Barred Rock Hen - Lethargic, Standing with Neck "retracted" down

[mmajw]

Just take your time introducing them and do it slow. Try treats and talking to them. Gladys may welcome a new face if she is lonely. Good luck and again I am sorry.

 

[hollyinpa]

What's nice is that Gladys and Ida have been around all of my neighbor's flock - with a chainlink fence between them...so, hopefully that will speed the process some.

I'll keep you posted.

 

[hollyinpa]

Just an update for all of you who offered words of support during Ida's sickness and subsequent passing last Thursday.

Ida's sister, Gladys, now has a fine-feathered friend we have affectionately called "Granny". Granny was "loaned" to us by our neighbor to keep Gladys company in Ida's absence. Granny is older than dirt but is a sweetheart.

Yesterday they were both quite unhappy - Granny wanted OUT of our yard and Gladys was squawking to beat the band in protest.

Granny didn't find the henhouse in time to roost and managed to roost on a picnic bench until Bert relocated to the henhouse. Granny slept in the nesting box last night as Gladys wasn't ready to share her perch with an "outsider".

When the sun came up this morning and Gladys could see Granny again the squawking began. We let both hens out of the henhouse and they seemed to warm up to one another, grooming near one another and gnoshing on spillage from our bird feeders.

When I got home today I gave them both some cheese. Gladys has "eagle eyes" but we've noticed that Granny may be going blind as she really had trouble tracking the cheese bits. If I threw it in front of her she was fine, but off to the side and she had no idea where to look.

So - our loaner hen, Granny, is a half-blind old hen but we LOVE having her and hope that she and Gladys continue to become friends this week.

Granny is by no means an "Ida" but she is now a part of our family.

This week we hope to get 5-6 barred rock chicks....pictures will follow soon thereafter.

Again, thanks so much for all of your words of support and advice during our sweet Ida's illenss. She is greatly missed.

 

[SpottedCrow]

I'm so sorry to hear about IdaMae...I too was hoping for a good outcome...But she had company crossing the Rainbow Bridge..My Miss MoneyPenny was killed by a hawk Thursday morning...
I'm glad that Gladys has company...

 

[hollyinpa]

So sorry to hear about Ms. Moneypenny's death. She and Ida will be good friends on the other side. Rainbow Bridge is an amazing poem...