Visiting Bluebell and treating Sparkle

I had arranged to visit Jackie after lunch today to see how well Bluebell had settled in with Jackie’s flock.

Meanwhile I thought I had a possible problem with Sparkle. She had always been really quiet but at the weekend started making a loud noise like a hiccup.  It almost sounded like she was shouting “Shut UP” with the second sound the loudest. We didn’t know if this was her voice or if she had something stuck in her throat.

Sparkle had always been the one with her beak constantly in the food dish and her crop bulging. Today I noticed she didn’t appear to be eating and was spending a lot of time sitting on her coop roof. She would eat sunflower hearts but didn’t appear to be eating the pellets. Her crop wasn’t as big as usual.

My husband suggested I call the farm we got her from and ask for advice. The farmer said it did sound as if she had either got something stuck or scratched her throat. He suggested I syringe some olive oil into her beak and give her some bread and milk.

I decided to visit Jackie as planned and ask her if she would then come back with me and help me do this as my husband said this would mean that he could get on with our days work.

Bluebell looked so happy in her new surroundings. I wondered if she would remember me.

Bluebell and Shadow in the background

I hunkered down and called her name while talking to her and she came over to me.

Bluebell came to me to say hello

I felt that by her closeness she knew me or recognised my voice.

Jackie digs for worms

Bluebell is happy with Jackie’s girls

Both Jackie and I agreed that today was a kind of closure for us. We had said at the start of moving Bluebell that if it didn’t work out I would have her back. Jackie said that I would not be getting her back and I agreed that it would be really difficult now to integrate her back into my flock and we are both so happy with the way things have turned out. We agreed that this is now her home and she is happy and therefore so are we.

I asked Jackie if she would come back with me and look at Sparkle and she agreed. On the drive back Jackie said that she had finally settled on a new name for Bluebell (as Jackie already has a Bluebell), she has re named her Blossom. I said that I liked that but of course in my head she would always be Bluebell. I said we must call her Blossom in our future e-mails and blog posts and so that was agreed.

We took a syringe with a little olive oil and I held Sparkle while Jackie administered it into the side of Sparkle’s beak. It was actually easier to do than we expected.

After I had dropped Jackie back home I separated Sparkle in the new girls part of the run and gave her a dish of bread and milk with a little more olive oil added and another dish with scrambled egg made from one banty egg and olive oil and water. Sparkle didn’t appear interested in these things.

When my husband went to check a little later he said that Amber had managed to get under the wire and was tucking in to the scrambled egg.

I opened the gate again and gave the other girls the scrambled egg but put the dish of bread and milk on top of the little coop. I sprinkled some sun flower hearts into it. I thought that for now the other girls haven’t noticed that coop roof whereas it is where Sparkle goes to sit. I knew this would only work until another girl discovered it but thought it worth a try.

I gave the girls their late afternoon sunflower hearts and Sparkle joined in with these. She seems to be eating anything that is small and easy to swallow. As I watched them for a while Sparkle returned to the coop roof and saw the dish with the bread and sunflower hearts. She started to tuck in. I felt so pleased to see her eating.

She already seems a bit brighter and the noise she makes seems less loud. I really think it was a problem with her throat and it is getting better. The farmer said a lad opposite him has bantys and had the same problem. He followed this same advise and said a day later she was back to normal so I am feeling quite positive.

When I went back at bedtime the dish of bread and milk was almost finished with only a tiny bit left so I think Sparkle must have had it. I am hopeful that Sparkle will be on the mend tomorrow. It’s been an eventful day but I am feeling very positive.