Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[RoyalChick]

She seems to be doing a bit better now after resting all morning. It may have been something she ate because she had a bad yellow diarrhea? And now she passed two normal poops. I have to learn to wait at least 24 hours before thinking they are dying otherwise I'll get an ulcer.

In the meantime however Nougat tore off a nail and she has been bleeding tremendously. Even after compression for ten minutes and putting corn starch it was still bleeding. I dressed it up like I could. It's only midday, I'm covered in blood and I'm already tired. How do you full time working people manage to keep chickens, I wonder ?

But then I saw this and I felt better
View attachment 3518661

I know how you feel.
As you may have guessed I have some medical experience, and from that I know that close observation, deliberation in diagnosis, and conservative action are key.
There are true emergencies, but they are few - blocked airway, stopped heart, exsanguination. Pretty much anything else warrants a bit of a wait and see.
I am excellent at that on myself; pretty good at that with other humans; good at that for the cats; and lousy at that with the chickens.
I think the problem is that chickens seem more frail, I understand less about their biology, and there is limited access to trained back-up.
That, combined with them not being able to tell me where it hurts, makes them like premature babies for me medically: totally terrifying!
So I too tend to jump the gun and think the worst the minute anyone has an off moment.
Just saying, don’t be too hard on yourself and try and think about how it all might be better in the morning.


Sorry for the long post. It was on my mind because I am very worried about Eli right now so I am really just reminding myself that maybe she will just get better on her own.

 

[ManueB]

I know how you feel.
As you may have guessed I have some medical experience, and from that I know that close observation, deliberation in diagnosis, and conservative action are key.
There are true emergencies, but they are few - blocked airway, stopped heart, exsanguination. Pretty much anything else warrants a bit of a wait and see.
I am excellent at that on myself; pretty good at that with other humans; good at that for the cats; and lousy at that with the chickens.
I think the problem is that chickens seem more frail, I understand less about their biology, and there is limited access to trained back-up.
That, combined with them not being able to tell me where it hurts, makes them like premature babies for me medically: totally terrifying!
So I too tend to jump the gun and think the worst the minute anyone has an off moment.
Just saying, don’t be too hard on yourself and try and think about how it all might be better in the morning.


Sorry for the long post. It was on my mind because I am very worried about Eli right now so I am really just reminding myself that maybe she will just get better on her own.

View attachment 3518666

Well, I have found your ability to keep a rational outlook on your chicken's health despite the terrible issue they have been through remarkable. So I do think your medical experience must have been of some help, or maybe it's a mindset. I did use to be able to keep calm in emergency / threatening situations, it was part of my first job, but now that was a very long time ago and my natural pessimism and anxiety has taken over .

About Eli, I think broodiness is a bit like molting, it requires quite some experience for the human chicken keeper to say what's worrying and what's just part of the normal behaviour of that state. Not all chickens react in exactly the same way. I can say I was quite worried for Merle at some point, she spent time a lot of time lying down, looking not very well, switching on and off from broody mode. And I was also worried when she just began laying : she used to spend hours in the nest looking unwell. However she didn't have real egg-bound / huge egg problems like Eli did. I do think that when they are about to switch off and go back to laying, the behaviour can be quite strange. And that hormones have tremendous impact on chicken's health. I hope it's just that for Eli and not a serious reproductive issue.

 

[ManueB]

So, Léa must indeed have some kind of integrated weather station because today was the first day since the chicks hatched we didn't have a storm in the afternoon (though it was forecasted) and she finally decided to take them out.
They did great ! I'm so happy they are on the grass. They even all got back up on the dreaded ramp. She trained them several times throughout the afternoon and in the evening it worked.
She is a very fierce mum and attacks anything that comes near. This morning I unwillingly locked Hibou the cat with them in the run and when I came back an hour later, Hibou escaped with her tail between her legs and no chick was harmed .
Overload of not very good photos.

Gaston really wanted to come see them but she never let him. He tried several times but she drove him away.

This little one found a piece of cherry that was too big for it's tiny beak

Calling them to come up in the afternoon

 

[BDutch]

So good to read about the proud mama and some good weather news from you!

Enjoy your Here the cherry’s are not ripe yet.

Some chicks still try to go through the chicken wire. That’s the only reason they have problems finding their way through the opening between the two runs. But the white one knows now and the others always know too after about 5 minutes of fence glaring.

 

[ManueB]

So good to read about the proud mama and some good weather news from you!

Enjoy your Here the cherry’s are not ripe yet.
View attachment 3519706
Some chicks still try to go through the chicken wire. That’s the only reason they have problems finding their way through the opening between the two runs. But the white one knows now and the others always know too after about 5 minutes of fence glaring.

Yep, wire is tricky. They want to take the shortest way and I suppose they need to learn that even if they can see through, it does not always mean it's a way they can take.

There was a lot of running around today. Just like Chipie did, Léa seems to think her chicks own the world ! She takes them every where and right in the middle of the adult chickens who better not come near. It was more tense today with both roosters and they both pecked some of the chicks. I'm not sure if it was intended to hurt because Léa didn't let them. Still I feel like I should be watching them a bit for another week or so.
Nougat seemed slightly better today, but Brune is beginning to be not well again, and Blanche looks like she could fall dead anytime now.

Gaston and Piou-piou exchanging sweet words through the fence

 

[ManueB]

Rant warning
I was really upset at my partner today. I went for a nap just after lunch as he had agreed to keep an eye on the chicks in case it began raining. I woke up to thunder and hail. It was all very sudden so he hadn't succeeded in bribing them back to their coop. I get that, but he had no better idea than to put them under an umbrella ! It was hailing like crazy and the thunder was so close power went out .

I put them as quick as I could in a box with a lid, tossing the chicks then Léa. I took them first to the wood shed, which was closer, then once the thunder was a bit further away back to their coop. They were soaked.
I was really worried but when I checked again an hour later they were all dried up and running about in their coop.
I hope none of them have a cold. I made them some warm oats and soaked bread with a tiny dash of cinnamon and honey.
The thunder storm lasted until dinner so all the chickens were inside and unhappy.

Not chicken related : I've been very cranky the last three months because I had to stop running, I had the human version of bumblefoot, and I've drastically reduced my alcohol drinking at the same time.
My foot isn't healed but I began running again last week and today I finally saw the donkeys that stay in the mountains - last year I always missed them (they are in huge parks of about 100 acres and move around during spring and summer).

 

[Perris]

sounds like a tough day for all concerned But all's well in the end it seems.

meanwhile we are enduring what used to be your problem: endless sunshine and no rain for ages. Established perennials are starting to wilt. Things in pots need watering twice a day. Pak Choi seedlings are bolting before they've put on more than 4 true leaves On the other hand, the flowering shrubs look glorious and maybe I'll get more than 3 tomatoes this year...

 

[ManueB]

sounds like a tough day for all concerned But all's well in the end it seems.

meanwhile we are enduring what used to be your problem: endless sunshine and no rain for ages. Established perennials are starting to wilt. Things in pots need watering twice a day. Pak Choi seedlings are bolting before they've put on more than 4 true leaves On the other hand, the flowering shrubs look glorious and maybe I'll get more than 3 tomatoes this year...

I'm worried for the chicks, but really glad we are getting all that rain. We are still far from having filled back underwaters. Lack of rain has me really worried.

I don't know what temperatures you're having but tomatoes don't like it too hot while they are growing actually . Last year when we had above 30c /86f everyday in may ours were miserable, in the greenhouse it was 43/115 . We only got some when the weather cooled down a bit in August.

 

[Perris]

too much heat is not a problem we get here but thanks for the reassurance

The weather's an issue in lots of places. We had a record-breaking dry Feb in an otherwise record-breaking wet winter and spring, while your area and much of Spain is in drought, and poor Emilia-Romagna was severely flooded. These weather patterns will need more than a little tinkering around the edges of our infrastructure if they are the shape of things to come.

 

[BDutch]

too much heat is not a problem we get here but thanks for the reassurance

The weather's an issue in lots of places. We had a record-breaking dry Feb in an otherwise record-breaking wet winter and spring, while your area and much of Spain is in drought, and poor Emilia-Romagna was severely flooded. These weather patterns will need more than a little tinkering around the edges of our infrastructure if they are the shape of things to come.

Totally agree. Some wise men and woman (IPPC) even made many reports with proof and warnings to make this clear.

Last week one of the IPCC writers even was in an illegal action with Extinction Rebellion in den Haag/The Hague. Because all the proof isn’t enough to change the rules and regulations to avoid a catastrophic future.
Even worse, many people and farmers keep demonstrating against necessary changes. Even while the costs eventually will be much higher not changing.
The greedy businesses (the men and a few woman behind it) keep making stupid profits and will never change if governments won’t stop them. Here I stop before coming too or political.

Tax for rambling: