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[Meggie]

Ginger has got sour crop - poor thing.  Yesterday she wouldn't eat - OH picked her up and brought her out of the coup and she threw up loads of water.  Today we have noticed she is eating so we put out natural yogurt mixed with the normal feed and corn.  She tucked in but is still standing around with her head under her wing.  We seriously are considering where this is going and who we can 'call upon' to do the dreaded deed to put her out of this misery.

Meggie

[CLKD]

Sour crop smells awful.  Don't give any more yoghurt for now as it's wet and won't pass through the crop.  Hold her upside down and gently sqeeze the crop to see if it will empty.  Are there any chicken keepers near by?  One of ours had it and I with-held soft foods for 24 hours and squeezed sometimes it will pour out  ........... it takes 2 though 

Our quails are back in lay, I shook my finger in the 'Easter Lunch isnigh' fashion last week

[Meggie]

CLKD - it said on a Poultry Holders website that we should feed her natural yogurt and apple cider vinegar, grit too.  This would help with the problem with the possible bacterial infection.  We won't be taking her to the Vet - they'd laugh at us, the English, worried about a chicken.  Over here they'd just neck her and put her in the pot.

Meggie

[CLKD]

How is she now?  I fed ours 2 much tinned sweetcorn which was quite wet, after a couple of days I felt the crops and one Girl's was squidgy    .... once it was emptied I gave her LIVE yoghurt but they won't drink cider vinegar 

[Meggie]

Ginger, our chicken with Sour Crop seems a little perkier today.  OH let them out this morning and she was the first one to the food and water but she still has the pocket on the side of her neck, not so big though and this afternoon she followed the others into the garden and when she leaned forward to peck at grass about half a cup of fluid came up.  This time the fluid looked fairly clear - the last lot was very cloudy, like dishwater.  I hope she will soon be OK but we are considering 'letting them go' as they now only give us 1 egg a day BETWEEN THEM !

Meggie

[CLKD]

Give them a few more weeks, ours are coming into lay properly as the days lengthen which is natural.  There's no meat on laying birds so you would need a slow cooker, lots of wine and vegies: actually sounds quite nice ?  and the feathers could be let go into the air for the wild birds to use for nesting 

[CLKD]

How is Ginger ?  our 4 quails have started to lay intermittently, one chook is laying eggs with paper thin shells  and the other 2 chooks seem OK.  they have tinned sweet corn as a treat today 

[Meggie]

Ginger is back to her usual self but we have had to make a decision as we are only getting 1 egg a day from 6 birds and I am told that it won't improve much, as they are in their 3rd year.  They could live a number of years but not lay and although we have 'befriended' them we wanted eggs.  When we go on holiday next month a farmer friend will come over when it is dark and lift them from the nest and .... you know (don't even like to put it in words).  We have started to detach ourselves a little so we don't have to think about it too much and we won't know when he's going to do 'the deed' - sometime during the weeks holiday.  We just have to dig a hole !!  We won't eat them.  The other issue is that it's costing us a lot for staw, wood shavings, feed and tonic and we could buy free-range eggs much cheaper than from our own hens which is all out of balance. 

I sound so cruel.

Meggie

[CLKD]

Not cruel unless the deed is not done properly.  They aren't worth eating as they put so much energy into egg making.  Our first 3 didn't live more than 3 months once they stopped laying, one stopped then died 3 days later having got herself through the Winter snow looking oven ready 

[CLKD]

Sorry to hear your news.  Spoils a holiday a bit!

[Meggie]

Sorry to hear your news.  Spoils a holiday a bit!

Dismantling everything is so difficult - we have had tears - Mrs Brown, the weakling was our favorite but we miss them all.......don't miss the early mornings though !

Meggie

[CLKD]

Someone was talking about chickens ....... I fancy ducks or a turkey stag around the place.  However ........

[CLKD]

? 'Photos ? geese are guards so be wary, my sister's used to run with necks lowered hissing like fury!

For eggs or to eat?  Not much on a goose.

[CLKD]

How exciting.  How large is the pond?  Will you have to shut them out of the way of foxes at dusk?  My sister had trouble sometimes, her's would run in all directions  .  Names?  Gander and 2 geese?  Duvets/pillows?

A stiff brush and a hose will be essential ..............

We took down most of the chicken run in the Autumn as Himself needs more growing space for veg.. 

[CLKD]

How old will they be, 'cos cuddles need to be started early  .  Named yet?