I picked up Sparkle this morning and my husband administered her medicine to the side of her beak. This has now become the morning routine until her medicine is finished. She seemed brighter in the morning and did attempt to join in with the mid morning spinach.
During the morning the egg laying routine commenced. As I have said before Toffee seems to like company when laying and soon she and Emerald were side by side in the left coop.
Toffee and Emerald in the nest box
Barley and Peaches are always so nosey when there are girls in the nest box and soon came over to investigate.
Barley watches Toffee and Emerald in the nest box
Barley came over to have a look and Peaches wasn’t far behind. You can just see her feet bottom left of this photo.
Peaches joins the audience
Barley and Peaches suddenly decided they would go into the right coop together.
Barley and Peaches go into the other nest box
A little while later I found Barley’s, Toffee’s and Emerald’s egg in the left coop and Peaches egg in the right coop.
A littler later again I found Honey’s little egg in the main coop nest box which is where she prefers to lay. Not a bad day, five out of seven but Topaz and Sparkle aren’t laying at the moment, so you could say a full house.
The thing that worries me most about Sparkle is that I don’t see her eating during the day. She spent most of the day sitting in patches of sun.
Sparkle sits in the sun
At six o’clock I put Sparkle back in the cat box with an array of food items. She didn’t seem interested at first but I got her take some spinach through the bars. She then pecked at a bit of melon then some sunflower seeds and eventually some fish. I am just putting everything in, in the hope that she will eat something. I was pleased to see her eat but I worry that it’s not enough.
We are three quarters through her medicine and I am worried that she is still so slow and eating so little. I don’t know what else I can do for her. I am encouraging her to eat but can’t force her.
I am still not sure how this is going to go. I just wish I could see her eat more. Her comb is still red though and to look at her you wouldn’t know anything was wrong but I know. She should be eating more. I suppose only time will tell.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
I was wondering how Sparkle was; obviously still not right, but at least she is eating something and sunbathing is a normal behaviour, a deliberate choice on her part. Our girls can be tremendously resilient, even without medication, and from what you’ve said, I feel guardedly optimistic that all will be well ere long. Take care.
Thank you for that. I am so up and down. When she looks better or is eating I am uplifted then during the day when she is slow and not eating I go down again. I just feel she should be eating more to get better. I am willing her on.
I think she has got used to being waited on ! Seriously though there seems to be a great improvement so fingers crossed still .
I am keeping my fingers crossed but I would feel better if she started eating during the day. We will just keep going with the current routine for now.