Pipd's Peeps!

pattyhen · Oct 3, 2016

Poor little fellow I am sure rooting for him to get well.

I kept checking yesterday to see if there were any updates on him.

I was holding my breath reading about the hawk scare and the feathers. I'm so glad it was a false alarm. Wow what a scare that was.

Take care and god bless.

pipdzipdnreadytogo · Oct 3, 2016

Gus passed away at some point in the past few hours. I had noticed during his feeding at 8:00 that he was behaving like he had a vitamin deficiency, because he was kind of off balance and twisting his neck back a bit, so I had a new treatment plan ready for tomorrow... I think he was so off balance that he rolled to his back and suffocated because he couldn't get back up. I wish I had thought to make him a nest to sit in so it couldn't have happened...

I knew Gus for only about 2 1/2 months, but I'm sure going to miss that chatty little guy... He's the second black Cochin rooster I've owned and come to adore, but I guess it just isn't meant to be in my flock. Rest in peace, my little Gus-Gus.

pattyhen · Oct 4, 2016

I'm so sorry he passed away. RIP Gus you will be missed.

Cluckcluck1215 · Oct 4, 2016

pipdzipdnreadytogo said:
Gus passed away at some point in the past few hours. I had noticed during his feeding at 8:00 that he was behaving like he had a vitamin deficiency, because he was kind of off balance and twisting his neck back a bit, so I had a new treatment plan ready for tomorrow... I think he was so off balance that he rolled to his back and suffocated because he couldn't get back up. I wish I had thought to make him a nest to sit in so it couldn't have happened...

I knew Gus for only about 2 1/2 months, but I'm sure going to miss that chatty little guy... He's the second black Cochin rooster I've owned and come to adore, but I guess it just isn't meant to be in my flock. Rest in peace, my little Gus-Gus.

Oh pipd I'm so sorry!Rest In Peace, Gus, we will miss you.

shadow rabbit10 · Oct 5, 2016

I'm so sorry

You did all you could. Rest easy little guy.

pattyhen · Oct 8, 2016

I just thought I would check in and see how you are doing? It's really chilly out this morning 52 degrees. The sun is out and it should warm up to 70 so it will be a nice day. Give Crashie a hug from me and have a nice day.

pipdzipdnreadytogo · Oct 8, 2016

Yeah, it's a chilly day for us up here, too. I actually was stopping in to post! It's been a long week of studying, studying, studying for my organic chem test that as yesterday. In spite of that, everything went well (including the test!), right up until I went out to close the coop for the night last night and was one short on role call. Elly, my beautiful Elly, was missing.

My brother and I searched for hours, until we were so exhausted and out of ideas. No Elly, no feathers, not even a trace of her. I haven't cried so much since I lost my beloved Frou-Frou last year. We assumed by then that she had hunkered down somewhere, since she is molting so there would have been feathers everywhere if something grabbed her. Chickens don't tend to survive in these woods unprotected at night, so I had resigned myself to not finding her alive this morning. It was a long night and I didn't sleep well because I kept dreaming about finding my Elly and waking up with jolts.

This morning, practically holding my breath, I went out to let the girls out of their coop and see if there were any signs of Elly around the coop. Nope. I watched the girls head out off the deck and kept looking and looking to no avail, when I noticed a certain scruffy looking Dorking standing on the wrong side of the chicken yard fence. Yep, I was bawling again. I ran around the coop so fast that I scared her and she ran into the bushes again, so I had to force myself to calm down and call her over. I never thought I would see her again alive. I'm still shaking!

I'm definitely holding this girl close today! She can tell I was upset, she's been all over me all morning. Of course she's the reason I was so upset, but... :rolleyes:

I keep getting this look from her. "Who, me?"

pattyhen · Oct 8, 2016

Beautiful story with a very happy ending. I'm so glad you found her and she survived the night outside. The little stinker doesn't know how much worry she caused you but it's worth it when you hold her in your arms and know that she is now safe.

shadow rabbit10 · Oct 8, 2016

So glad you found her!

pipdzipdnreadytogo · Oct 9, 2016

I am, too, y'all! I don't even have words enough for it! I was so devastated when we couldn't find Elly that night, I pretty much just laid on the couch and sobbed into the arm of it until I went up to bed. I think everyone in the county knew when I saw her the next morning, because I literally shrieked her name. Several times. :oops:

However, hugging on her all day yesterday made me discover that she is having crop issues again. This is the second time it's happened, and it's coincided with her molt both times. I have a sneaking suspicion that she's eating her own feathers as they molt and blocking herself up. :rolleyes:

I'm treating it like I did last time it happened, and with any luck she'll recover just fine like she did before. Her crop already feels a lot looser tonight than it did this morning, so here's hoping it empties at least a bit by morning!

Anyway I took some pictures today, but I must have had the camera setting wrong, because part of them turned out really dark. Here's what turned out nicely, though!

Cazzie looking beautiful, as always :love