Two chickens

Sad day in our house yesterday one of the chickens took ill !

Slow to come out in the morning she then clearly had breathing problems so after consultation with fellow chicken owners thought she may have something stuck in her gullet (it happened apparently to a neighbour who after calling out the DEFRA vet with a case of suspected bird flu - she was diagnosed with something lodged in the throat ) so the remedy was cod liver oil to attempt to move said blockage. I substituted cod liver for extra virgin and dosed with a syringe . She moved a bit but we then had to go out for the day. I was fully expecting to find her dead on arrival back home but she had moved about 100 yards into the vegetable patch . After administering some more oil and more gullet massage and about a syringe full of water she coughed a chicken cough and flapped her wings and keeled over . Whether I dealt the final blow we will never know but if we had left her she would have died of dehydration and starvation anyway. All v sad , we then had to explain to nelly all about death she was very upset and went through a whole range of emotions - sadness at the shock, grief at the loss and then curiosity - whether she really understands I am not sure but we have now been there although at great pains to stress that not all ill people / things die the same day .

So here is to hector wherever she may have gone that she carries on laying fab double yokers in her next life !

Hector August 2008 - Feb 2009
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