Another point for first aid kits! Not an emergency this time, though. I noticed a Guinea hen with an overgrown beak this evening. I keep pet nail trimmers in my kit for trimming beaks and nails. And it once again was easy to find, so I was able to send someone for it rather than track mud through the house. The Guinea girl is unhappy and 'buckwheat'ing away, but at least she can eat properly now.
I also cleaned Cubby's pen this morning and made it a bit bigger. She, of course, hated it, but begrudgingly settled down in there. I took her outside for a spin and she had a few spats with some of the younger, more spry girls. She managed to hold her own, but I could tell she wore herself out very quickly with it. Had to break it up and catch her to bring her back in.
I have my suspicions that I may know what her problem is aside from her old age. I'm suspecting that she has gotten weak and lost so much weight because she doesn't want to eat the pellets I switched the flock to a couple months ago. I thought she had been eating, but as it turns out, I found the majority of her food buried under the shavings in her pen when I cleaned it out. :/ So I took some fresh pellets and broke them down in the food processor, not quite to crumbles but to smaller pellets, to see if that encourages her to change her tastes. If this doesn't work, I guess we'll be investing in small bags of crumbles just for her. The things we do for these birds.
I also cleaned Cubby's pen this morning and made it a bit bigger. She, of course, hated it, but begrudgingly settled down in there. I took her outside for a spin and she had a few spats with some of the younger, more spry girls. She managed to hold her own, but I could tell she wore herself out very quickly with it. Had to break it up and catch her to bring her back in.
I have my suspicions that I may know what her problem is aside from her old age. I'm suspecting that she has gotten weak and lost so much weight because she doesn't want to eat the pellets I switched the flock to a couple months ago. I thought she had been eating, but as it turns out, I found the majority of her food buried under the shavings in her pen when I cleaned it out. :/ So I took some fresh pellets and broke them down in the food processor, not quite to crumbles but to smaller pellets, to see if that encourages her to change her tastes. If this doesn't work, I guess we'll be investing in small bags of crumbles just for her. The things we do for these birds.