I have been reading all about sour crop and crop bound chickens and I was sure she was most likely crop bound as she will eat anything as GG noticed! So this morning when Greg let them out of their pen he did not put their food down for them as usual so I could check a little later if Esmeralda's crop was soft and empty or if there was a hard mass in there.
Luckily for me when I went out to their pen she was sitting pretty in the nesting box so I could easily check on her and I am very pleased to say her crop was soft and empty and there was no discharge from her eyes, nose or mouth so I am back to thinking she may have something small stuck in her throat.
I decided to give the chickens their yogurt with some oats and grated apple in it just to see if Esmeralda was interested - what was I thinking! After the other chickens had finished and were walking off with a spring in their step, she was still there tucking into it. I brought the yogurt inside when she had finished and put it in the fridge for later and she was soon squarking at the gate bullying me into bringing it back! She's a naughty girl.
I think her cough is a bit better today and apart from that she is acting quite normally (for her)!
This morning I collected five eggs and now they are all sitting together (but wait where is Esmeralda!) under a bush exchanging the occasional cluck and generally leading the life of very contented chickens.
Oh dear, there she is.
Will keep an eye on her but I am quite sure she will be ok. : )
Oh gosh, I caught myself worrying about a chicken 12,000 miles from me. Not just any chicken mind you but Esmerelda whose color photo graces a cabinet door where my computer is located.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're there to supervise her recovery back to good health and happy to hear she's back to not missing meals any longer.
When is the last time you had to buy eggs at the grocery store? They seem to keep you well supplied.
Tell Esmerelda we send good wishes from afar for her continued health.
GG & B
Have passed your message on to Esmeralda, GG and B and she says "thank you". The plan is, if she still has a cough by Monday (a bit difficult on the weekend to get her to a vet)we will take her to a vet who specialises in birds - he isn't far from here. Today she has only coughed a few times but it is still there.
ReplyDeleteWe have not had to buy eggs for year. Last weekend we took half a dozen over to my mother and father inlaw, they live nearby and we have a dozen eggs in the fridge today and tomorrow we will give half a dozen to Tony and Chelsea. The chickens certainly keep us supplied.
Annie.