MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

I'm glad you were able to get another vet's opinion, and that he seems to be competent. You certainly are doing all that's possible for Edie.

I hope the pestene helps her, and that she can get over her anemia. It will at least certainly make her more comfortable.
I spent months fighting lice on my chickens. While the healthy ones seemed to manage to maintain a relatively low number of them, with my two ex-batt's who were very unwell, the lice took over and it was quite an infestation.
(You might want to look if you see some of the other hens preening excessively, or check them if possible.)
The lice on my chickens were so small it often took me several minutes to spot just one, on the hens that didn't have many. I would simply never have seen them if I hadn't known for sure one of the chicken was infested.
It's quite a week for you with important decisions to make for the chickens

Thanks for the thoughtful comment - I really appreciate it.

I have been trying my best for her but still, when time is up, it's up. It was up for Edie last night. I found her remains 20 minutes ago. I hope I didn't kill her with the pestene, but realistically she had really not been well and perhaps she simply died from her ailments.

Going to take a little time out. Maybe a few hours, maybe a few days.

 

[LozzyR]

Thanks for the thoughtful comment - I really appreciate it.

I have been trying my best for her but still, when time is up, it's up. It was up for Edie last night. I found her remains 20 minutes ago. I hope I didn't kill her with the pestene, but realistically she had really not been well and perhaps she simply died from her ailments.

Going to take a little time out. Maybe a few hours, maybe a few days.

Poor Edie. Here's some hugs for both of you.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thanks for the thoughtful comment - I really appreciate it.

I have been trying my best for her but still, when time is up, it's up. It was up for Edie last night. I found her remains 20 minutes ago. I hope I didn't kill her with the pestene, but realistically she had really not been well and perhaps she simply died from her ailments.

Going to take a little time out. Maybe a few hours, maybe a few days.

Oh MJ, so sorry.

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks for the thoughtful comment - I really appreciate it.

I have been trying my best for her but still, when time is up, it's up. It was up for Edie last night. I found her remains 20 minutes ago. I hope I didn't kill her with the pestene, but realistically she had really not been well and perhaps she simply died from her ailments.

Going to take a little time out. Maybe a few hours, maybe a few days.

Nothing to write except

 

[ManueB]

Sending virtual hugs is also all I can think of .
(And I apologise for my misplaced comment.)

 

[MaryJanet]

Thank you everyone.

I really did my best. I need to become a little faster to recognise when things are wrong. Poor Edie.

I doubt she would have survived surgery.

I sent her off with 5c, a snack and some flowers

My brother helped me deep clean the roosting box in the funrun in case lice or mites are in there. It was good to have his company and talk it all through. I'll get up predawn and dust the chickens with Pestene in case.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks for the thoughtful comment - I really appreciate it.

I have been trying my best for her but still, when time is up, it's up. It was up for Edie last night. I found her remains 20 minutes ago. I hope I didn't kill her with the pestene, but realistically she had really not been well and perhaps she simply died from her ailments.

Going to take a little time out. Maybe a few hours, maybe a few days.

 

[MaryJanet]

Thanks Bob.

 

[MaryJanet]

The news from the flock is that Mary had her implant yesterday. So far I haven't noticed any changes but really it's too early. The vet felt a lump in Mary's vent, which I think may have been her repaired hernia, but no doubt the vet will advise images etc in due course. My experience with Edie has taught me to push back at excessive veterinary intervention. Pain relief, yes. Antibiotics as necessary, yes. Timely euthanasia, yes. No surgeries. No running back and forth to the vet. No diagnostic certainty. It helps that I'm more experienced now and can begin to trust my observations.

I used chopped straw as bedding in the roosting box after its big clean out, mainly because I had it to hand and wanted to use it up. The chooks are having a great time kicking it all around and eating it.

The youngsters are doing well. From wattle and comb development, I'm almost certain the tomboy Australorp is a cockerel. The Vulture is still here, having not made any adult crows yet, only fairly quiet ooooo noises at sunrise, which the neighbours wouldn't even hear. However, he is sneaking up on Erica and mounting her, which makes her scream out. Other than this, Erica is doing very well although she doesn't sit on my lap as much as she used to Melissa is doing very well, although she has the least energy of the youngsters so I'm keeping watch over her.

Ivy's thriving. Peggy is quietly enjoying her retirement. I'm a little worried about Katie who is obviously missing Edie. She's not herself. She's rattled. And from feather loss, I think she may have a heavier lice burden than the others. I used a permethrin spray on them a couple of nights ago but it had gone past its date, so I'm going to get a fresh batch and go again.

 

[Shadrach]

The news from the flock is that Mary had her implant yesterday. So far I haven't noticed any changes but really it's too early. The vet felt a lump in Mary's vent, which I think may have been her repaired hernia, but no doubt the vet will advise images etc in due course. My experience with Edie has taught me to push back at excessive veterinary intervention. Pain relief, yes. Antibiotics as necessary, yes. Timely euthanasia, yes. No surgeries. No running back and forth to the vet. No diagnostic certainty. It helps that I'm more experienced now and can begin to trust my observations.

I used chopped straw as bedding in the roosting box after its big clean out, mainly because I had it to hand and wanted to use it up. The chooks are having a great time kicking it all around and eating it.

The youngsters are doing well. From wattle and comb development, I'm almost certain the tomboy Australorp is a cockerel. The Vulture is still here, having not made any adult crows yet, only fairly quiet ooooo noises at sunrise, which the neighbours wouldn't even hear. However, he is sneaking up on Erica and mounting her, which makes her scream out. Other than this, Erica is doing very well although she doesn't sit on my lap as much as she used to Melissa is doing very well, although she has the least energy of the youngsters so I'm keeping watch over her.

Ivy's thriving. Peggy is quietly enjoying her retirement. I'm a little worried about Katie who is obviously missing Edie. She's not herself. She's rattled. And from feather loss, I think she may have a heavier lice burden than the others. I used a permethrin spray on them a couple of nights ago but it had gone past its date, so I'm going to get a fresh batch and go again.

If I find a bird with lice they go on the watchlist. I have found that the lice are symptomatic of other health problems rather than being the problem.