redsunset Posted December 21, 2014 Author Share Posted December 21, 2014 Well that's all the chicken chores done this weekend. Mr Brahma had a twenty minute foot soak with medicated stuff I had bought from the vet a while back. Will give him daily ones in the holidays see if it eases his tootsies? Can't see any bumble foot so not sure if problem is higher up the joint due to his size but will see how he does. He's eating and drinking fine. If no better, off to the vet again for him. Luvackicken, that is the front of the shed, lol! It has double doors. The pop hole has been cut out of the side but is wedged shut for now to keep the doodles in and Mr Brahma nice and dry/warm. Will be laying slabs next week after Christmas to combat the lovely mud! Wee doodles doing fine and watched them all hopping up onto the high roosts to sleep, little buff one even let me stroke her for a minute Am sure now I have 8 girls and two boys so I consider that a lucky hatch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 21, 2014 Share Posted December 21, 2014 Luvackicken, that is the front of the shed, lol! It has double doors. The pop hole has been cut out of the side but is wedged shut for now to keep the doodles in and Mr Brahma nice and dry/warm. Oooops, sorry I assumed the bit with the windows was the front My brain is on holiday without me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 25, 2014 Author Share Posted December 25, 2014 Merry Christmas to all my chook friends on here. Hope you all have a lovely day. Lettuce, cooked sprouts and hot mash for the girlies tomorrow (they rolled their eyes at porridge last yr much to my disgust as thought they were of good scottish stock) but obv not!...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 Did they like their Boxing Day treat ? I gave my new girls some apple but they really didn't know what to do with it Cabbage they weren't so sure of either. Funny little things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 My lot will scoff anything new! Lost my old sussex this morning, noticed yesterday she didn't look right, so took her indoors. Very sleepy and breathing rapidly. Syringed water into her and put her into a box in the warmth but she passed away through the night. I am thankful she reached 3 years and had a good life though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 More drama today, noticed another sussex with very dirty bum, neck sunk down, ruffled. Managed to catch her and bathed her, thought she had large dried up leaves stuck in her vent until I realised it was old thin shell. Removed it all and blow dried her (she sat on my knee no bother for that, funny how they all love the hairdryer?) Not sure if this is peritonitis or a one off but put her in the new shed with Goliath and a wee Isa who's taken a fancy to it. No need to ask where the stupid little doodles are? Yup, back in the tree!!..... Will see tomorrow how Mrs Sussex is but she looked healthy enough as in red comb, full crop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Red comb and full crop is always a good sign. Fingers crossed she will be fine. Sorry you lost a girlie, I have a three year old ex commercial lady alana who I really don't think will last too much longer, she has always had a limp and a tie missing but one her her remaining toes seems to be twisting in, can't find anything in line that might explain it, she has a shrunken pale comb and doesn't lay anymore and is getting very slow. I guess she is just old bless her. Your doodle bugs are hilarious, a lovely warm and dry shed and they choose to spend the night in the cold! Silly Billy's Happy new year to you and yours redsunset Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Awww, sorry you lost one and that another is poorly. I hope she gets better soon. I always find it takes a long time to get them dry with a hairdryer but they do seem to like it and they always look so pretty again with clean knickers. I liked how you described the eggshell as dried leaves - that can be something else to add to our knowledge lists and learn from someone else's experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mars Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Sorry for your loss Hopefully the other one will make it It is cold time of the year and it is hard on the weak ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Well, Mrs sussex is pottering among the others today......watched her picking at corn etc but not sure if she was actually eating any. If feeling out of sorts then I doubt she has an appetite but her knickers are still fluffy so no new mess. Will be phoning the vet for Goliath tomorrow as his leg is no better. Found him in a coop today hiding from Samson who has now taken over as top cockerel and he can't argue the case with his leg. I imagine more antibiotics via injection and hope it will do the trick. Put him back in the shed where the straw is soft and deep and he can eat in peace. Very hard frost overnight and how those doodles survived in a tree and are amazingly healthy is beyond me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Went out to recycling bins after 5pm and spotted a chicken wandering about, caught her. It was miss brahma and chooks were in bed since an hour? Put her in with her brother in the shed along with a speckledy who was in the willows (not amused) so Mr Brahma or Goliath will feel he has a few girls on his side when he wakes up tomorrow! Watched the doodles make their way to the Ash tree and conifer as per! One of the doodles on a frosty driveway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Very lovely and lots of light Its dark at 4.pm here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 30, 2014 Author Share Posted December 30, 2014 Oh it's dark here at around 4pm too! Roll on spring. Took Mr Brahma to the vet this am, metacam and Baytril injections and oral Baytril to be taken twice a day. I think this will be ongoing with him, hopefully gets better then probably a recurrence. Downside of large heavy breeds I guess? He has the shed to himself and was good as gold sat in an open box being driven to the vets! Nice and dry here so got the driveway completely washed down with jet hose. Thankfully up here in Scotland we produce enough water not to worry about the waste Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 Thankfully up here in Scotland we produce enough water not to worry about the waste Ah, the thought of a hose pipe ban is a long way away, we always have them looming even when it has poured with rain for months. Hope Mr Brahma gets well soon. Is he good at taking his medicine ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I love the picture of the doodle on the drive. Are they all back in the trees now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I too hope Mr Brahma gets better soon - I'd love to see pictures of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Will try and get pic of Mr Brahma in the next few days. He has the shed to himself. Medicine easy as I put it on a bit of bread which he gobbles in seconds. Not interested in his hot mash much but loves corn and some bread. I know that's not enough on its own. Any ideas to tempt him onto better food? He is still tender on his foot so am very cautious as to whether this lot is going to work. Have a sneaky feeling that the initial bumble foot he was treated for in Feb has gone deep into the joint or toes making it darn near impossible to treat but will give it a chance. Doodles are all back in the trees and will be swaying well in the winds tonight! Some of them stuff themselves deep in a conifer and are quite snug, the others open to the elements! A speckledy is in the willows on her own, and every time I've moved her in the dark, back she goes the next night! Don't think we've ever in my lifetime had a hosepipe ban up here luvackicken thank goodness and not metered either! Need my hose for the gravel drive and have been known to jet it for an hour! Hope everyone has a lovely New Year when it comes and go into next year with good health.........and healthy chooks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted December 31, 2014 Share Posted December 31, 2014 Maybe a nice epsom salt foot spa would help him? The magnesium sulphate absorbs through the skin and is good for joints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted December 31, 2014 Author Share Posted December 31, 2014 Thank you. Will try and get some of that when the shops reopen. Meantime I have some iodine based(I think) stuff I got in the vets a while back for diluting in water. Will try daily soaks in warm water with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted January 1, 2015 Author Share Posted January 1, 2015 Not a great start to the new year! Thought yesterday an Isa had quite a pale comb? Fast forward to today and she is in a box pretty close to death indoors! No mucky bum, nothing outwardly but thin and sleepy. No respiratory issues like the one on Boxing Day but something is obviously wrong internally. So sad at losing two in less than a week. The one who had the dried up shell removed is fine but keeping a close eye incase there is something brewing. I know a large portion of my flock are well over 2 years old now and a lot of them being hybrids they don't often have a good life span but it sucks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavclojak Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 Sorry to hear that redsunset but what a few years your girls get, it must be the equivalent of hen nirvana. Your on the ball with your girls and you noticed she wasn't right, she is in the warm,tucked up, she couldn't ask for more. Chin up and fingers crossed for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted January 1, 2015 Author Share Posted January 1, 2015 Wee Isa passed as I predicted. One thing I want to ask about was before she died her neck kept twisting and at one point she tumbled out of the box and went into spasm. I kept righting her neck but those last few moments were alarming and distressing to watch. Is this a sign of an illness I have not had before? I'm almost sure I've not seen anything like this before and things like Mareks or coccidiosis scare me? The neck twisting or what they call star gazing in the last hour? So sad I couldn't manage to save her, tried syringing raw honey and water but she was obviously to far gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mars Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 (edited) Sorry to hear that Redsunset. I like about you, when your hens die you don't spend days crying, When I loose one I bury her under a tree and keep myself distracted by thinking about the replacement I will get. Edited January 1, 2015 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted January 1, 2015 Share Posted January 1, 2015 I'm very sorry to hear of your loss, but yes the neck twisting/convulsing is normal - probably the brains reaction to lack of oxygen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsunset Posted January 1, 2015 Author Share Posted January 1, 2015 Thank you! I was so worried I had an outbreak of something nasty there but knew it was different to the sussex that died last week. Worming starts tomorrow and think garlic in the water and a bit of live yoghurt/few greens to make sure everyone else is healthy. Thank you again for putting my mind at rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
