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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
 Posted - 18/08/2008 : 20:30:03
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Tonight poor Tosca is not well. She is one of my Australorp hens. She has lost most of her comb - I cannot imagine how except that it has been pecked off ????????
She was walking slowly dragging her wings behind her and looking very sick or maybe ?? depressed. She couldn't appear to be able to jump up into the chook house and had settled in for the night next to a rock. I think she would have died tonight in the rain and cold.
I bundled her up in an old mattress protector and brought her inside and put her in an old laundry basket. Not a single protest - even drove her back on the passenger seat as my car was up there. She now has ducted AC warmth and even the dogs are leaving her alone.
When I came back inside, she had climbed up on the rim of the basket so I put in a pumpkin to balance her weight. This is a good sign that she could jump up.
It is rather nice to go out and see her asleep in my living room. She is so gentle and I hope she is OK.
Pamela
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears."
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 19/08/2008 : 05:46:56
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Poor little thing. Chooks are tough little birds so as long as they are kept warm and dry she has a good chance - shock is the biggest problem at first. Let us know how she goes.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 19/08/2008 : 08:49:05
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THANKS GAIL. SHE made it through the night on the old laundry basket rim and chirped to see me and I carried her out to the pool garden and gave her some water and a little pile of Vogel muesli which she ate a bit. She can have the day on her own in there and I will bring her in again tonight. Not sure what's wrong but she is certainly down.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 19/08/2008 : 09:48:11
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As long as she is eating, that is a good sign. Don't forget to keep some water handy too as she may not feel up to searching for some.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10810 Posts |
Posted - 19/08/2008 : 10:32:25
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Pamela.. So sorry to hear that about Tosca.. You are so wonderful with the animals so I am sure she will come good, she is sitting in the perch so to speak so I guess thats a good sign..
Friends are the flowers in the garden of life
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 19/08/2008 : 18:33:11
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Had to search for her tonight as she was up in one of the higher beds. Tucked her under my arm and she is so easy. Maybe I will end up with a chook who looks after my pool garden in the day and sleeps in the laundry at night (where she is at the moment) - she is like a calm kitten - happy to be picked up and snuggles under my arm and I walk around with her and then into the laundry and she happily hops onto the basket perch. A grub eradicator in a gentle lady in a pool garden is not an unpleasant idea if I ban all visiting dogs from the pool garden - which I was thinking of doing anyway. Such a lovely girl. Violet and Harry are no probs with her or her with them. Wings are still very droopy and she walks very very slowly.
P
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2008 : 12:52:19
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As it is raining, Tosca is in the little garden under my bedroom roof shelter in my courtyard eating beef mince and lettuce and is very happy except she is not walking, or not much. Still not sure what's wrong but she is bright and eager to be spoilt with food. She now has her own bed in the laundry, thanks to the local grocery and an unwanted carton and newspaper. Time will tell, I guess. I am starting to think a broken wing.
So sick of the cold and wet ....
Pamela
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2008 : 13:19:06
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Being bright and eager to eat is a good sign A broken wing will generally hang down while the good wing will still be tucked up as usual. Does Tosca have any diarrhea or discharge from her eyes, nose or mouth? She may just have a chill from the cold weather.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2008 : 15:58:18
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Yes I think she might have diarrhoea but it is hard to tell as she doesn't walk around at all. The wing does hang down but she can move it a bit. She is bright and chirpy, just unable to move a lot. Time will tell. I will give her some more lettuce which she loves and a little mince for energy and bring her in soon to the laundry box.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2008 : 18:18:53
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No she does not have diarrhoea - just the effect of lack of movement.
I am now confident that there is something wrong with one leg. When she is sitting, which is all she does, or now in her box in the laundry, one leg is always not tucked under her but is extended. If I pick it up and put it under her, she can grip my fingers as if she might roost but there is something wrong with some movements. She is brighter today with the lettuce which she loved and the mince. I am not sure what to do - it might just be hurt and not broken and she needs rest. She is not in any distress so I can just look after her and see what happens. She is totally relaxed about me picking her up now. Dear girl.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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The Estate
head gardener
Australia
3676 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2008 : 08:27:38
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I hope she recovers 
My basic weeding rule: if they grow in rows they're flowers;
if they don't they're weeds.
Melbourne |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2008 : 08:41:51
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She is a lot better this morning. I knew as soon as I walked into the laundry and saw her sitting more squarely in her box. Still not walking but enjoying her crispy lettuce and scratch mix out in the pool garden with the rosellas who are 'helping' her. Maybe one of the horses hurt her and then chooks, being like humans, pecked her when she was down and out and she lost some of her comb. Poor dear. She is very happy this morning. I must say over the past few days I thought about which bit of hardwood left over wood I might use to bang her head and kill her. Not a very elegant way to put an animal down but with the right weight and not too large for me to wield, I could have done it if I had to. I have never put an animal down this way but I would have if I thought she was suffering. But she is recovering I believe.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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The Estate
head gardener
Australia
3676 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2008 : 09:19:14
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good news then 
My basic weeding rule: if they grow in rows they're flowers;
if they don't they're weeds.
Melbourne |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2008 : 12:54:27
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That's good. She might have caught her leg in wire netting too, I've seen that happen but been lucky enough to be there at the time. Chooks can be nasty to each other if one is hurt.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 23/08/2008 : 13:22:56
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Just like some humans :-)
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 25/08/2008 : 07:37:32
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This morning Tosca almost jumped out of her box in glee to get into 'her' pool garden and the lettuce, grain and mince meat and water I put down for her. Looks like I may have won this time!! Dear girl - I rather like a little hen in the laundry in a box chortling a 'hello' to me in the morning :-) But she will have a life of care for a while yet until I think she can hold her own with other nasty chooks.
I wrote this last night but did not post. Today she 'walked' a lot more, exploring the pool garden. Tonight I gave her a 'bath' by holding her dirty end under a tepid tap in the laundry. Her chest is quite raw although the skin is not broken - she is red and no feathers around her breast bone - so I rinsed it all well and then applied some weak Dettol over her tummy and then rubbed her with a towel and then put her on another old towel. I went in and changed the towel that she is perched on and when she sees me she makes a little chortle like they do to their chicks. She is still slightly damp underneath so I put another towel over her body but not her head. Tomorrow in the sun should be good for her and now she will even smell OK as she has been so immobile that her poop had got a bit compacted under her - but no longer.
She is eating well and bright. Gets a bit nervous when the other small chooks or crows come into the pool garden and goes and hides under a plant nearby.
I am sure she was injured somehow with scrapes to her chest, a sore leg/ hip/ wing and bits of her comb missing. Could it have been a crow? They are around.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Harry's retirement villa will have a new tenant