Doing my usual body condition check, two things came up with my ducks.
1. Clementine, 1.5 yo Swedish, has bumblefoot developing on her left foot. I will treat it, but I caught it early, so she should be fine.
2. Marmalade, 1.5 yo Welsh Harlequin, has a swollen abdomen. I squished it a bit, and it seems I felt something in there. An egg? A cyst? A tumor?
So my questions are - Is it possible I felt an egg in there? If so, would it be best for me to just check again tomorrow morning to see if she's laid? Or should I bring her inside for observation?
In other words, should I suspect something awful yet?
I lost a beloved hen yesterday, two chicks in May, and another dear hen in April. I have so much going on with my flock right now that I can't. Folks often say that it isn't that hard to raise birds: you feed them, water them, keep them clean, and protect them from predators. I'm doing all those things and still running into so many problems this season. It's frickin hard right now.
1. Clementine, 1.5 yo Swedish, has bumblefoot developing on her left foot. I will treat it, but I caught it early, so she should be fine.
2. Marmalade, 1.5 yo Welsh Harlequin, has a swollen abdomen. I squished it a bit, and it seems I felt something in there. An egg? A cyst? A tumor?
So my questions are - Is it possible I felt an egg in there? If so, would it be best for me to just check again tomorrow morning to see if she's laid? Or should I bring her inside for observation?
In other words, should I suspect something awful yet?
I lost a beloved hen yesterday, two chicks in May, and another dear hen in April. I have so much going on with my flock right now that I can't. Folks often say that it isn't that hard to raise birds: you feed them, water them, keep them clean, and protect them from predators. I'm doing all those things and still running into so many problems this season. It's frickin hard right now.