MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

This morning one of her shout outs got me hustling out of bed because I knew she was up off the nest and I wanted to unlock The little coop so she could stretch her legs properly and have a bath.

She was eating some last night's leftover mash which I'd left in there with her in case she felt a little peckish. So she's eaten. That's good.

She came down the ramp ok but then I stuffed up by putting her friends in the run with her. Of course Peggy was excessively aggressive towards Mary.

So I let Mary out to free range. This is what she did.


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She got up after a while a moved over a few metres so she could sit in the sand. No photo of that interlude.

Now she's moved again and is sitting by the green planters.

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When she moves her legs are extremely stiff. That's not ok. Her joints are clearly not up to the stress of brooding.

So I'm going to put her up on the roost tonight. Poor old girl. I can't have her slowly limping around. Peggy would have a field day.

For now, I'll put some food and water down near her and if she goes into a trance again, I'll place her back on the nest where she can sit for the rest of the day.

I should've mentioned she evacuated her bowels. Did she ever!

Now she's up again and eating some pellets.

I also hand fed her two little bites of apple.

 

[MaryJanet]

What's her nest like MJ. Can You get a picture?

It's not suitable Shad.

I made a deep soil nest with straw on top but she sat in the little coop instead. It has a flat, hard floor. But there's a lot of straw in there. A minute ago I added even more straw because of her leg cramps and in doing so, I covered up her spot.

I could introduce her to the deeper one. Should I? It's covered but not fully weather proof. Here's a picture of the deep nest. There's about 30cm of soil under the straw.

And here's a photo of the little coop. She was sitting in it's best box.

And now she's chosen to stand, which is a good sign, although she's holding her head tucked in so maybe her cramps are lifting but she's still a bit sore.

 

[LozzyR]

Another thought could be yoga. I'm trying to think of resistance exercise instead of punishing movement based exercise.

I love yoga! It’s so good for your mental health, as well as strength-building and stretching. I can’t wait for the studio to open again!

 

[MaryJanet]

Her posture just reinforces the impression.

Her posture is what earned her the nickname. She almost always poses with one leg back

 

[MaryJanet]

I love this idea MJ. I promise to check in.

I haven't danced this morning because I raced outside when Mary called.

 

[MaryJanet]

It's not suitable Shad.

I made a deep soil nest with straw on top but she sat in the little coop instead. It has a flat, hard floor. But there's a lot of straw in there. A minute ago I added even more straw because of her leg cramps and in doing so, I covered up her spot.

I could introduce her to the deeper one. Should I? It's covered but not fully weather proof. Here's a picture of the deep nest. There's about 30cm of soil under the straw.

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And here's a photo of the little coop. She was sitting in it's best box.

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And now she's chosen to stand, which is a good sign, although she's holding her head tucked in so maybe her cramps are lifting but she's still a bit sore.

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She's moving with greater freedom now. A moment ago she was beside me and I got a good posture photo.

Almost her normal posture.

 

[MaryJanet]

Perhaps the pecking was a prelude?

I think so. She was feeling broody but not sitting yet.

 

[MaryJanet]

Congratulations Lozzy!

Our friend Lozzy has an interview on BYC. It is lovely! Go check it out:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/byc-member-interview-lozzyr.1495646/

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

I'd also like to share something else here, I hope MJ doesn't mind.

For the last 18 months, I have been battling depression and had to double the dosage of my meds as my usual dose wasn't working. Covid has messed wtih my head and one of the things I've been doing is comfort-eating. Add to this mobility issues with a sore foot and twisted ankle, well, I felt myself sliding downhill. Luckily with my mobility getting better, I've been feeling more motivated to start moving again. Today as I went for my customary 20-minute walk after lunch, listening to a podcast where an Australian TV personality was very frank about the mental health issues he has faced and pondering the deaths that have affected my life recently, I realised that today was a good day because I had the ability to experience good things. I also have the ability to experience future good things and that gives me something to look forward to and work towards. I need to hang onto these little things to help me get through the overwhelming stuff.

I'll get off my platform now and give MJ's thread back to her.

I don’t want to hijack MJ’s thread either, but I just had to comment that your post hit home with me, because I have had the same situation. The depression, the anxiety, the weight gain, the overwhelming affect of the COVID crisis on my emotional state. I am having difficulty getting a grip on myself. It does seem to be getting better, but then I backslide a lot. I keep looking forward to better times.
Well, now I owe some chicken tax.

 

[LozzyR]

I don’t want to hijack MJ’s thread either, but I just had to comment that your post hit home with me, because I have had the same situation. The depression, the anxiety, the weight gain, the overwhelming affect of the COVID crisis on my emotional state. I am having difficulty getting a grip on myself. It does seem to be getting better, but then I backslide a lot. I keep looking forward to better times.
well, now I owe some chicken tax.
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