Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[debbiedoobs]

Hi all, some may remember that I was asking advice not so long ago about Mareks as I had lost some of my girls and wanted to hatch. Three weeks ago we hatched 15 beautiful little silkies, black, blue, buff, Colombian, splash, cuckoo, lavender and white. Which have been vaccinated for Mareks. One of them has a vaulted skull or that's what we thought. We called her Dot as she is tiny, about a quarter the size of the others and for this moment in time until we know otherwise we are calling her a girl. Right from day one she was noisier and acted a little different, she constantly rubbed her head under the electric hen so she ended up with a flat head! She looked a little like Frankenstein. We are unsure whether she may be a little mentally challenged! The others noticed and she was bein pecked more, I tried to fluff it up but she just flattened it straight away. We had to separate her last week as I noticed it had started to weep. After trying to research online what to do I rang my vets who recommended bathing it... So I did... It was drying off and she kept scratching, that's when I noticed something at the side of her that looked a little strange, it was only the top of her head, it was a massive scab that had taken off her skin and feathers from the entire top of her head! I panicked and took her straight to the vets, he didn't really know what to do apart from cleaning it and we got her some anti biotics. We don't know if it's from her being pecked, an abscess or fluid from around her brain.

We have bonded a lOT! She is very attached to me which is fine by put she is lonely, I have given her a little teddy which she seems to like. I have been ill all week so she has cuddled up to me but I can't leave her without her freaking out. Anyone got any ideas?

[Charlottechicken]

When I hatched a lone chick I used a little mirror to keep her company, so she thought her own reflection was another chick. I have one of those hinged handbag mirrors, just a cheap one and about 3 inches square when folded up. It kept Maisie quiet when she was little and she slept next to it.

 

[debbiedoobs]

Awe that's so cute, feel so sorry for her especially when she hears the others being noisy. I'm just hoping she makes a full recovery soon so she can get back to being with them. She's such a sweet little thing. Will try the mirror thing tomos, thanks x

[Luvachicken]

Awww, I hope she makes it.

She sounds a lovely little chook.

[debbiedoobs]

Awe Thanks, she really is. Think I'm secretly wanting to have a new house pet! Little sod has a thing for trying to pluck out my eye lashes though.

[keyhole kate]

Aww cute little girl hope she gets better XxHugsxX

[Beantree]

We gave our loner a clock. One of the old fashioned wind up types with a loud 'tick tock'. It is supposed to mimic the mother hen's heartbeat I read. We had exactly the same problem, he got very stressed on his own. It seemed to calm him down. He is 7 now and still won't settle without a clock in the room. We also leave the radio on when we go out.

[debbiedoobs]

Awe aren't they cute, not sure I could put up with how intense she is for 7 yrs! I've managed 8 days and I'm beginning to feel harassed!

[Mrs_B]

Awe Thanks, she really is. Think I'm secretly wanting to have a new house pet! Little sod has a thing for trying to pluck out my eye lashes though.

 

Hehe bless her. I really hope everything goes well

 

x

[mimi5]

Huh hum....pic please!!!!!!

 

I'm sure "Tumble" also had a fluffy duster???? Do I remember that right?? He was a silkie too

[Valkyrie]

When I helped out at the wildlife rescue place they always had a feather duster in the cage for baby birds to snuggle into - plus the heat lamps.

[debbiedoobs]

Little Dotty update!

She's still recovering and fingers crossed, knock on wood she's doin well. We are at the vets tomorrow for a check up.

New feathers seem to be trying to come through the big scab, it weeps sometimes as she constantly scratches it and rubs her head on everything. I've tried the mirror thing and she wasn't interested in the slightest, she just kept running past it trying to get to me. She doesn't bother with the teddy I gave her either, sometimes she is lying on it when I check on her when I go to bed, but I think that's just to try and get out of the box.

She's such a sweet little thing. Although not enjoying having to bring her to the bathroom with me!

Will upload pics as soon as I figure out how to!

[debbiedoobs]

Little dotty has gone to heaven

[gavclojak]

Ah Debbie, I am so sorry...what happened.

I have to say you went above and beyond for your "dot" wasn't she lucky to have had you

[Grandmashazzie]

Aw Debbie so sorry I was just thinking about her yesterday,she had a good wee life with you.

[debbiedoobs]

Well I thought she was doin really well, some feathers came through at the bottom and it didn't weep everyday. But the scab just got bigger vertically.

She wasn't really growing and at 7 weeks she was the size of a 2 week old chick.

Last week she started to really scratch at it and it started to bleed, I bathed it to try and keep out infection. Then on Fri she was Ok when the hubby got up for work at 6 but a few hours later she was head bobbing. She couldn't pick up food properly and the scab looked like it was infected. I took her straight to the vets and he said that there wasn't anything more he could do, he'd spoken to a specialist and they had said the same, they dint think it'd ever heal and that the infection had possibly gone onto her brain. I then had to make the decision that completely broke me. I'm pretty sure that whilst in the consulting room everyone in the waiting room heard my cry like a baby. She feel asleep cuddled up to my chest whilst I stroked her face and is now with the others we have lost buried in the garden.

On reflection I know it was the right decision no matter how much it has killed me. I'm certain that she wasn't wired up right and would never have been able to go with the other chickens. I couldn't bare the thought of her bein in pain or discomfort so we made the decision.

She had a beautiful personality and I miss her so much.

RIP little dotty!

[Beantree]

That's very sad indeed and well done to you for having the courage to make such an incredibly difficult decision to put her welfare first DebbieDoobs. Poor little Dottie.

[WitchHazel]

I'm so sorry to hear about Dot.

 

It's hard at the best of times, but the death of a chook you've been taking care of so closely leaves a humungus gap.

 

It's probably not much comfort at the moment but please remember that, although her life was short, she really had the best life possible. It was only because you were prepared to care for her so closely that she survived this long. There was nothing more you could have done.

 

<>

[coco]

So sorry, you did everything you could for her and she had a lovely if short life with you. Its a horrible decision to have to make but you did absolutely the right thing for her.

[debbiedoobs]

And I've just cried for the 100 th time in 4 days! Lol. Others in another post said I should have done it weeks ago but I couldn't have until I had done all I possibly could.

Dots 14 brothers and sisters are keeping me busy and giving me love, but there is an emptiness inside me. Missing her cuteness x

[Luvachicken]

Debbiedoobs I am so sorry about poor little Dot.

Such a shame, but she will have loved the time she had with you, and you'll know that you did the very best that you could for her xxx

[sparkysmum]

So sorry to hear this. No one could have done more for her. As others have said, she will have known how loved she was. Axx

[debbiedoobs]

This is my little dotty

[gavclojak]

What a little cutie....Goodnight little girl