Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[MaryJanet]

I'm so happy for Piou-Piou! It's very endearing when the chickens are so happy to be home.

Brune"s daily cycle of being ok and ill reminds me of the red marauders. Joyce swings between ok and ill most days. Sometimes Christa too. It can't be helped - it's their genetics, isn't it? Daily pain from fast aging.

 

[Shadrach]

Caught up. I see her wound is fine and that is why she's been pecking at it.

 

[Shadrach]

A tip for you @ManueB A tip from tending many sick and dying hens, and in the early years, doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.
Yes it's hard watching any creature die, but they do, all around you every minute of every day. Learn to endure it.
Most I've known die, didn't seem to be in agony. Many died peacfully as I held them or sat beside them watching. People often euthanise their sick chickens not for the chickens sake but for their own because they can't cope with their feelings. Don't go down that path.

 

[RoyalChick]

Update from Piou-piou's visit to the vet : good news!
She says the wound is healing correctly. The problem that made it worse the last two or three days, comes from the feathers beginning to grow over it, that are hindering healing and itching the hen, so she trimmed those.
She still gave her antibiotics (my partner couldn't tell me which but my bet is on amoxicillin) for a week, but she thinks Piou-piou is healthy. She says we have to keep her off the ground until we receive the apron as she must not dustbath until everything is properly healed. So the poor hen will have to stay crated for a while, as she tries to dustbathe as soon as she's on the ground.
My partner says she wasn't too afraid at the vet but that she hasn't drunk or eaten anything yet. It's a long ride there and back.
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Great news.

 

[RoyalChick]

A tip for you @ManueB A tip from tending many sick and dying hens, and in the early years, doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.
Yes it's hard watching any creature die, but they do, all around you every minute of every day. Learn to endure it.
Most I've known die, didn't seem to be in agony. Many died peacfully as I held them or sat beside them watching. People often euthanise their sick chickens not for the chickens sake but for their own because they can't cope with their feelings. Don't go down that path.

I really agree with this.
In my mind euthanasia is for when there is pain and distress. It is not to speed the natural drift towards death.
I described Maggie's last days in an earlier post. All my other spate of deaths were similar - some quicker than others. Mostly in the coop with their buddies and with me sitting along side and in some cases holding them.
The only exception was one early on that was taken by a fox.
Of all those I lost, only Dotty didn't go peacefully. There was never anything peaceful about Dotty! And even with her, it was more like a few minutes of aggression rather than any real distress.

 

[lightm]

I am happy about Piou-piou, and even Brune's half good day.

Wise words from Perris, RC, MJ, and Shad.

 

[ManueB]

A tip for you @ManueB A tip from tending many sick and dying hens, and in the early years, doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons.
Yes it's hard watching any creature die, but they do, all around you every minute of every day. Learn to endure it.
Most I've known die, didn't seem to be in agony. Many died peacfully as I held them or sat beside them watching. People often euthanise their sick chickens not for the chickens sake but for their own because they can't cope with their feelings. Don't go down that path.

I really agree with this.
In my mind euthanasia is for when there is pain and distress. It is not to speed the natural drift towards death.
I described Maggie's last days in an earlier post. All my other spate of deaths were similar - some quicker than others. Mostly in the coop with their buddies and with me sitting along side and in some cases holding them.
The only exception was one early on that was taken by a fox.
Of all those I lost, only Dotty didn't go peacefully. There was never anything peaceful about Dotty! And even with her, it was more like a few minutes of aggression rather than any real distress.

Thank you again for your thoughts. It really helps me to see more clearly where I stand.
I have come to term with chicken's deaths. It's the eventual lasting pain knowing there is no issue I find hard to deal with.
@RoyalChick I was also convinced that Maggie was taking her time and chosing the right moment to leave.
@Shadrach I don't know about "people" but I think no one who follows this thread would take euthanasia as a measure for their own confort. For me it would be much harder than letting nature follow it's course but I don't want to let a chicken suffer endlessly because I am too weak to end it. I was obviously wrong this time thinking about it, at least for now, and it's a lesson I will remember !
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Really strange weather today. We had blue sky in the morning, then lot of winds that changed the sky to dark grey, and brought a small drift of snow at the end of the afternoon while the sky was still blue down the valley. It was chilly and the chickens got up late and went to roost early.
Brune did rather good. I gave her again a pinch of acetaminophen in the morning in chicken ham and it is very effective on her, more than Meloxicam. But I only dared try it because I think she is dying and she is a heavy hen, four kilos, as the amount at which it becomes toxic is so small.
She makes a very special sound that I have never heard from her before to ask for treats or to call me for help, to get somewhere, take her down the roost, to protect her from either rooster...I think she enjoys getting individual attention.

If one is to follow the research pointed out by @Perris about how chickens will chose the nutrients they need, then rice, mackerel, sunflower seeds, crushed corn and to a lesser point wheat are good for her, whereas oats, barley, egg, yoghurt are a big no. I gave her a mix in a small cup twice today and both times she sorted things out slowly but very effectively.

Piou-piou had some trouble laying again. She is obviously stressed from having to lay in the crate. I wonder if it would be easier for her to lay in the pet carrier- the ex-batts have accepted it as a correct nest. Her wound looks much better without the feathers! However the problem I have now is that she loves eating the Betadine. She grabs my finger when I reach her with the gel on it and when I do it with a gaze she tries to eat it . Maybe because of the color ?

Léa is the new trouble maker. Every morning now she rushes to the run in the middle of Théo's team and jumps at the feeder on the middle level of the wood structure. So the ex-batts attack her and Gaston comes to save her and it all ends in a fight .
Overall the chickens had a good day and so did I. We are settling in a new routine with the two hens that need attention, they are sort of getting used to being moved all around the place and not being allowed to range, and both the chickens and I are feeling less overwhelmed.

Gaston found the shear very intriguing.

He called Léa to have a look.

Not looking in great shape but obviously still enjoying life.

Successful tidbitting- Cannelle didn't let Chipie get whatever Théo was bribing them with.

 

[ManueB]

Freezing again this morning, -1/30. I'm so tired tonight that I can't think of what happened today. I did take a lot of pictures, so probably I spent time with the chickens . Brune is better and ate more of what she ate yesterday. She even dustbathed a little and chased small grasshoppers ! Piou-piou's wound is ok but she has begun sneezing, I hope it's nothing serious and that the apron I ordered is delivered soon so we can get her out of the crate.

Happiest moment of the day : Brune sunbathing

Brune was feeling spunky enough to explain life to Théo !

 

[RoyalChick]

Freezing again this morning, -1/30. I'm so tired tonight that I can't think of what happened today. I did take a lot of pictures, so probably I spent time with the chickens . Brune is better and ate more of what she ate yesterday. She even dustbathed a little and chased small grasshoppers ! Piou-piou's wound is ok but she has begun sneezing, I hope it's nothing serious and that the apron I ordered is delivered soon so we can get her out of the crate.

Happiest moment of the day : Brune sunbathing
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Brune was feeling spunky enough to explain life to Théo !
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Lovely as always. And you already have irises out? Mine don't come until much later. I have wild ones called Blue Flags which come out early - maybe early May - but the cultivated ones are a bit later.

 

[ManueB]

Lovely as always. And you already have irises out? Mine don't come until much later. I have wild ones called Blue Flags which come out early - maybe early May - but the cultivated ones are a bit later.

I discovered coming here that I really love irises ! They are very sensitive to temperatures and altitude. The bottom of the village is 1850 feet high, we're at 3500 feet, and there is only one house still inhabited way above us at 4400 feet. It makes almost a month of difference for the irises to bloom! Ours always begin blooming in the first 15 days of April, except for one that is two-toned which comes out later. I think it's the prettiest, I would love to replicate it !
*******
We woke up to bright blue skies, which was a bit surprising as there was an orange alert for thunderstorm today.
I was both eager to get some rain and a bit worried as my partner was working. Driving the bus in the road through the gorge is really not safe in stormy weather.
Anyway, it was a lot of excitement for nothing because just like the last alert, there was no storm and it barely rained for twenty minutes.

The chickens certainly enjoyed the beautiful weather in the morning. I missed the photo but the ex-batts had a lovely collective sun bathing sequence, all aligned. They spent a good time foraging, I think it's because we are beginning to have tiny grasshoppers. Only Blanche laid and she was rather upset because Merle was screaming broody insanities in her favorite nest.

In the morning after opening the coop, laying has become a complicated business. Léa now wants to lay in the coop right before getting out, and Gaston really tries to coax her to lay elsewhere, but in the end he will come back in the coop to stay with her. But sometimes the ex-batts also want to lay at that time and some of them, Blanche and Brune, are still very afraid of Gaston. Théo tends to stay away, but if he is already in the coop or run he will attack Gaston to stop him from going back in the coop. I know it would be better to let them sort it out, but with Brune unwell and Blanche half-blind I feel compelled to check the drama doesn't escalate, and this means locking the roosters out.. But I also want the hens to be able to handle this without me, so I'm not sure what to do. Since Brune is getting a bit better I may stop coming to check what's going on unless I hear screams.

I didn't give any pain killer to Brune today, and she didn't seem to be in pain. Just like Blanche, she has become obsessed by getting a special menu for her crop only, and she makes pleading noises whenever she sees me now. I've also been giving treats to Piou-piou, to keep her from getting too depressed. She has again opened her wound a little, though it does look like it's finally beginning to heal. I still don't feel like we can let her dustbathe though.