Could I just have some small vibes.....

[Weka]

Sorry, stealing cat food made me laugh. I see the chicken is the top of the pecking order in your household too.

((((Marigold))))

[JoM]

She's absolutely gorgeous!!! Lots of get well vibes from me!

[tonicha]

Sending some from over here too xxx

[miasmum]

aw thank you, that is so lovely of you all

She looked a bit brighter this morning and tonight I gave her a dish of pellets, corn, sunflower seeds and mealworms and she tucked in. I know she was probably only eating the bits she likes, but the fact she is eating has to be a good sign.

[Kaz]

That's good xx

[Diflower]

Eating's usually good
Glad she seems better tonight
Di
x

[Ally]

How is Marigold this morning Shell?

(((((Marigold)))))

[miasmum]

I don't know, sometimes she looks brighter sometimes not. Having been lifting her more I can tell how much weight she has lost, so she has obviously not been 100% for some time. Problem is this time of year when you work, it is dark in the mornings and dark at night. But I do spend time with them at weekends and until this weekend she seemed fine, so trying not to beat up on myself too much. She had her second injection tonight and her third one Saturday.

I am not going to keep taking her to the vets though. I have googled and also my vet says sadly 3 is a good age for a hybrid chicken. They are bred for laying, and it would seem the more they lay the shorter their lifespan and she has laid almost everyday for three years until now.

So we will do these antibiotics, I have ordered some Nutridrops which come highly recommended and I shall give her a week, but if she is still no better when we go away I might have to make that hard decision. Dick is looking after them and whilst he has chickens, he has them purely for laying, and when they stop he culls them. So he has no sentiment and what I don't want is to come back, like when Blossom died, and he say she didn't go to bed a couple of nights so I left her and she was dead the next day. I don't want Marigold to die cold and ill, I would rather make the decision and let her go sooner but happily and warm

Thank you for asking and sorry to waffle

[Diflower]

Aww MM, poor Marigold.
That does all sound like the right hing to do though, and I'm sure Marigold has had a lovely 3 years with you
(((((mm and marigold)))))
xx

[meriad]

Sorry that Marigold's not back to her normal self. I'll be honest I didn't realise that the life span of a hen was as short as you said....

And for what it's worth I 100% agree with your last sentences. Hopefully though the injections and the Nutridrops will give you a few more weeks or, even better, months and she at a minimum has a final happy summer scratching around the garden.

Give her a head scratch (or whatever it is you do with chickens ) from me