fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[1muttsfan]

Yum black walnuts! They are fabulous for baking. But very difficult to shell for sure.

 

[fuzzi]

From today:

Silas and most of his gals eating crushed eggshells. The OEGB are the only ones laying, looks like they've gained status.

Not in the photo is Esther. She's finally finished her molt, hope she and the Dominiques start laying soon.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

From today:
View attachment 4284932
Silas and most of his gals eating crushed eggshells. The OEGB are the only ones laying, looks like they've gained status.

Not in the photo is Esther. She's finally finished her molt, hope she and the Dominiques start laying soon.

It’s as if you posed them!!

 

[kcan2]

It’s as if you posed them!!

I thought the same - great star formation conglomeration!

 

[fuzzi]

Esther is ailing. She seemed to be perking up from her hard molt, but was subdued yesterday. Today she's just standing, kind of hunched up. Crop feels empty, she's not eating. Vent clean, didn't feel an egg, either. No visible injury, wounds.

She objected to me picking her up, but then submitted quietly to being cradled in a towel, and didn't fight me opening her beak. I dribbled a mixture of electrolytes and slippery elm bark in her beak, in small increments, and she swallowed it. I got about a tablespoon in her before she objected and I put her down. She was under the wheelbarrow when I left. Poor baby, I'm thinking it might be related to her hard molt, the worst I've seen.

 

[fuzzi]

I decided to give Esther a drench of Corid. It was getting dark, all the chickens were roosting. But Esther was still under the wheelbarrow, and didn't try to escape when I picked her up. She got .1ml Corid and 2 drops of honey by syringe as per another chicken tender's recommendation. She smacked her beak over the honey, I kid you not.


Esther didn't seem to care about her surroundings (staying with her flock), and it was getting really cold, so I put her in an old Pet Taxi carrier on a bed of clean straw, and she is now in my spare bedroom. The light is off, but I will check on her later. I couldn't leave her huddled under the wheelbarrow, as cold as it's going to be tonight. If she dies at least she'll be warm.