An up and down day

As usual Toffee was the only girl still in the shed first thing this morning. I gave out the morning sunflower hearts and she came out. She picked up two sunflower hearts then had a flick about in the pellets dish. I saw her eat one from the patio then she had a little water and then returned to the shed.

I checked back a little later and once again was surprised to see that she was perching in the sun with her flock mates. I took plenty of photos because I always have it in mind that they could be her last and also I was surprised to see the little girls on the same perch as the bigger girls for the first time.

I took one through the wire because Rusty was on the top of the ladder and not in view from inside the run.

The entire flock of eight girls

Six girls but Rusty is hidden

Rusty is in the background and Pebbles is on the right of Freckles just out of shot

Speckles and Peaches are on a different perch

The little girls perch with the bigger girls

It is so lovely to see the girls all perching together and once again I felt it was too soon to make a decision about Toffee. I want her to have these moments in the sun with her flock.

The next time I checked she was back in the shed. She seems to want to perch with the flock in the mornings while there is some sun but once the sun has gone she returns to the shed.

At lunch time I took in some melon and pinned the shed door open so that Toffee could see that I had bought in a treat. She came out and pecked at the melon more enthusiastically than I have seen her peck at anything for a week. I was encouraged by this and dropped some sunflower hearts in front of her and she ate a few.

I decided while she was eating I was offer some dishes of fish and chopped grape, giving protein and sugar.

I felt excited when she ate some grape and fish.

Toffee has some chopped grape

She eats another bit of grape

I sprinkle a few more seeds beside the dish.

She has some sunflower hearts

I felt really encouraged to see her eat for the first time in days. I started to feel a bit of hope. But then I saw more of the runny, mustard yellow, poop and I knew that all was not well inside. The poop alarms me the most. It indicates that she is not going to get better and yet she still looks good.

She returned to her perch in the shed and didn’t come out for the bedtime corn. I felt so pleased to see her eating something but I remember feeling like this with Sparkle. She would have moments of eating when I thought there was hope for her but then later would refuse to eat again so I know that I must not get my hopes up.

I still feel glad that she has perched in the sun with her flock and eaten a few bits of treats. I still feel that I must follow my instincts and that I will know when the time is right to intervene. Each extra day is special and she actually looks good and doesn’t seem to be in any pain. I know that chickens hide it well but she isn’t hunched and miserable looking and her comb is a winter pale pink but not grey and shrivelled.

I feel that I have enough experience and that I know my girls well enough to be able judge when the time is right so I shall continue day by day even if that is only for a few more days.