Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink

Cheery_Daff said:

Super healthy looking she may have been edwink, but she's not very well today sadly... Noticed earlier she was breathing quite heavily, and we thought she'd been looking a bit stiff for the last couple of days but still keeping up with the others.

We've had her inside this afternoon and given her a bath, and I think she might be egg bound 😕 Her abdomen is quite swollen 😕 We've put her in with the others for the night, didn't seem much point keeping her in here, but I've just been to shut them in and she's just standing in the hen house, not settled in a nest box like usual 😢 

Vets first thing I think 😢 Can't have another one die so soon 😢

Aww, bless her Cheery, it does sound as though she is pretty poorly at the moment  Always best to keep them with the others if at all possible but I know myself it is not always possible to do.  You just need to judge what you feel is best for them at the time. Over the past, I've brought hens indoors and others I have kept outside to sleep with the others.  I think you just learn over time what you should do for the best.

Do let us know how she is tomorrow when you can.  Fingers crossed she will be ok.

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Thanks edwink. We had Beaky in the house with us for 11 nights when she was ill, but that was just before Christmas and it was freezing. Bessie has been keeping up and running  round with the others just with laboured breathing today so I'm sure she'd rather be with them and not on her own. Who knows what they'd really want though. 

Just sat fretting about her now 😕

Pyxis

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CHEERY'S HEN DO CLUCKDOWN!:

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🐓🐓🐓🐓...hen days to go ...and clucking!

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Cheery_Daff

Things aren't looking good for poor old Bessie  Vet's not sure what's going on in her abdomen, but it's definitely swollen and pressing on her other organs, causing her deep breathing. Basically said there's nothing they can do  I think he was all for putting her to sleep this morning but we couldn't bear it - not while she's still eating and pottering round with the others, and not really *looking* ill (other than the breathing). She's certainly been very enthusiastic about treats today! 

Urgh. If there's not some kind of miraculous recovery that'll be three we've lost in three months   Sometimes I hate having pets  

edwink

Cheery_Daff said:

Things aren't looking good for poor old Bessie  Vet's not sure what's going on in her abdomen, but it's definitely swollen and pressing on her other organs, causing her deep breathing. Basically said there's nothing they can do  I think he was all for putting her to sleep this morning but we couldn't bear it - not while she's still eating and pottering round with the others, and not really *looking* ill (other than the breathing). She's certainly been very enthusiastic about treats today! 

Urgh. If there's not some kind of miraculous recovery that'll be three we've lost in three months   Sometimes I hate having pets  

Aww, bless your heart Cheery.  The problem is these little rescue hens have had such a bad start in life and are not cared for properly or humanely which does shorten their lives.  When I lost my very first hen within 6 months I was literately in bits because I truly thought it was something I had done and maybe not cared for her properly.  I rang the rescue centre and they said that sadly these little girls live for around 18 months to 2 years after rescue.  After rehoming 80+ hens here I have only had one little hen that lived beyond the 2 years.

Difficult I know but look at the wonderful life they have had with you and the beautiful surroundings they have lived in getting up to all sorts and occasionally misbehaving.  I know it is hard because we become so attached to them and hate seeing them go after caring for them only for a short time.  Like you I give my girls the very best I can and that is a much, much better life than they maybe would have had somewhere else.  These little hens would have had their lives cut very, very short had they not had a nice home to go to when they retired and left those awfully cramped cages. You have done so well with them Cheery, you really have. 

Please update us when you can. Take care x

Edwink x

Pyxis

Poor Cheery, sorry to here about poorly Bessie.

As you say, while she's still eating and pottering about, she does have quality of life, so you never know.

Pyxis

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

CHEERY'S HEN DO CLUCKDOWN!:

🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓

🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓

🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓

🐓🐓🐓...hen days to go ...and clucking!

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Cheery_Daff

Bessie's still pottering round with the others, and (aside from a waddle and heavy breathing) isn't acting like a poorly hen, still bright eyed and hopping up onto chairs etc. 

We rang another vet this morning, one listed on the ChickenVet website. Our local one is lovely, but they don't really know anything specific about chickens, and aside from 'there's clearly something going on in there' they could't tell us anything specific yesterday. This one has a specialist - but they're on holiday for a fortnight. They directed us to another specialist though. Just over an hour away so not ideal but we would like to see whether there's anything we can do for our beaky friend. 

Can't get too excited about the new ones yet I'm afraid, especially not with Mr Cheery declaring he can't deal with having rescue hens because they're just going to keep dying 😢 

Pyxis

I suppose it would be similar to me having a rescue dog who is old. It's more a question of giving a homeless old animal a loving home for their last days, which let's face it, is what we would all like! 

Their last days might be weeks, or months or maybe a couple of years, but they would be happy, safe, comfortable years.

Sort of like an Old Hens' Home, maybe, or in some cases, a hospice.

Don't know if that helps a bit.

Cheery_Daff

Indeed - that's exactly how I feel about it. He just gets so attached to them, and then so upset when they go. 

We're talking about possibly having a core flock (2 or 3) of heritage breed ones that will last a while, then a couple of rescues at a time on top, then at least we're not likely to lose them all to old age around the same time. But obviously there are no guarantees! 

Anyway, no decisions yet. Primary goal is to get Bessie through to see the specialist vet on Monday morning...