Keeping hens and ducks chat.

Cheery_Daff

Aw edwink, that's sad xxx Poor little thing xxx

I don't think I said in here, but we lost our Sunshine Chicken the other day 😕 We took her to the vets last week, they couldn't find anything wrong, and we actually cancelled the follow up appointment because she looked fine. But the following day she didn't again - Mr Cheery took her to the vets, they still couldn't find anything specific, but she died on the way home 😕 Mr Cheery is distraught - he was 10 mins from home, and was devastated that she died in the travel crate rather than at home with her pals 😕 Sad times.

sammyjammy

Sorry for your losses, Edwink you've had a tough year for them.  So glad flockdown has ended, maybe you can post a cheery picture of them enjoying the fresh air.

MSE_Laura_F

So sorry to hear your sad news, @edwink and @Cheery_Daff 💛

Nelliegrace

It is sad to loose a pet, @Cheery_Daff and @edwink. 
Chickens hide their illnesses well to keep their place in the pecking order, so I am not surprised that the vet, who didn’t know her well, failed to see it. I hope the rest of the flock stay well. 

edwink

sammyjammy said:

Sorry for your losses, Edwink you've had a tough year for them.  So glad flockdown has ended, maybe you can post a cheery picture of them enjoying the fresh air.

 That's a lovely idea after the sad news on the thread SammyJammy.


FIRST PICTURE:- JUST DOING A SPOT OF SUNBATHING AS FORAGING IS VERY TIRING FOR ME BEING AN OLD LADY AND IT'S NEARLY BEDTIME ANYWAY



I'll add some more tomorrow as I should be sleeping but I've pulled a hamstring in my leg and it's keeping me awake big time - OUCH!

Edwink x

edwink

All ok here with the hens but no nice sunshine to take photos of them again. My leg is still so painful so hopefully, when the weather cheers up and I can walk properly on my sore leg I'll take some better sunny pics of the girls to put on here (I haven't forgotten)

Edwink x

edwink

edwink said:

Had an idea today for this unused/unloved basket



Removed all of the sides to expose the metal framework & filled it with greens & cucumber for my girls. Now it is hanging in their coop.




I have a love/hate relationship with Photobucket but yay!! managed to get these on here. Tried to resize them but when I had done it for some reason I could not save it so gave up trying for today.

Edwink

I was having look through the thread today as it is raining and my leg is still not good to walk on I came across these 2 old photos that I put on here. My hens loved that cabbage feeder.

Edwink x 

Cheery_Daff

Sorry about your leg edwink, hope you're feeling better soon.

Mine won't bother with cabbage at all! 🙄 tried numerous times and they just ignore it! Pesky creatures.

Budgie Chicken is still on medication here. We were hiding tablets in grapes etc but she's got wise to that so back to catching and shoving down her throat 🙄 she needs a bath today too, poor thing. 

We've decided that these are going to be our last hens 😕 If the older two go first, as they should, then we'll pass the younger two on to someone nearby with a small flock - it'll be much better for them to go as a pair. If we end up with just one older lady, I think she'll live out her days as a house hen. 

Sigh. A hard decision, but Mr Cheery especially gets very emotionally attached, and we'e got into a ridiculous cycle with expensive vets, no holidays etc. I know that's not how many people keep chickens! And I wouldn't advocate it as a good way, but there we are - it's very hard to draw a cut off and say these ones get the specialist vet and those ones don't. I think we are ready for a break. We'll do everything we can for Budgie of course, and for Bessie when her time comes (she's 5.5 years old now) and then the young ones can go and have a good life elsewhere - they've only been with us since January.

Anyway, for now, more medicine for Budgie and a wander round the garden for an hour or so, then she'll have to have her bum washed 🙄

edwink

edwink said:

How on earth can they see where they are going?.

Love their feet.

Not my hens but a pic I posted some time ago. I would love to get some of these one day.

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Very cute edwink! 

Budgie is still looking rough 🙄 we washed her backside yesterday and she's having all her medicine, but she seems to be getting worse rather than better, poor thing. 

We let them out to roam free this morning, but Budgie and Bessie, the older 2, spent most of the day in our kitchen 🙄 the younger two pottered in and out, they don't really know their way round yet so stick close to the others and us. 

Budgie's just been looking sorry for herself 😕 and Bessie has spent the whole day right by her side. We gave Budgie her tablet, and she took herself off to hide in the secondary nest box - Bessie has gone and stood there with her. Not a good sign, I don't think - they do tend to say goodbye when one is on their way out 😕 Poor old Bessie, she's outlived both the pals she came with, and five others who came after her - six if we lose Budgie too. 

Got an vets appointment on Wednesday - she'll have finished her tablets by then so we'll see if there's an improvement, but at the rate she's going I'm not expecting her to last til Wednesday 😕

The nice lady who took our friends' chickens when they moved abroad has said she'll give our remaining ones a home when we're ready, so that's at least a back up plan for the future. Although it now just feels like I'm waiting for the older two to die 😕