Keeping hens and ducks chat.

edwink

Cheery_Daff said: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 😕

Hi Cheery

Aww, bless them. It is so horrible when you know they have aged, really slowing down and not being themselves.  I'm in the same boat here at the moment, not ill hens but with only 2 left now out of the 24 these two are sticking together. Where one goes the other always follows. 

It is so nice that you allow them into your kitchen, I guess they feel safer in there with either you or Mr Cheery or both of you. It is good that you are making sure they don't have mucky bums, it doesn't take too long to give them a quick wash does it and like mine that has had mucky bums, I'm sure they feel better afterward although a bit dripping wet at the back. bless them.

I am sorry you have had to have several visits to the vet again. And, poor Mr Cheery with one passing away on the way home. She didn't want to pass away on the way to the vets in case they said leave her with us we'll deal with her.  She passed on the way home so she could be buried in a beautiful place where you and the other hens live. That was my immediate thought when I read what had happened to Mr Cheery. Now she is with her old pals again. Not that I would think you would leave her at the vet to deal with.  We've had two PTS at the vet and both came home with us.

Scarf one of my old girls outlived all her pals and some new ones that retired here. I swear it was all that olive oil I gave her to get rid of the compacted crop she arrived with, bless her. She had a pal called Glove and she lived to a ripe old age too. I was told years ago that most rescue hens live between two and two and a half years after rescue for ex-batts. So in theory most of them don't even reach 4 years old with some reaching just over that.  My two remaining rescue girls are 5 years old now so I have started to worry about them.

Both myself and Mr Edwink have decided when these two go we won't get any more for a while. We both feel after 14 years we need a few holidays. We've had the odd 2 or 3 days away but we had our lovely hen sitter then who we used to pay to come in and let them out into the run and then come back in the evening and lock them up for the night. But, she is 81 now and worries about driving in the dark so we no longer have a hen sitter.  We will start up again with more hens but definitely feel the need for a holiday or two. We have several projects we want to get done outside too that will take up a lot of our time. 

I hope your little hen will be ok Cheery and am glad she is having her meds like a good girl. 

Take care

Edwink x

Cheery_Daff

Thanks edwink 😊 She took her meds this morning and me and Mr Cheery have both been out since then, so goodness knows what I'll get home to 🙄 We'll see. 

Yes, we are definitely feeling the lack of a holiday too. We had 2 nights at a friend's wedding last autumn, but other than that not had more than a night at a friend's house in five years 🙄

Anyway, vets tomorrow, if she's still with us, and we'll see if there's anything they can do.

Cheery_Daff

Well, Budgie was still with us this morning, but looking very sorry for herself. We've been to the vets, and sadly had her put to sleep 😕 Very sad. It seems the antibiotics cured her respiratory infection, but she had an underlying tumour. She was the same weight, but was full of fluid which she hadn't been last week - they drained off 300ml before they stopped. Obviously without that fluid she'd lost quite a bit of weight, and with a tumour there's not much they can do other than palliative care, and we don't want to extend her life for just a few weeks if it means catching her for tablets every day, that's no fun for anyone.

So a hard decision as always, but the right decision. I came without Mr Cheery as he's gone to his dad's today, so I've taken a little detour on the way home for tea and cake at a little canal marina cafe - we often end up here after having a chicken put to sleep. It's peaceful looking at the boats floating on the water. 

Poor old Bessie. She's 5.5 years old now, and has outlived the two who came with her from the battery cages, plus another 6 (three of which weren't even rescues!). She's been standing very close to Budgie these last few days while she's been poorly. She's just left with the two boisterous youngsters now.

StarShapedPeg

Sorry to hear that Cherry. But you did the right thing by her. Sad times 🥹

edwink

Sorry to hear about your little hen Cheery, bless her.  You did exactly the right thing which was kinder for her. Always hard isn't it so I'm glad you've had a stop on the way home for a cuppa and cake by the canal. We often walk up or down the canal here as it is within walking distance. Very peaceful.

Take care

Edwink x

StarShapedPeg

My crazy girls enjoying a little bit of sunshine between the showers 

edwink

StarShapedPeg said:

My crazy girls enjoying a little bit of sunshine between the showers 

Aww, bless them they are gorgeous.  We are a bit hit and miss with the showers here too. Difficult to get pics when I go out with my phone and then it starts raining again, then come back indoors and get on with doing something then the sun decides to come out for 5 minutes. 

Lovely picture x

Edwink x

edwink

Finally, the sun has come out and we have a lot of sunbathing happening with the hens....yay!!

edwink

One of my older photos.  There are 11 rescue hens under that bush. We put a perch under there and that's where they waited for us to take them up to their run for their supper every night.  We have such lovely memories, 

Cheery_Daff

Aw edwink, what happy memories 🥰🥰

Sigh. Bessie Chicken isn't looking well today 😕 I let them out this morning and she stayed on the perch - not unusual for her as she's old and it was quite early. I tried to hand feed her some oats, but after a cursory peck she didn't want them. Again, not unusual.

When Mr Cheery went to let them out of the run at about 11 though, she was still in bed - and that is VERY unusual. We brought her into the house, and she's been pottering round and having a few snacks. She's not right though, she's got one watery eye, and seems very clumsy and uncoordinated - possibly because she can't see properly, possibly something more sinister 😕

My mum and sister were visiting 🙄 Mr Cheery stayed at home and sat on the floor with her, and now they've all gone I'm doing the same.

Not seen this combination of symptoms before in one of ours, so no idea what it is, and Internet searching is leading me round in circles 🙄 BHWT helpline is shut today, and I don't think it's a case for a non specialist emergency vet, so I'll ring the normal vet in the morning. 

Not feeling positive at the minute though 😕 She's currently just standing in the corner under the table 🙄 Going to give it an hour then take her up to the run and put her straight into bed. If it's something serious, I kind of hope she goes overnight in her sleep 😕