[Oliveview]

We have a hen who is blind in one eye- she has been blind now for about a year, we think another hen  had pecked her eye. Last night I forgot to shut the gate to her run properly and the other hens had let themselves out this morning and had attacked her.  Her blind eye was covered in soil and her good eye and wattle had cuts all around it.  I have bathed her face with water, I donīt like to use the antiseptic about her eye.  She is looking quite sad, I canīt say I blame her.  She hasnīt been eating much for the past week or so, so her body weight isnīt much.  We put her right next to her food (itīs in a shallow box so she can get to it easier) a few times a day, she usually ends up either sitting in it or in her water  
We have had the odd egg from her in the past year, probably only 6!  She is more a pet than anything.  Iīm not speaking to the other hens or the turkey today
Pamela

[joyfull]

sadly she will be seen as though she is from another gang which is why they would attack her. I think the hens motto is - do unto others before they do it to you! - or - attack first and ask questions later! 
How old is she Pamela?

[Oliveview]

She is either 3 and a half or 3 years old.  She is either from the first lot or 2nd lot we bought- canīt tell the difference with them   The next lot we buy we will colour code leg rings
Pamela

[joyfull]

so yes she may be coming to the end of her laying anyway, and she probably is too old to introduce another chicken to her as company, afterall she is a grand old lady now in retirement 

[Arnfields]

We have an ex-batt, Matilda, who has had egg peritonitis twice this year and has been really poorly.  Having been separated from the other girls for a week or so, the first time, we managed to re-integrate her after a few punch ups but things settled ok.  The second bout of EP meant she was away from the flock for more than 2 weeks and there was no way the flock would have her back.  We tried allsorts but they just kept ganging up on her.
Matilda now has a separate run and house (adjoining the main run) and we have bought 2 bantam pals for her.  Typically - as they were newbies and little, she hen pecked them for the first week but the three of them are all quite pally now, though Matilda does still look like she would love to be in with the other ex-batts.
I guess it is like anything else - survival of the fitest!?

[Gemma_25]

 

[Oliveview]

Alana (named after my blind brother who has 1 eye )  was very poorly this morning.  She was still sitting on her perch- we had had to put her up on it  every night for about a year.  Jim put her by her food and she was still in the same place an hour later- she hadnīt moved at all.  She had her tail right down and she was covered in ants- she must have been feeling so bad she hadnīt tried to get them off.  I picked her up and dusted off the ants as best I could and she just sat calmly in my arms.  I took her to my neighbour who kindly did the deed and killed her for me.  He said he would bury her in his garden (it is HUGE)  I felt so upset.  My other neighbour Juan was there, he said it was the kindest thing we could do for her   I know he is right.  She had become such a character over the past year.
Pamela

[GrannieAnnie]

Aww Pamela, that is so sad, poor girl, but she is better off.  Must have been nasty having all those ants crawling on you and not being able to get rid of them!  RIP Alana 

[NormandyMary]

Oh Im so very sorry for your loss. Its always so sad when they have gone through so much adversity, only to be knocked back again. We are going through the same with Monty. He's back in the house after spending one night with the girls in the henhouse. It was too soon, and he looked quite frail yesterday, so he came back in. You'll miss your little girl, but she is now pain and stress free, in chookie heaven. Try not to be too sad.

Big hugs,

Mary.

[joyfull]

Huge hugs Pamela, you did the kindest thing for her xxx