This is my first season keeping chickens so everything has been a rapid learning curve.
We were given three hens and a cockeral as a house warming gift. Two of the hens had previously lived in the house we were told. Checked the legs saw how well defined the scales were, and thought yep old hens.
We are in a fairly remote location in the west of Ireland so great I thought cakes! All though there are many uses for eggs it was the love of cake coupled with the readymade hen house that made me take them on.
What a pleasure they have given us this summer watching their antics and figuring out their behaviours and may I be so bold as to say their personalities.
It transpired that our two old dears were past their prime and not laying that much so we bought two point of lay rhodies, a bluebell and three Aylesbury ducklings from a local poutry sale to boost our little flicks numbers.
Went through the anxiety of will they won't they get on. Had to separate bluebell from the rest for a while as she didn't integrate. Had to relax as they establish a pecking order of which poor bluebell is the bottom. I think it's the black legs but I am not a chicken.
We bought an electric fence apon sighting a minx and move this around so they have fresh ground. The ducks do make a mess.
All was well til Henrietta, " the hen who knows her own mind "went broody. She's fiesty at the best of times and was given to us as she wasn't integrating were she was before. Being new to the game we failed to stop the signs of her hormonal surge and she was getting really agitated when we gathered the daily eggs so googled and conferred we still talk face to face in our house on occasion (even with teenagers!), and decided to let her sit on a clutch.
I marked them and for the past two weeks have removed any unmarked eggs daily. Made sure that there was water and feed within easy reach and hoped for the best.
I was surprised to find that another of our older hens was sitting on the eggs one day with Henrietta standing hissing at her side.
They seemed to be sharing the sitting taking it in turns to venture out but Henrietta spent most of the day in the coup. When she did try to come out the cockeral started " dancing" and pecked her back in.
Sorry for being so long winded but now I am finally getting to the current hopefully soon to be resolved issue.
Yesterday I opened the coup to check the hens and eggs to discover both hens in the nesting box. Peggy on the eggs
And poor Henrietta lying on her side with her head flopped over the edge of the box. She didn't even open her eyes when I lifted her up. Dehydration I thought of firstly so I tried to give her some fluids via syringe. I sat up with her last night coaxing her to take a few drops of water. She initially regurgitated it. So I left her a while then gave her some more which I substituted with sugar water, for want of anything else in the house. I managed to get about 100ml into her and was rewarded with a nice watery sticky poop.
As it was night fall I let her sleep in a box in the conservatory and this morning she was still listless and floppy necked but her eyes opened at noise. Good sign I thought so I continued coaxing her with water and then sugar water.
It's almost six pm she's not moving she is opening her eyes and seems brighter. Moved her outside to a position in the shade next to water and food as she has been most of the day.
Peggy, our other grand dame is still sitting on the eggs.
Basically what else can I do?
I am worried about squrting too much fluid down her at once as I don't want her to vomit again. In hospital she'd be on a drip.
Is it normal for hens to share hatching or has poor Henrietta an underlining health issue that I am obivilious to and I prolonging her agony?
By the way her comb had a purple tinge at edge yesterday but now has returned to pink.
Any advice greatly appreciated,
Fia
We were given three hens and a cockeral as a house warming gift. Two of the hens had previously lived in the house we were told. Checked the legs saw how well defined the scales were, and thought yep old hens.
We are in a fairly remote location in the west of Ireland so great I thought cakes! All though there are many uses for eggs it was the love of cake coupled with the readymade hen house that made me take them on.
What a pleasure they have given us this summer watching their antics and figuring out their behaviours and may I be so bold as to say their personalities.
It transpired that our two old dears were past their prime and not laying that much so we bought two point of lay rhodies, a bluebell and three Aylesbury ducklings from a local poutry sale to boost our little flicks numbers.
Went through the anxiety of will they won't they get on. Had to separate bluebell from the rest for a while as she didn't integrate. Had to relax as they establish a pecking order of which poor bluebell is the bottom. I think it's the black legs but I am not a chicken.
We bought an electric fence apon sighting a minx and move this around so they have fresh ground. The ducks do make a mess.
All was well til Henrietta, " the hen who knows her own mind "went broody. She's fiesty at the best of times and was given to us as she wasn't integrating were she was before. Being new to the game we failed to stop the signs of her hormonal surge and she was getting really agitated when we gathered the daily eggs so googled and conferred we still talk face to face in our house on occasion (even with teenagers!), and decided to let her sit on a clutch.
I marked them and for the past two weeks have removed any unmarked eggs daily. Made sure that there was water and feed within easy reach and hoped for the best.
I was surprised to find that another of our older hens was sitting on the eggs one day with Henrietta standing hissing at her side.
They seemed to be sharing the sitting taking it in turns to venture out but Henrietta spent most of the day in the coup. When she did try to come out the cockeral started " dancing" and pecked her back in.
Sorry for being so long winded but now I am finally getting to the current hopefully soon to be resolved issue.
Yesterday I opened the coup to check the hens and eggs to discover both hens in the nesting box. Peggy on the eggs
And poor Henrietta lying on her side with her head flopped over the edge of the box. She didn't even open her eyes when I lifted her up. Dehydration I thought of firstly so I tried to give her some fluids via syringe. I sat up with her last night coaxing her to take a few drops of water. She initially regurgitated it. So I left her a while then gave her some more which I substituted with sugar water, for want of anything else in the house. I managed to get about 100ml into her and was rewarded with a nice watery sticky poop.
As it was night fall I let her sleep in a box in the conservatory and this morning she was still listless and floppy necked but her eyes opened at noise. Good sign I thought so I continued coaxing her with water and then sugar water.
It's almost six pm she's not moving she is opening her eyes and seems brighter. Moved her outside to a position in the shade next to water and food as she has been most of the day.
Peggy, our other grand dame is still sitting on the eggs.
Basically what else can I do?
I am worried about squrting too much fluid down her at once as I don't want her to vomit again. In hospital she'd be on a drip.
Is it normal for hens to share hatching or has poor Henrietta an underlining health issue that I am obivilious to and I prolonging her agony?
By the way her comb had a purple tinge at edge yesterday but now has returned to pink.
Any advice greatly appreciated,
Fia
