Théo and the chickens des Sauches

[Perris]

I hope you have a great celebration today!

 

[RoyalChick]

I hope you have a great celebration today!

Yes! Have some fun @ManueB. Definitely cake should feature in that.

 

[ManueB]

We had a busy day coming down from our mountain . We managed to spend two hours to haul some wood from an oak we cut last year at my parent's place back to their house with the trackbarrows we brought in the truck. We did our two months food shopping, bought layer feed, sent a bunch of packages and ate a birthday lunch (with a ) with my parents and brother, and called it a day.
When we let the chickens out back home at 4.30 they were very angry at us and there was some running and chasing around. They were happy to be outside but quite stressed- they are so unused to be locked inside now that they don't understand what's going on. When I was running everyday they were locked up for an hour to four hours everyday and a lot less worried about it.

Cannelle is loosing a huge amount of feathers - it looked like a while pillow had exploded in the run! She seems to have a nail that bothers her, she keeps pecking at it but we couldn't see anything wrong under or over it. And her voice is changing, just like Caramel's was- she still speaks a lot, but now has a very small soft voice .

 

[Shadrach]

No, I haven't, because yesterday was actually the first day she looked like she was in pain and not just tired or lethargic. Today she was like that again for about half of the day, so maybe we should. She is our most flighty hen so I have no hope whatsoever of administrating treatment with a syringe but I have some Metacam I can probably mix in with an egg or tuna. However I'm not sure for how long it's possible to keep her on Metacam. If it's not just molting but actually EYP or another reproductive disease, she doesn't look like she is going to die anytime soon, it could last for one or two months or more .

Coming to live here meant switching to a completely different world. We had been spending more and more times on weekends and holidays, but it's not the same. It's a travel back in time, partly because of the old family house, like you MJ, partly because this village has stayed very much like it was in the seventies. It's not beautiful like other villages around, there are no shops, bars, and not even a bakery, so it completely escaped tourism and stayed poor and agricultural.
But even with the beautiful landscapes most of our visitors say they love it for a few days but could never live here for real .

Most of the people who visited, or rented the appartment when I lived in Catalonia said much the same after getting over the initial beauty of the place.
Things like guest sitting in the main house kitchen eating and drinking when a storm was blowing commenting on how wonderfull the storm was only tio find in the morning that a section of the track had slid away and they couldn't drive to the village.

 

[ManueB]

I felt relieved today as it was the first time in ages that it didn't fell like we needed to hurry and catch up things that should have been done weeks ago. Yeah we still have loads of things to do, but none with an imperative timing.

My partner had some "wonderful" idea today that proved once again that however he may deny it, he's still his father's son. He decided to use up some of the really rotten lumber we have around the place (and we have loads) to make a play structure for the chickens inside the run. He actually made something quite inventive and functional, though huge, but it's all made of worm eaten old wood full of splinters and nails and really ugly . Tomorrow I'm gonna sand the thing and oil it with linseed oil and terebenthine and hopefully it won't look anymore like we picked it up in a dustbin .

Théo's anger after Gaston got worse. Gastounet was so scared he threw himself into the chicken net trying to escape. I was afraid he hurt a wing. In fact he was fine but he definitely could end up injuring himself as he's so terrified of Théo. I think I'm going to keep them separated for the whole day now.

Cannelle is really getting worse quickly so I think it's not a bad thing we started with the Metacam. She is a very secretive hen so if she shows that she's unwell it means she really is- I was saying this could last for a month or two but now I don't think so. She's still pecking constantly at one of her nail, and we don't see anything. I'm afraid she has an abscess or inflammation we can't see. And her voice has grown completely hoarse. But we still think her problem is reproductive. There is an egg that isn't coming out.

Gastounet

Chipie eats with her feet in the food.

Merle eating a green tomato like a good southerner.

Cannelle

Sun worshipping collectively

 

[RoyalChick]

I felt relieved today as it was the first time in ages that it didn't fell like we needed to hurry and catch up things that should have been done weeks ago. Yeah we still have loads of things to do, but none with an imperative timing.

My partner had some "wonderful" idea today that proved once again that however he may deny it, he's still his father's son. He decided to use up some of the really rotten lumber we have around the place (and we have loads) to make a play structure for the chickens inside the run. He actually made something quite inventive and functional, though huge, but it's all made of worm eaten old wood full of splinters and nails and really ugly . Tomorrow I'm gonna sand the thing and oil it with linseed oil and terebenthine and hopefully it won't look anymore like we picked it up in a dustbin .

Théo's anger after Gaston got worse. Gastounet was so scared he threw himself into the chicken net trying to escape. I was afraid he hurt a wing. In fact he was fine but he definitely could end up injuring himself as he's so terrified of Théo. I think I'm going to keep them separated for the whole day now.

Cannelle is really getting worse quickly so I think it's not a bad thing we started with the Metacam. She is a very secretive hen so if she shows that she's unwell it means she really is- I was saying this could last for a month or two but now I don't think so. She's still pecking constantly at one of her nail, and we don't see anything. I'm afraid she has an abscess or inflammation we can't see. And her voice has grown completely hoarse. But we still think her problem is reproductive. There is an egg that isn't coming out.

Gastounet
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Chipie eats with her feet in the food.View attachment 3302599

Merle eating a green tomato like a good southerner.
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Cannelle
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Sun worshipping collectively
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What, no picture of the ugly but inventive play structure? Do share - we may all want to copy it - I too have loads of mostly rotten lumber kicking around!
So sorry to hear about Canelle. Is her foot swollen or do you see any red going up her leg? Both those would suggest something infected in her foot. But, as you say, most likely it is a reproductive issue of some kind. Poor girl.

 

[BY Bob]

Happy belated birthday.

 

[fuentemoon]

I agree photos are needed

 

[ManueB]

What, no picture of the ugly but inventive play structure? Do share - we may all want to copy it - I too have loads of mostly rotten lumber kicking around!
So sorry to hear about Canelle. Is her foot swollen or do you see any red going up her leg? Both those would suggest something infected in her foot. But, as you say, most likely it is a reproductive issue of some kind. Poor girl.

Ok, photos but please remember I am not accountable for this thing. The main idea was to allow the smaller chickens an escape from above. We will use the space under to put our brooder (dog crate) if we do another hatch.

@HiEverybirdy nice to see you came to visit, I hope everything is fine for you and your birds !

 

[Perris]

your partner obviously has a soft spot for them