4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Scramble]

I don't know how many of you know , but my dad has a friend in his work who was interested in getting chickens as he heard how enthusiastic I was about mine and how happy and easy a thing it seemed...

 

He then found some chickens in a local pet shop and thought that the oppourtunity was too good to miss. Over 2 weekends he built them a chicken house and walk in run (very fast job , but good ) He then bought the 3 of the chicken, 2 brown Warrens and a white Welsummer which I'd never heard of before but after consulting a chicken book saw that it was possible.

 

Recently the two brown Warrens have had colds and so he took one of them to the vet and brought home some antibiotics to put into the water, wish he'd asked as I would have told him about Citricidle!

Apparently one of the warrens had got so bad that it would no longer come out of the house and was lethargic and pale. He took it to the vets and a scan showed that it had a 'lump' inside it although they weren't entirly sure what it was

 

He had to decide against a very expensive operation or to have it put to sleep which in the end happened. The vet asked if they could do a postmortem as they didn't get many chickens they thought it would be and interesting oppourtuity in case any others ever turned up as they usually just get cats and dogs.

 

The postmortem showed that a piece of chicken meat had beeen found stuck inside the chicken under furthur examination it turned out to be a chick from a fertilised egg that had collapsed this came as a shock as they don't have a cockeral, they assumed that it must have been in the presence of one before they bought it from the pet shop as they have no other explenation.

 

To make matters worse, as he has two young sons who were upset over the incident he went to a farm that had ex-batts and he brought one home and now it's sleeping temporarily in a rabbit hutch as it is being bullied by the other who viciously peck it

 

I told him to read the introduct help pages here on Omlet. I think it would have been much better had he left it with 2 and that he should take the ex=batt back so that it can have a happier end to it's life

 

I'm sorry for ranting on about this but it just upset me as although Dad wasn't interested in chickens when we first got them he got very emotional over his friends chickens and what would happen if something happened to one of ours, so he's sad and i'm sad, not a very good start for school tomorrow

 

Thanks for your time, I just had to explain to someone and you Omleteers are always sympathetic.

[Egluntyne]

Oh dear...what an extraordinary tale. How lucky that he has you to advise him.

[catherinej]

That is a very sad story. Chickens are fantastic creatures which makes it even more sad when things don't work out! Hope the ex-bat settles in soon. x

[Cooks]

that's so sad, I hope things work out well for him.

[Plum]

That's sad Scramble but if he follows the advice on the forum his exbat may be introduced and cope well and turn it into a really happy story. Good old you giving all that great advice. Chin up, hope school goes well

[mostin]

Oh dear, so sad. I hope he makes it on to the forum regularly as all the info you can gain on here is invaluable to a novice chook owner.

[helenmb]

It sounds like your Dad's friend has been very unlucky as this does seem like a very unusual condition. I hope the ex-bat settles in soon and that they accept her too, fingers crossed for a happy outcome.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

How unlucky and sad for the poor hen . I hope he takes your advice so his remaining hens can be happy.