This is Missy, one of our two Isa Brown chooks.
Last Monday we noticed that she wasn't interested in her food which is most unusual for her. She was looking lethargic and rather unhappy. Two of our other chooks died quite some time ago, becoming ill in a similar way, so I was most concerned that we were going to lose another of our gorgeous girls. Tuesday morning she was no better and in fact seemed worse.
Our chooks have a good diet of wheat, layer pellets, kitchen scraps, greens (weeds) from the garden etc. They have a large run to roam around in but it is looking quite bare these days from all their scratching. I decided to let both chooks free range in the entire back garden which is usually out of bounds unless they are closely supervised. My hope was that Missy would instinctively find something in the garden that would help her get better. After a couple of days of free ranging I am pleased to say that she seems to be improving, is eating, scratching happily and making contented chook noises. I'm holding my breath that she will be o.k.
Both Missy and Eagle had a good scratch around the roses and found all kinds of bugs, grubs and worms. Perhaps Missy needed a good protein meal or two. They seem quite inquisitive girls and came down to the deck at the back of our house numerous times looking in through the window and even pecking on the glass to let us know they were there. Very cute. Anyway, enough rambling on about my chooks.
Have a lovely weekend,
Anne xx
My chooks usually free range for a couple of hours a day. Just lately though they are finding it harder to find anything tasty due to the very dry weather and are turning to my veg plot instead. I am keeping them in their run now, much to their disgust!
ReplyDeleteI think animals often instinctively know how to self-medicate - and I find that the couple that we allow fairly free range in the garden are much healthier than the ones that we have to confine within an electric fence (for their own protection from the fox) in the orchard. Hope she continues to improve.
ReplyDeletePomona x
Hope Missy continues to get better. I love your cat too, the photos remind me of Arthur who used to eat out of a tin with his paws to advertise Whiskas cat food, I think,on TV, or maybe it was KiteKat, anyway, one very cute cat. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteMissy looks beautiful and the color of her feathers are gorgeous! I am glad she will be ok!
ReplyDeleteLove from Sonia.
She's got a very fluffy bum.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear Missy is looking better. It's always a worry when you see one of the chooks hunched up and looking less than happy.
ReplyDeleteIsa Brown's are such good foragers it's nice to be able to let them out into the yard, for a bit of a scratch around.
Our two young roosters have taken to flying onto the top of the gate and then into the garden, grrrr........
Steps wil have to be taken if this behaviour continues, hmmm....
Jennifer Keyte has just told me it was 21 deg. in Melbourne today Anne. Bit of a difference from last weekend, enjoy the heatwave, hehe
Claire :}
Hi Anne,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your email :)
I just wanted to let you know I have received it and tell you that I will not reply straight away as I'm at Dave's for a couple of days so I don't have as much computer time! I will reply to you early next week though.
I hope Missy is still getting better, I do love 'chooks'! We don't use that word over here so, lol, we just say chickens!
Bless her - perhaps my girls need this to get them laying again !
ReplyDeleteI love that one of your hens is called Eagle. Some of our chicks have looked more like a bird of prey than a sweet little chicken. Our chickens love to free range. They know what they like. I have seen our girls running after each other, competing for a dead mouse or frog. Ouw! Hope your girl is feeling better.
ReplyDelete