Well who would have thought seven days ago, that I would have had to perform an emergency tracheotomy on poor Mrs Hen this week? Her throat condition continued to worsen, even after me administering my medication including live greek yoghurt, garlic and apple cider vinegar. The friendly bacteria dose didn’t seem to fix the problem, and by Saturday she wasn’t eating anything. We managed to catch her just as she was popping off to bed at dusk, and after closer inspection, she seemed to have something stuck in her gullet. With the help of a drinking straw, a pair of gardening gloves, and two pairs of hands, we managed to perform a little procedure which removed the blockage; it looked like a piece of masticated chewing gum! She seems to have perked up now, and is pottering around the paddock and seems to be eating again, but still finding it tricky to swallow .. a closer inspection is required again I think, probably at her bedtime tonight!
As if one sick chicken isn’t enough, Matilda was looking poorly too and had a really nasty mucky rear end! I decided a warm bath was in need, so I found some Stergene clothes wash which was for hand washing, and delicates; I figured she ticked both boxes! I submerged her in a bucket of warm soapy water and cleaned her up, and left her to drip dry in the sun! She was not a happy chicken and stood shivering until dusk, and needed assistance to go up in the nesting box that night. She looked very bedraggled and sad, and I was convinced I would wake up to a stiff chook, but I am happy to report that after a night snuggled up with her friends for warmth, Matilda appeared in the morning, all dry and fluffed up and seems to be fine now.
So the poultry department is improving as the canine department has gone into decline. Poor Archie is poorly, off his food and shivering; a combination of the chickens aliments! I have given him some doggy ibuprofen hidden in some tomato ketchup to see if I can fix him without the need for a trip to the vets. And on the human side, my eldest has tonsillitis, which I diagnosed with a small torch and a spoon to hold down her tongue! She has since seen a real doctor, although I have to say his advice was paracetamol and rest, which I could have prescribed, so maybe I should consider a career as a GP combined vet??
Anyway, I am now back in the kitchen, where I belong, making a Lasagne, brownies, flapjacks and generally stocking up the fridge so my family can become self sufficient whilst I nip away for a few days on a little ski trip! The laundry basket has been emptied, carpets hoovered, beds changed and family briefing sheet composed … let’s hope it will all be as I left it on my return!
Mrs Rabbits Blog 