ChicoryBlue
Crossing the Road
Hugs for you and for RubyI’m sorry, but I must provide a Ruby update. Two nights ago, Ruby was back down on the nest box shelf. By herself, since Millie finally gave up brooding (with some help). She had a really awful Sunday. Started with her personal free range time, but asked to be let back into the run after awhile. When I let them all out a little bit later, Ruby took a couple wobbly steps out into the sun. Sat for just a moment, and then wobbled her way back in. She was VERY weak. She laid on the coop floor all day long not consuming anything. I checked on her several times throughout the day… brought her raw egg, watermelon, dextrose water, etc. and she wouldn’t touch any of it. She’d try to get away from me, but could hardly stand, let alone move away. I debated whether to move her up to the shelf for bed, but worried she’d hurt herself and fall in the morning and let her be. It was a warmish night, anyway. I feared (hoped?) she’d pass in her sleep. Also, before she moved into the coop, I dusted her back end with permethrin powder, because she had wet poop all over and I couldn’t bear the thought of flies all over her or worse yet, fly strike. I just poured some into my gloved hand, reached back there and gently patted some on.
This morning I decided to walk the dog early, well before the chickens would be up. Except… Ruby was up! She was in the sun room looking for water. Broke my heart, as the sun room waterer had been leaking and was dry.
So I opened the sunroom gate and poured water on the ground so she would drink. And she drank! She was looking for bugs, so I stole some dry mealworms from hubby’s reptile stash and she ate them! I got more, and she ate those, too, so I got even more. I followed her around pouring dextrose electrolyte water, nutridrench water, and plain water on the ground. She drank a decent amount. She also sampled a tomato slice (ate just a couple seeds), and a couple bites of grated, hardboiled egg. I was absolutely amazed. I think she ate a few grains of millet here and there, too.
When she finally sat down, I very carefully carried her back to the run gate. Goodness… she is SO skinny! She gingerly made her way into the run, drank more water, and when I checked on her a couple minutes later, she was sunning herself. She was hanging out laying down under the hospital coop when I left.
I came home from work early and all but Ruby greeted me at the gate. I called for her several times, and walked to the coop door just as she jumped down (slightly face planting) from the shelf. I managed to sneak her LOTS of live/fresh meal worms I picked up on my way home.
Ruby put herself to bed over three hours early on the shelf. I thought it was good she made it up there, knew she needed the rest, and was grateful to have gotten some more nutrients into her.
I put the rest if the flock in about half an hour before roosting time so we could eat dinner. When I went back out to lock them up, Ruby was up on her regular roosting spot beside Millie! I was amazed.
Tonight my heart is warm. Ruby will get some private free range time in the morning and I will offer everything I can think of, including live meal worms. I bought blueberries, sardines, kale and yogurt, plus I have feed, eggs, millet, scratch, watermelon and mealworms (they were out of crickets).
Thank you for always rooting for Miss Ruby. She’s trying so hard to live, I’m considering attempting syringe or tube feeding again. She’s just sooo weak, I don’t want to crush her or push her over the edge with stress.
