Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Cheery_Daff

Thanks. She's had a treat (and plenty of food) and is now cosy in the bathroom (we've got everything we need out so won't need to disturb her). Yes, we were planning on sticking a few eggshells in the oven this evening - we used to do that all the time but since we dismantled the kitchen things have gotten rather chaotic!

She's had a good potter about the house this afternoon. We'll see how she gets on tonight. We did contemplate sticking her in with the others overnight, but it's pretty cold out there today, so we figured we'd give her a night inside and reassess in the morning. Fingers crossed.

edwink

Cheery_Daff wrote: »

Thanks. She's had a treat (and plenty of food) and is now cosy in the bathroom (we've got everything we need out so won't need to disturb her). Yes, we were planning on sticking a few eggshells in the oven this evening - we used to do that all the time but since we dismantled the kitchen things have gotten rather chaotic!

She's had a good potter about the house this afternoon. We'll see how she gets on tonight. We did contemplate sticking her in with the others overnight, but it's pretty cold out there today, so we figured we'd give her a night inside and reassess in the morning. Fingers crossed.

Aww bless her Cheery. I hate it when any of mine are unwell because their sad little faces really get to me. But, like you I always bring mine indoors if they are unwell because I would hate them to get picked on and they are not always able to defend themselves if they are poorly. I know they don't normally pick on each other during the night but they could pick on her first thing tomorrow morning before you get them all out. It's always a good thing to be able to handle your girls because if they are ever unwell they are normally happy to be picked up because that is what they are used to. I actually imagined you coming back on here today to tell us all that she was cosily sitting on Mr Cheery :rotfl:


You have done all you can do at this point Cheery and keeping her warm indoors will help her rest because as you say it is rather chilly tonight. Here in the South I think it is going to dip to about 2 degrees Brrr!


Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Sadly I don't think she's forgiven Mr Cheery for taking her to the vet (who stuck a thermometer up her backside) :rotfl: In fact she's been a bit wary of both of us after we had to spray her with purple spray a while back (she's still a bit purple now ) and is the least easy chicken to catch... Still will sit on us occasionally though

Karmacat

That reminds me of the cats that I was catsitting. They'd sit on me at the least opportunity, but also cowered from me in terror. Like when I got up off my knees after putting their wet food in the dishes ... or came in the front door, yeah, apparently that was very aggressive of me

edwink

News from the BBC website this morning, an outbreak of Bird Flu.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-50738453

No announcement "so far" to say we are required to keep our hens in and under cover. Will obviously keep an eye on this over the the coming days.

How sad for the 27000 hens

Edwink

Cheery_Daff

(Hmmm, thought I'd replied to your message about bird flu the other day but clearly not!)

Indeed, very sad Fingers crossed nothing wider happens

Quick update on Beaky the chicken. She's now had eight days living in our house (although has been shifted from the bathroom into a makeshift space in our building site kitchen). She's also had more epsom salts baths than I've ever had in my life.

BUT... (and I'm crossing my fingers as I say this) she seems to be making a miraculous recovery! :j :j

For a few days there we genuinely didn't know which way it would go - she just seemed to be getting weaker and weaker, just standing in corners with her eyes closed, showing no interest in food or the other chickens.

Then about three days ago she passed a small rubbery mass (really small, about the size of a cheesey wotsit :rotfl: ) which I figured was so small it would make no difference - but she seems to have properly picked up since then :j

Started showing an interest in grapes, then mealworms, and then normal food, and yesterday seemed to be pretty much eating as normal :j (with, er, a normal amount passing through the other end too :eek: ) No eggs - but then we're only really getting one a day from the other four at the minute anyway.

Bless her. So I'm hopeful that her strength will continue to build. If it was me I would have had her outside for a couple of hours yesterday, but Mr Cheery is rather more soft and concerned about her, and I've been at work all day so she's still been in. I'll encourage him to shove her out today - but again I'm out all day so no idea if that will happen. If not, I'm working at home the rest of the week and I'm not spending all day every day picking chicken poo up off the carpet like he seems to be doing so she'll definitely be outside then! :eek:

edwink

Aww that's great news about Beaky Cheery. So glad she is feeling so much better now, she was so poorly wasn't she and I know how worried you were about her, bless her. Sorry for the rather late reply Cheery x

All going ok here with my girls and am chuffed to say most of the girls that I had sprayed with the good old purple stuff have now completely grown the feathers back on their previous bald areas. As most know they are sprayed with an antiseptic spray which is purple and this dyes the skin a bit so it stops other hens pecking at the bald areas and making it sore or bleed. The purple does gradually fade but I have always found that it never completely goes away so I can still see who the once bald hens were by the surrounding feathers having flecks of purple on them. Good news for those hens as it has been pretty chilly here some days. Always good and very heart warming to see them progress in the right direction. Will update with some nice photos once I take some more over the coming weeks.



Just wanted to wish all posters and readers of our lovely hen thread a really fab Christmas and a very happy new year. Hope you all have a great time and are able to put your feet up.

We are just going to have a quiet time and to be honest besides caring for Hoppy and my hens, do some baking and maybe some sewing (Which most of you know I love doing), we are going to definitely put our feet up here, listen to music and chill out. We don't have a TV so no Christmas repeats for us :rotfl: ah bliss!

Edwink x

edwink

Aww bless, just look at these two. The hen is so, so healthy just look at those pristine feathers.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzALllUee3A


Edwink x

Karmacat

Thats a wonderful video, edwink! Though, why did the guy get a duck egg, not a chicken egg? Do you think it was just as simple as it making a better film? I mean, it does, obviously and I love the close ups of that hen, she's lovely.

edwink

Karmacat wrote: »

Thats a wonderful video, edwink! Though, why did the guy get a duck egg, not a chicken egg? Do you think it was just as simple as it making a better film? I mean, it does, obviously and I love the close ups of that hen, she's lovely.

I wondered that too, to be honest.


That hen has the most glorious feathers which are quite striking. I wouldn't mind a hen like that myself one day. Goodness only knows what she would look like in the mud we get around here after it has rained continuously. Maybe that's why Hoppy is black :rotfl: well she was when she was younger but has gone grey now she is older, just mainly her head and neck, bless her.


Edwink x