Lady Henevere: Year in review

[Lady Henevere]

Yep, that's the entirety of the potato harvest. Good thing I'm not trying to live off the land! The fact that they grew at all is kinda cool -- I've never grown potatoes before.

Aside from that, the garden this year yielded a few handfuls of grape tomatoes and yellow pear tomatoes, one zucchini that was oddly shaped which I gave to the rabbits, and some herbs. There are two apples growing on one tree (I have realized I have no idea how to tell when they're ripe!). I still have some green tomatoes; I forgot what kind they are, but they are getting pretty big; maybe they will be worth eating. We still have a few months of warm weather, but the days are getting shorter and things will start to die off.

I let the chickens have the run of the garden this weekend, since there's nothing left small enough for them to demolish. They were very thankful for the freedom and the bugs. I'm pretty sure one laid an egg under a thorny bush, and now I can't find it.

The caffeine detox seems to have been successful, the headache is much better today.

Gotta go get ready for a new week. Hope you all have enjoyed the long weekend.

 

[Lady Henevere]

I woke up to chickens screaming at two this morning.

I wasn't sure what I heard, so I got up and listened at the balcony door. Yep, it was a chicken upset. I got a jacket to cover my PJs, got a flashlight, and ran out to the back. I heard some critter in the bushes as I approached, which always happens (anything from rats to possums to raccoons). Three chickens came tumbling out the door of the coop when I arrived with the light. Stupid chickens, I thought. They're getting up and it's not even morning. They have done this before without incident, so I tried corralling them back into the pen so I could lock them in properly, and it took me a minute to think, The other two ARE still in the coop, aren't they?

They weren't.

I looked around and found one easily enough -- she was hanging out in the hay in a corner of the chicken yard. She seemed fine as I herded her along with the other chickens. She looked ruffled and awful, but she's molting so she looks awful anyway, and she acted pretty normal so I think she's okay. I will give her a closer check in daylight.

But I couldn't find another one -- Sue Flay (Souffl), also known as Fatty Lumpkins, often referred to as DH's girlfriend because she's so friendly and she would follow him around when the chickens used to free range more. She's the leader of the flock, a big barred rock with a sweet, calm demeanor. She was gone.

I headed to the far side of the run and heard some thrashing in the bushes. I called her -- here, chicky chicky chicky, the call when the chickens get treats -- and I heard some clucking and flapping against a wooden fence, which meant she was in the neighbor's yard. I ran up to the street, down the neighbor's driveway (please don't let their youngest wake up and freak out as I run past his window!), and into the back yard. She came right out from behind a bush, but she was panicked, and she staggered across the grass and ran straight into the pool. She instantly became still and I thought, Do chickens swim? Will she drown? I waded in trying to get her, but she floated to where it was too deep for me to walk without soaking my clothes. I almost just dove in after her, but decided to push her over to the side with a pool toy floating in the water. I gathered her up, dripping, got my shoes and flashlight, and took her home.

She's injured. There is a chunk of skin missing from the back of her head about 1x2 inches. One eye was open, but now they both seem swollen and closed, and she's resting in a small cage in my bathroom. When I brought her home and laid her on a mat outside the back door as I put together a convalescence bed for her, she mostly just stayed there without moving. (At one point she listed over and I was afraid she had died.) I put her in the cage and she didn't resist; now she's resting with somewhat labored breathing. (I think that may be because blood has interfered with her normal breathing.) I turned on a heater because she was soaked and I didn't want her to get chilled, but it's fairly warm in the house so I didn't leave it on too long.

I don't know what else to do for her. I don't know if the shock of the injury will be too much for her; I don't know if she can survive the large flesh wound on the back of her head. I don't know if she has other injuries I haven't noticed yet. Time will tell, I suppose. I wish I had some chicken medical knowledge I could apply to at least know what I need to do to make her more comfortable. My vet doesn't treat chickens, but perhaps I can get him to prescribe an antibiotic to try to keep infection at bay. Are there chicken painkillers?

I am so mad at myself for not securing them last night. They have a big run that is not predator-proof, and a small run/coop that is. I should be locking the small run at night so nothing can get in, but when I do the chickens make a bunch of noise in the morning and I'm always afraid it's going to irritate the neighbors. I'm also afraid I'm going to forget to let them out in the morning, leave for work, and not be able to let them out all day. So I have been leaving it open, and now the predictable result has happened. I should have known better.

I am hoping for a chicken recovery. I'm sorry I failed you, poor chicky. I promise to not let it happen again, to you or your sisters.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

if she doesnt die from shock... she'll probably be ok. i'm always amazed at what they can survive. you can use neosporin to treat. do you have a crate to put her in? somewhere small and enclosed? she'll feel safe and 'hidden'. might want to give her some yogurt for a boost - and dont forget that a little molasses in her water will help.

sorry about the hubub!

but good chicken water rescue!

 

[Marianne]

Oh wow, what a story! Hope she's okay (and you, too!)

I didn't secure mine one night...lost three that night and felt guilty for a long time. They were my first bunch, so you know how it is...

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I was waiting for you to post that you saw the predators yellow glowing eyes, and that you fell twice dropping your flashlight and losing your shoes while screaming for your hubs to come save you............Oh that's right, Only I'm silly enough to do that

I'm glad you rescued her, I hope she pulls out of it. I've seen chickens survive some of the worst injuries, so if you have her where she feels warm, safe, and it's quiet, she may be OK. Sometimes after a shock like that they won't eat for a day. Like ofg said, yogurt would be good, and keep water by her and we'll pray she'll make a full recovery!

 

[TanksHill]

Sorry about your hen. It happens to all of us. Once I forgot to close my run, we have no fence. The coyotes had a field day. My SIL has stitched up her hens before. But she's a wound nurse.

I would just make her comfortable and see what happens. I am glad you didn't wake up your neighbor. Around.d here you might not make it out of the yard.

Be sure to keep the hens locked in there run for a couple days. Whatever it was will come back.

 

[Beanie]

Oh no....I hope she'll be ok.

 

[i_am2bz]

I don't know what else to do for her. I don't know if the shock of the injury will be too much for her; I don't know if she can survive the large flesh wound on the back of her head. I don't know if she has other injuries I haven't noticed yet. Time will tell, I suppose. I wish I had some chicken medical knowledge I could apply to at least know what I need to do to make her more comfortable. My vet doesn't treat chickens, but perhaps I can get him to prescribe an antibiotic to try to keep infection at bay. Are there chicken painkillers?

I'm so sorry.

We don't have any poultry vets around here, either, but a nearby cat/dog is always "game" to help me with my chicks. She prescribed Metacam in a syringe for me to give my lame girl as a painkiller to help her heal her leg. FWIW. Your vet could probably do antibiotics, too; I think they just go by weight.

I sure hope she makes it.

 

[Henrietta23]

I had luck with a hen that was attacked. I kept her in a dog crate in the basement and sprayed her wounds with Betadine. She made it.

 

[old fashioned]

So sorry about your chicken The longer she's alive the better chance for survival. I too had a hen that was attacked by the neighbor dog. I found her in a pile of bloody feathers & thought she was dead. When I checked her, there was a big hole thru her neck/breast area & I could see right thru. Luckily the dog didn't get any vital organs and she survived to even lay more eggs after a month or two. All I could think to do to help was pour peroxide on the wound & smeared on some bag balm and I tried to wrap it with an ace bandage...obviously I'm not a licensed vet
It's true she may not eat but do provide her with plenty of fresh water (maybe add some ACV or liquid baby vitamins). If she won't take the water you can use an infant medicine dropper to kinda force it into her. And if she doesn't eat in a day or two you can mix up some yogurt, vitamins, ACV, feed or whatever and give it with the dropper too. Most important is the water, you don't want her to get dehydrated. I had to do all that with mine too. Good luck with nursing your chicken back to health.