Thursday 8 November 2012

Respiratory Infection

Amelia Update

Amelia is still battling her respiratory infection/ mycoplasma.  She has been making a shocking amount of noise when she breathes and has been constantly swallowing due to her toxic, sore throat.  I have been trying to ensure she drinks plenty of water - as this is where the medication is dispersed.  She has been fighting me a fair bit as I have tried to tip the water cup up to her beak each night.  So I thought it best just to find another angle.


You can take a hen to water...

But she isn't drinking enough of it to get the full effect of the medication.  So I've approached it differently.  Amelia has a terribly sore throat and although she does eat dry food, she is equally partial to wet mash.  I imagine it is a lot kinder on her throat.  So yesterday when I made her mash, I sprinkled the anti biotic powder on top, poured the usual boiling water on to the lot, allowed the mash to cool and then gave it to her.  Hey presto, medication administered.  She's been tucking in to the mash and it now doesn't matter too much if she isn't drinking a great deal.  

I'm probably imaginging it, but I think she is sounding better already.  She is able to make chicken noises again, as opposed to making a sound as though she has a plastic bag stuck in her throat. 

I had her on my lap on Tuesday for some extra warmth - here she is.




2 comments:

  1. Following the Suburbhen with much interest. Well written! When I was very young (a long time ago) almost everyone had chooks in the backyard. Kids would 'hyponotise' a favourite chook by tucking its head under a wing which would somehow sedate the chook and it would stand absolutely still. Oops, have I lost a friend?

    Kevin

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  2. Thanks for your interest in the girls Kevin. I used to enjoy the odd chook hynotic moment as a little one. We used to turn the hen on to her back and stroke the sand either side of her head until she went in to a daze and stayed completely still for what felt like a long time. These days I would give marching orders to anyone who dared try and turn my girls upside down - so times have certainly changed for me.

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