AL - Recording baby steps: Newest Addition

[savingdogs]

Sometimes chckens can make amazing recoveries. I hope Poppy will be one of those. Sounds promising since he is eating/drinking and his neck is improving.

I was just going to say much the same thing. A dog got one of our Buff Orpington hens. The injuries were so bad, I very nearly mercy killed her. I waited until my hubby came home though so he would agree with my choice.

He thought we should give her a chance and we just kept her isolated a long time....like a month I think. She survived just fine and went back to being the top hen just like she was before. She is more wary of dogs now though!

Maybe he was defending his flock? My roo does that.......maybe he was a brave boy taking care of his ladies? I'll be pulling for him!

 

[AL]

Thanks.....
He has actually gone over the fence before adn they got him, but he got away. I guess he got cocky (pun intended).
I propped his head on the rolled end of his towel. He sleeps but wakes up at light / sound. I am anxious to get home and check on him again.

My friend laughed at me - I don't put my heater in the house above 60... and it is off while I am at work. But right now (at work) it is on 64 . I'm such a sap.

 

[savingdogs]

Well even if he passes, you have made his last hours more comfortable. I hope he surprises you and pulls through. When my BO was hurt, the injury was probably six inches long and four inches across and over a big section there was absolutely no skin at all...it looked ready to put on the bar-be-que. I did wash it in water with a light antiseptic in it that I knew was fine for animal wounds. But other than that, I just fed her and gave her water and she was better in like two weeks! She even got all her feathers back eventually.

 

[Farmfresh]

Thanks.....
He has actually gone over the fence before adn they got him, but he got away. I guess he got cocky (pun intended).
I propped his head on the rolled end of his towel. He sleeps but wakes up at light / sound. I am anxious to get home and check on him again.

My friend laughed at me - I don't put my heater in the house above 60... and it is off while I am at work. But right now (at work) it is on 64 . I'm such a sap.

If that makes you a sap then count me sticky as well. We have an ancient 19 year old cockatiel named Corky. He has has a hard time with chills this winter as well. Our furnace is on a timer and used to drop to the 50's while we were at work all day - this year it is at a steady 72 (!!) for the sake of one old bird.

Hope Poppy keeps improving, sounds like you are doing all of the right things.

 

[glenolam]

I hope he is doing better when you get home!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Sending positive thoughts to Poppy!

 

[AL]

Thanks... he is still hanging in there. Still has a floppy neck but not as bad, much. :/
Last night I gave him more sugar water etc. This morning the dog woke me up early so I gave Poppy more sugar water and some egg. He didn't eat on his own - I pried open his beak, set the egg just inside and he ate it. Later this morning when I got up for real - he had turned around in the tub and had his head raised just of the ground watching me. He cussed me out as I picked him up and pushed against me some. I was thrilled.
He still doesn't eat on his own but when I put egg in his beak he gobbled it down instead of just kind of swallowing to make it go away. I put the bowl of sugar water in with him and he drank on his own... and drank and drank.

It is cold, damp and windy so no outside time for him today - hopefully tomorrow the sun will be out and I can find a sunny place to put the kennel I filled with straw for him.


FF - the only reason I run my heat some nights when I AM home is for my 14 1/2 year old dog


Mr. Old Neighbor and I were planning on incubating some of my hens eggs in the spring. Now that Poppy is out of commission indefinitely, anybody have some tips?
My questions:
I have yesterday and todays eggs, so that will be about 12-14. We'd like to set more, but the only ones I have are the ones that Pat has been laying and I left trying to get her to set. She has been isolated for about 2 weeks now, but I seem to remember reading on BYC that hens store..... the necessary gifts from the rooster.... for awhile. These eggs have been out in the cold - is it worth even bothering or should I just wait and get eggs Saturday and SUnday? Will those eggs still have a chance of being fertile? Should I go to BYC and ask?


I saw a tiny little pea sprout under the straw in the garden, and a couple more tomatos have sprouted.

 

[glenolam]

I'm not sure if the eggs will be fertile or not, but why not give it a try? You could always candle them after a few days....you'd know the answer then!

 

[savingdogs]

I read somewhere on a BYC thread that eggs from TRADER JOES could be hatched.....that had been washed and refridgerated for who knows how long. They were not getting a great hatch rate, and they were just leghorns, but if that worked...............

 

[AL]

So after reading y'alls replies I have gathered up eggs from Pat and Wed / Thurs eggs. I'll use Friday's as well and then it is incubator time!!

Before I left for work tonight Poppy was standing on his own and holding his head normally. He screamed at me when I reached for him. He drinks like he is starving for water, but I am beginning to wonder if there is either neurological damage or damage to his esophagus... hard to explain, just not quite right.
I went home during my break tonight from work and he was standing at the other end of the tub with his head up. I gave him water and he actually ate a few bits of scrambled egg off of my hand. I also ground up a Vitamin B pill and put it in a bit of water, then syringed it drop at a time for him. That seemed to give him a little spark.

Tomorrow is a busy day if it works out - potatoes, clean chicken house, finish Buddy's tie out post, work with Poppy, groceries, vet, horse feed, contact foster coordinator for Buddy's hay and ownership papers so I can get him sent to a trainer.