Should I buy eggs or wait it out?

[okallthis4eggs]

Well, it made sense to meeee! LOL. I think it was a BR. I need to pull her out tomorrow ... If she does it again. I am not even sure It was her. When I looked up barking, I mostly saw that a hen will do that when broody, laying in the beginning, or is acting like a rooster. Like I said. I will have to keep an ear out for it tomorrow. Then hurry up, and fix the brooder back up. I was tearing it down to make a small coop.

Has the dog been allowed to spend the night in the coop ever? You did say he eats chicken food and poops on the floor. I'm thinking this could be serious.

 

[okallthis4eggs]

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Wonder if his wattles would be like a dog's drooly lips. Get one drink and shake water all over the house!

 

[BullChick]

How did you know?

I guess that could be it. He happened to be missing at the time. He may have been in the coop.

Seriously, I am worried. While everyone seems healthy to look at, I am concerned it might be the BR that has been coughing for the past ... Well, pretty much her whole life. Never any discharge or anything, and Vet RX has no affect on the noise. After all this time if someone were going to get sick, I think it would have.
It is not daily or constant. Maybe the FF is clearing her lungs (of whatever) and it is her barking.

I will just have to see tomorrow (and listen when I go back out tonight).

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Soooo, the story with Belle is a ruptured ACL (ligament in back leg knee). Just about keeled over when I saw the bill for the diagnosis, and the surgery the vet was describing sounded astronomical, so I was fairly distressed yesterday. I don't believe in putting an animal through extensive treatments and taking heroic measures on their behalf. You get them knowing that you will most likely outlive them, and their death is something you will inevitably have to face, and even shorten. I have been through putting an animal down more times than I care to remember, and many of them were not even my pets, but I was there to support my mom or sis with their dogs. I was even the one my parents chose to make their health care decisions (should it be necessary) because I was voted "most likely to pull the plug."

That being said, I turn into a blubbering sack of mush over the loss of anyone (person or pet) and hate making the decision unless I am sure it is the right time.

I wish we had the more practical kind of vets around here. Everything is about the latest ($$$$) treatment and most advanced procedures ($$$$). I became highly suspicious when the vet wanted to do a root canal on Belle's dead tooth! "Oh, we don't just pull them any more." Sheesh! Three years later the untreated dead tooth is still in her mouth and not causing any problems, and she's had it for over 7 years (I remember when it got injured). I should have been more skeptical of his surgery-is-the-only-option opinion for her knee. Going to start looking looking for a different vet.

Anyhoo, I am following my instincts and am going to try letting Belle's leg heal on its own. Found some good info about how to do this by carefully restricting activity, and then building the strength back slowly. Same thing my hubby did for his torn PCL. It's a slow process and the result is about the same as doing the surgery (!), but no guarantees. Good thing it's wintertime when she's naturally less active. We'll give it a try, and if there's no improvement, then we will have reconsider our options.

So for the time being, Belle's skunk chasing days are over. Oh, her new nicknames are Tripoddog and Gimpy.

W4W I applaud your decision! Its a big challenge to separate the emotion from whats really best for the animal. And some vets, sadly monopolize on our concerns... The bestest and newest is not always the right choice. I am betting There will be other opinions and options when you find the right vet. And Belle knows you have her covered and how much you care for her..

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

SIX

SIX....Today We Laid SIX Eggs. Two eggs laid on the floor because the light went out.

I woke them up too early

YAY 6! We laid

2!!

 

[okallthis4eggs]

See which chicken is hiking its leg to pee. You will have your "barker".

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Ooooooohh... barking like coughing.... okay, now I get it. If you've been hearing that noise for a long time, and no one is laid out flat sick, could it just be a normal vocalization? I think respiratory problems will have other symptoms. Is she a good weight? I know hens with a particular inclination will sometimes try to crow in the absence of a rooster. (My bossy Leghorn will mount other hens.

) And my Grace, who never made any sounds, is quite chatty since she has started laying. But nothing that I would describe as a bark. Of course, if this is a BR we're talking about, she might be doing it just to get attention!

If it hurts her she will carry that leg and probably do just fine.

Well that's what I thought, but when the vet heard that he launched into an explanation of how she will get severe arthritis and that the other leg will go bad, as the weakness is often due a genetic defect. It seemed I had no choice other than surgery.

Fortunately, I found an excellent website started by a guy whose dog blew out both legs and recovered well without surgery. Just have to seriously restrict her activity for a while. No running or jumping, limited walking. Fenced off a small part of the yard so she can go outside without taking off like a maniac after something, also needed because she has been trained not to poop or pee while walking on a leash (because you know, we're walking, not decorating the neighborhood).

She already put the foot down a few times today, but mostly she it tripodding it.

Only 3 eggs today. Day of rest I guess.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I WANT ONE!!!! do they hatch? Where do i get the eggs?!?!?

 

[cheeka]

OK! the thread has surpassed 2000 replies!

now to go back and read the last 10 posts... lol