardly drank and I don't think she ate. Today I've had her in the house so I could treat her eye plus make sure she eats and drinks. She's spent the day asleep, either with her head tucked into her wings or just laid flat out. Hardly drunk and not eaten at all. She seems to be losing a few feathers but I suspect that's because of her condition rather than a moult. And her poos are bright yellow so I think one way or another she'll be gone soon She has had a terrible run of luck in the short few weeks she's been here and it's such a pity because she seemed so well and healthy when she first came here.

Casper not too bad, still dashing around doing chickeny things although is growing wary of me - not surprising as i am having to grab hold of her and give her a daily iodine footbath. I'm hoping she starts to associate it with treats, as she gets her special medicated food as well (today, scrambled eggs which she wolfed down, then a bit of scone to keep her in place). The iodine seemed to smart one foot though as she kept lifting it out and was hobbling on it when I let her back out again. I'm hoping that's a good sign... Not such a good thing was the big peck she got off Tigger when she came back out again, poor Casper. She'd only been gone for 10 minutes! A sure sign that I can't take Juno out again though, poor little mite. I think I'd rather keep her in the warm and dry though, the weather here has been awful most of the day although it's brightened up now. Good job as i have a lot of iodine to wash off my clothes!

[HenPen]

Oh dear Karen, poor girls and poor you. Lots of get well vibes coming your way. Interesting how the vets suggest different bumble foot treatments. I wasn't told about iodine footbaths.

[sandy]

Aw Karen when are you going to get a break Bless little Juno it really does sound like enteritus, it hits them so badly, she has at least a loving caring home while she is so sick bless her. I have never known so many girls get bumblefoot? Poor Casper but at least you know it is treatable. I really hope Juno can find a way through to recover, sending lots and lots of to your girlies xxx

[KarenE]

Thanks Sandy and HP. I feel so awful for the poor wee thing and yes we can say at least she's out of the cages and all that but it's small comfort really. She's such a sweet girl too, a huge pity.

The way Juno is now, it really looks like a matter of day/days. I would be astounded if she pulled off a recovery. She just seems to have gone downhill so quickly - on thurs she was well enough to have come all the way down to our patio for the first time with the other girls. That's when i noticed her eye was shut. I wonder if the eye infection is a sign of a bigger infection? You'd have thought that the tylan she's been on all week would have helped her along a bit.

I've never had an ex batt go so quickly

[aishakali]

So sorry your little girl is sick Karen. No matter how long they are with us, it's never long enough x