Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[ManueB]

You need to get that clean, It's a wound of some long standing. Get all that black crap off. You will need an antibiotic ointment at least. If you can get antibiotics from your vet or doctor by whatever it takes do it. Amoxicillin capsules will do. Open the capsule and divide by four. One quarter morning and night for five days.
Chlorhexedine is not a wound cleaner. It's an antiseptice and needs to be applied and left on the wound to become properly active. I think 24 hours of absorbtion is correct. See By Bob for any further information. Make sure you get the Chlohexidine under any loose flaps of skin. Spur wounds usually leave skin patches which you may have to cut away at some point. It's infection you need to worry about. They go from fine to very ill very quickly should an infection set in.
Metacam for the pain. You can get it for dogs in France I know.
Obviously you need to file the points off Gaston's spurs. You also need to sort out living arrangements so the two rooster have their own space. No need to get rid of Gaston; you just need to seperate the two.
Don't dump Gaston. It's not his fault and the hens will miss him.

Thank you so much for all the advice.
I will give her a bath today. I read yesterday evening that some people actually pulled the black stuff out with tweezers so I'm less scared to have a go at it. I did soak in the chlorhexidine and left it on, but it probably did not go underneath the black crust.
I have metacam and I gave her some yesterday.
The vet will likely prescribe amoxicillin. It was prescribed for our cats but they are so careful you get just the number of pills prescribed and no spare. We don't have antibiotics for humans at home, unfortunately.

As for Gaston I know it's not his fault and I will begin filing his nails from now on (he doesn't have spurs yet). I still have to think of what scenario could allow them all to stay. But I was thinking tonight if one has to go it would be Théo.

 

[Perris]

It was me! I traveled between Leicester and Dublin by train and sea especially to stop in Holyhead and see the puffins but on the day, my knee let me down.

sorry @MaryJanet ! I hope you're pleased to see them thriving off Pembrokeshire.

It occurs to me that perhaps the AI devastation of other seabird populations (especially gulls) has helped the puffins hang on to their catches to feed their young.

 

[ManueB]

Houston we have a problem. There is no way this lady is staying in the cage for a whole day. She has already spilled over the waterer twice. As soon as it gets a bit warmer I'm cleaning her up and then I think I will try to put her on her own in the coop's run or in the shed.

 

[Perris]

Houston we have a problem. There is no way this lady is staying in the cage for a whole day. She has already spilled over the waterer twice. As soon as it gets a bit warmer I'm cleaning her up and then I think I will try to put her on her own in the coop's run or in the shed.

Was that the bit you intended to post? From your description, I was expecting a fit of the screaming ab-dabs, not a few hops and quiet cooing.

To solve the water problem, raise the crate on bricks/logs/whatever at each corner and pop the waterbowl on the floor under the crate instead of in it - assuming the bottom bars are far enough apart that she will be able to get her head through and drink.

 

[MaryJanet]

sorry @MaryJanet ! I hope you're pleased to see them thriving off Pembrokeshire.

It occurs to me that perhaps the AI devastation of other seabird populations (especially gulls) has helped the puffins hang on to their catches to feed their young.

I genuinely enjoyed reading the story you shared and that's an interesting point about AI and the puffins' ecosystem. It seems strange to me their numbers are growing with so much AI around.

I would absolutely love a job as a puffin counter with a clicker. I'd be sooo happy! But maybe have a sore thumb from all the clicking

 

[ManueB]

Was that the bit you intended to post? From your description, I was expecting a fit of the screaming ab-dabs, not a few hops and quiet cooing.

To solve the water problem, raise the crate on bricks/logs/whatever at each corner and pop the waterbowl on the floor under the crate instead of in it - assuming the bottom bars are far enough apart that she will be able to get her head through and drink.

It turns out she was upset because she wanted to lay. She calmed down once she understood she had no choice but to lay where she was.
Great tip ! Although my crate has a full floor she can actually get her head through the bars so I put the food and water just outside at her height.

I have given her a bath and after she spent half an hour in the warm water, it was easier cleaning. But on the sides of the wound, there is a great deal of skin hanging loose, and I didn't manage to properly clean everything inside. I put a good deal of chlorhexidine on all of it. She was very patient and sweet once she was in the bathroom, but it was difficult getting her there.

Spoiler: The wound after cleaning

On my knee.

Now we have a tiny window of warm weather before the storm begins again and I took the crate outside so she could finish drying in the sun. It made a complete difference in Gaston's attitude, he went to see her and talked to her quite a bit.

I'm still hesitant to leave her separated until Monday. I would like to take her at night to roost in the coop, but it's quite dusty. Would it make a difference with a wound that is not new ? What would you folks do ?

I genuinely enjoyed reading the story you shared and that's an interesting point about AI and the puffins' ecosystem. It seems strange to me their numbers are growing with so much AI around.

I would absolutely love a job as a puffin counter with a clicker. I'd be sooo happy! But maybe have a sore thumb from all the clicking

It does sound like a great job, but it's probably not easy to get if you don't have puffin watchers in your family.

 

[Perris]

I'm sure she understands you are trying to help her with that wound, and you're seeing the vet on Monday yes? I can't help with that in the meantime, sorry, as I don't know much about wound care.

I only separate birds to a different place if I have reason to believe they will be attacked by other members of the flock; in general they seem to do better in company, unless they are really poorly. Crating keeps a vulnerable bird safe, whether they are in a separate place or not.

 

[ManueB]

We've had interesting weather. Yesterday with a wind storm that luckily became the strongest just when the chickens had gone to roost. The wind was so strong that it blew away my setting for the later tomato seedlings I managed to save 10 but 15 were lost. Then there was a downpour that lasted five minutes, and then wind again, that calmed down in the night. It was supposed to go on today...but we had a beautiful day. 5 eggs yesterday (minus Piou-piou and Chipie) and 7 today, every girl laid except Brune !

So the chickens didn't enjoy themselves yesterday as they don't like the strong wind, but today they had a great time. A bit of rain means all the bugs come near the surface. Gaston's smaller team helped me dig and weed the strawberry patch. Digging manually in such dry earth is really tough (even with what little rain we had) so I'm afraid that even with the chicken's help we'll have to use the mechanical tiller in most of the garden.
There was some interesting dynamic between both teams. Gaston kept flirting with the ex-batts, which led to a number of squabbles with Théo. However twice Théo took his hens to the small field behind their yard when Gaston came in the netting with his team, so that he didn't have to fight him or see him. They actually explored a bit further than they had ever been while I was baking inside.
I'm thinking Gaston maybe doesn't have enough hens.

The storm blew away many of the cherry and plum flowers and I've forgotten to mention that my chickens loves them! They had eaten and cleaned up all the petals in the morning.

I took Piou-piou's crate back in the woodshed thinking there would be too much wind, but it turned out I could have left her outside. She got some rest, but then she was pretty depressed. I will leave her there tonight, it is simpler, and anyway tomorrow we are locking Gaston's team in there for lunch, so she will get to see them.

Gaston flirting with Brune

Yesterday I gave the chickens yogurt! Two tablespoon for each team seemed to be not enough as there was nothing left in three seconds. I'll give them a bit more next time.

Once Chipie had laid, she claimed it proudly to the whole world.

Blanche

 

[Perris]

Yesterday I gave the chickens yogurt! Two tablespoon for each team seemed to be not enough as there was nothing left in three seconds.

It's quite funny how all mine, like yours in the photo, seem to get splattered with yogurt drops, but also touching how gently they pick every last drop off each other (normally anyway!)

 

[Perris]

The storm blew away many of the cherry and plum flowers and I've forgotten to mention that my chickens loves them! They had eaten and cleaned up all the petals in the morning

will that harm your harvest, or will they already have been fertilized?
I have yet to find any proper analysis of the nutritional values of flowers here, but the chickens eat most of those in the lawn quickly here too.