[too many girls]

thanks for all your good wishes, Lonely had perked up a lot this morning so i didn't take her to the vet, she's been outside (my dad left the stable doors open and she made a bid for it) her poos seemed more normal and she came to the house for a few sunflower seeds (pip wondered if maybe she shouldn't have them as she seems to have been down since i bought them, i hadn't thought of that) however, i've just been to check on her and she's down again, she's sort of standing more upright than usual, and is holding one leg up a lot, her combs is still red and tail still up, but she wasn't very enthusiastic for a bit of bread soaked in milk and a drop of cod liver oil (normally she'd kill for it) her feathers seem puffed up and she looks hunched if you see what i mean, she hasn't laid (unless she's done it somewhere round the farm) and between her legs to her vent appears to be empty, really don't know what to do for the best, will try and post some pics of her pooh, but it's the kid's night for stage school and Sam's got football first  so i won't be back till 9ish.

[too many girls]

This morning

[too many girls]

about 4.30 ish

[too many girls]

The poorly girl herself somewhere between her ups and downs.

[Aunt Sally]

Very small poos there TMG - she's obviously not eating much, but doesn't look like a digestive problem.

Lots of urates which means metabolising protein for energy (her muscles), so she'll be losing weight quickly  

[too many girls]

she's never been hefty to start off with Aunty, , the rest of them have all plumped up, Lonely's always looked like a rat with feathers (so my dad say's) is there anything i can tempt her with that will help to keep the weight on? i don't want her to fade away if there's anything i can do.

[Aunt Sally]

Depends what she will eat. try a few things,  carbs would be better than proteins, no fats ie the sunflower seeds.  How about some spaghetti most hens can't resist it.  A  little scrambled egg mixed with it might be good.

[Kate and her Ducks]

Sending you and lonely hugs and I hope she perks up.

[Kym503]

Hi.  Hope Lonely is feeling better.

I recall rading about Pauline a while back.  Did she make it OK in the end ... I do hope so,

Kym

[too many girls]

hi kym, Pauline sure did make it, she looks brill now, and she's laying again, to look at her you'd never know what she'd been through, we can't even see where her injuries were, thanks for asking, hope i'll be saying the same about Lonely soon, there was no change with her tonight, i am going to take her to the vets first thing in the morning, fingers crossed.

[Aunt Sally]

Fingers crossed TMG

[too many girls]

Thanks Aunty, i couldn't get to sleep so have just been to check on her thinking if she was going to pass away in the night i didn't want her to be alone, (also didn't want to go out tomorrow dreading what i might find) i was going to bring her into my bedroom and sit with her and watch chicken run, i know it seems daft but if she did die then at least i'd feel a bit better, only when i went out she seemed fine (if a bit suprised to see me) she even came out and had a bit of food ( pip's given her a buffet, she's pinched all the saucers and put mash in one and layers pellets, tuna, pasta with chopped boiled egg, (cooked for her especially) and some corn in all the others, i really don't know what's up with her, fine one minute and looking on deaths door the next, i've got a feeling she'll be down again tomorrow untill i get her to the vet, then she'll be fine and he'll think i'm mad, will give you an update as soon as poss, thanks again, Romney

[matilda duck]

Oh I do hope she is okay.... I havn't had my chickens yet but when I read this it made me cry....She is obviously so special...give her a love from me and I hope she gets well soon x  :cry: please keep us informed..

[too many girls]

got an appointment for Lonely at 8.30 this morniing so took her on the way to school, i explained how she'd been for the last few days and the vet examined her from the tip of her beak to the last toe nail, palpatated her abdomen, peered down her throat and up her wotsit, asked her age, had she been laying, took her temperature and declared he could find nothing wrong, he asked me if there was pattern to her ups and downs and i told him i didn't think so, one minute she's down and then next minute she's fine, his conclution, Lonely has probably come to the end of her egg laying life, the shelless egg may have been one of her last and she felt unwell untill she passed it, i noticed she was down so seperated her from the rest, being kept on her own she became depressed, ( this would explain that whilst being observed over the top of the stable door she looked miserable, but spending a few minutes with her she perked up, ( i hadn't looked at it that way) i didn't think being on her own would do that, as she has spent most of her time here on her own anyway, he said if she's been with the others for the past few weeks and only being seperated from them at night then she would miss being with them during the day, apparently for Lonely staying with the others and having the odd feather yanked out beats being on her own, he pointed out her tatty appearance was only cosmetic (she doesn't know she looks like a rat with feathers) he said he could give her a course of antibiotics in case there was an underlying problem he hadn't detected but thought it would be a waste of time, i'm not to give her or any of the others so many treats as this means they fill up on rubbish and they don't  eat enough of the mash and food they are meant to find free ranging, slap on the wrist for me, and condoning looks from my children (i wouldn't mind but they're worse than me for giving them treats and never said a word) he was very pleased Pauline had recovered, when i went to reception to pay my bill she couldn't find it, it turns out he hadn't charged me because he coudn't find anything wrong with her, the surgery was quiet and treating a chicken gave him a change from the usual domestic pets, Hurrah for Castle vets........the kid's were 15 minutes late for school and were dreaming up excuses, Sam said "mum, if you think i'm telling them i'm late for school because we took a chicken to the vet..................................

[compostqueen]

Phew!  Sounds positive news. I do hope so. That vet sounds an absolute treasure.

If you re-introduce her to the others I pray that it all goes well and she doesn't get beaten up.  Ooer