RIP Doris - November 2009 - January 2012

Our lovely and very dottie Doris sadly died on January 22nd.  What a terrible couple of weeks it had been.  She's never been a healthy girl, she sneezed from day one, only ever laid one egg but loved to nest and then she developed a larg lump that a couple of vets thought may be a tumour.

About a year ago she started having breathing difficulties and was put on antibiotics and anti-inflamatories.  She was good for most of the time but if she ran anywhere she'd be exhausted and struggled to catch her breath.

She was feeding well though and happy to be out and about with the other girls.  She would keep herself busy and would spend time in the afternoon preening and sunbathing.  Yes, Doris was a very content bird indeed.

A few weeks ago she took a turn for the worse and I took her to her usual vet.  She was dosed up with medicine but it didn't seem to help.  I had her in ICU under the stairs.  A cage all to herself with the door open so she could come and go as she pleased but it meant I could keep an eye on her at night.  If I heard her struggling to breathe I'd sit with her and make her comfortable.

Then on Sunday 15th she looked like she was on her last legs.  I made an emergency call to a vet recommended to me by Polly's Godmother and made an appointment for the next day.  All through the night I was willing her to be OK.  "Stay with me just 8 more hours" I was saying to her at 1am.  Then again at 5am "Just 4 more hours honey, stick with me, they'll make you better".

Lady J came with me to the most wonderful vet the next day and we were given 8 more days of medicine.  She seemed to perk up a bit.  She liked travelling in the car as it seemed to have a calming effect on her so one afternoon I even took her out for a drive!  What is happening to me?!?!

Anyway, a few days later on Sunday 22nd after The Kiwi and I had steadfastly administered her medicine with a syringe she really was in a bad way.  Both of us knew it wasn't fair to keep her any longer.  He said "Darling, we have to let her go, say goodbye to her now".

I clung on to her and kissed and cuddled her but knew it was time so I handed her over and let my poor hubby deal with her.

Strangely enough Helen stayed with her for much of her last week.  Wherever Doris was, Helen would be snuggled up next to her.  Doris had been lovely to Helen when we first got her.  The rest of them would bully Helen and Joan but our Dottie clucked around them and made sure they were OK.  After we lost Doris, Helen was very withdrawn.  Wanted to sleep a lot and wasn't interested in food.  After a few days though a bowl of porridge with sultanas and lots of special snuggles brought her round.

Those of you who had the pleasure of meeting Doris will know she was a fabulous character.  She loved her food and could nest for Britain.  Those of you who didn't get to meet her missed out on one of life's true mother hens.  These phrases all come from somewhere and she is a absolute deserver of that title. 

God bless Dottie Doris Day.  You were one in a million.

Buffy on Guard

Buffy would spend every waking moment on the look out for squirrels and foxes.  It used to be pigeons too but since getting the chooks she doesn't seem to mind them anymore.  Oh there's a very large black crow that teases her mercilessly sitting on our cherry tree while she barks and barks, then it flaps its wings and swoops down just out of reach of Buffy's hungry jaws and flies to the other side of the garden to gloat a while longer. 

Well here she is on duty looking out of the back door checking on her domain.  She'll stay like that for hours.  Quite chilled, making sure the chooks are ok and watching Polly potter round.

Then when she spots something she sits up, alert.   

Realising this is a potential chase situation she circles round barking, I open the door and she flies out.  She's like the wind is our Buffy.  Built for comfort but my goodness can she move.  When she reaches the end of the garden she puts the breaks on and her back legs almost come in front of her face as she skids to a halt.

She's seen off the potential baddy (whatever it may have been) and then she's back but prefers to sit outside because she knows there's something out there.  She needs to be ready for them.

Then as dusk falls, the chooks are safely tucked up in bed, and Polly is resting, Buffy cuts a lonely figure.  She's moved further out into the garden now still on the look out for any would be trespassers.  Woe betide any man, woman or beast who comes onto her turf uninvited!

Action Down at CHH

Apologies for not updating for some time but life is getting busy with The Kiwi, The Menagerie, oh and that other little thing called work that just gets in the way of life sometimes.

On another trip to Chestnut House Hotel we saw Buffy back on Cat watch.  Polly had ramraided her way successfully onto the veg patch and the feathered girls were all happy clucking around outside so The Buff and I went inside to watch some TV.

Cat was in her usual position on the chair, and Buffy took her usual pose staring in at her.

There was much eyeballing from one to the other and then Buffy spotted the gap.

Oh how she tried to squeeze herself through but to no avail.  Every which way she tried and all the while Cat just kept a steady gaze knowing she was safe.  Can't blame a girl for trying though!

We ventured back outside and the feathered girls were ever so active, they were all over the place!

Camilla was quite happy standing on top of their home but Grace and Lizzie weren't so confident. 

One of them managed to fly off quite successfully but you will see here the other wanted to take her time and check out every option before crouching down to take her leap of faith.

After much fuss and nonsense she took flight and dived to the ground with her wings flapping and legs spread wide open.  You'd think she'd jumped out of a plane the way she carried on.  After a safe landing she glanced around and waited for her applause.  Didn't she do well!

 

Girls are Taking Over

Where are all the boys in this world?  Our six cooks, Polly and Buffy to start with then Godparents to Buffy have Lottie, Bess, Sophie and 5 girl cats, my VBF has her own girl dog Fudge, His Royal Gayness has his two girls Molly and Gracie then there are the five girls belonging to Polly's Godparents at Chestnut House Hotel, oops, make that six, there's a pussy cat too! 

We've been down for our usual trip today and I decided to sit inside and watch a Big Brother episode that I missed last night.  Polly was outside socialising and eying up the food containers but  Buffy came inside with me.  She sat looking into the conservatory where cat was.  The door was ajar so cat could come in and out but Buffy's slightly rotund figure wouldn't fit through.  She sat staring in, she was in hunting mode and didn't move for about 20 mins.  Then she decided she'd try and get through the gap.  There wasn't a chance she'd do it but oh how she tried.  First it was a front paw and shoulder followed by the other paw but her other shoulder wouldn't fit so she tried it the other side first.  She has an iron will and kept on trying but to no avail.  She stood back, had a think and then tried opening the door with her head.  No good either.  A temper tantrum ensued followed by much barking and cat just sat on the chair looking at her.  She knew she was safe.

So off Buffy went outside.  Back last week the chooks weren't sure what to make of her.  She's their size but doesn't look anything like them.  She likes to eat their food though and they (particularly Grace and Lizzie) weren't having any of it.  Grace won't have any messing from Buffy and regularly puts her in her place but Buffy's used to being part of a lively menagerie and keeps going in to see them.

They're getting used to me too, they even untied my shoelace today. 

They still fight off any affection I might want to bestow on them but they recognise me now and start making a big fuss when they see me.  They know freedom is on it's way and as I open their door they charge out.  The problem comes when I want to put them back in.  A bit like my own girls they have minds of their own and it's like a Benny Hill sketch with me running after them all in a line.  It was taking so long I had to devise a fail safe system. Their favourite treat is mealworms so I rattle the container and they all come running to me then I drop them into the run from the top.  They all dash in to gobble them up and before they know it I've done a head check and locked them back in.

I took Polly down in her new halter today and while she wasn't thrilled about it I think she'll get used to it, she didn't like the lead at first.  There were a couple of times today when she just lay down and refused to move - not easy, you try shoving a 4 stone lump along!  Then on the way home she really dragged her feet.  I'll get my dad to take a photo of the three of us tomorrow as it does make rather a lovely sight!

What a bit of TLC can do

In September we went through the 12 month barrier with Mary.  They say if an ex bat survives a year with you you've done well.  Unfortunately her counterpart Tess only made 10 days but Mary was much stronger when we got them.  She did have a week were I thought we were going to loose her - coughing, difficulty breathing, listless etc.  We brought her inside and treated her with antibiotics, anti-inflamatories and we de-wormed her.  She pulled through and hadsn't shown any signs of illness since.  Here she is tucking into some apple that Polly also had her eye on.

When December comes we'll have had Helen and Joan for a year.  It was heartbreaking to see the condition they were in.  Dirty, featherless (apart from their heads) and their combs (red bit on top of their heads) were enlarged, floppy and pale.

Joan is on the left with her foot in the food bowl and Helen is on the right with just a few more feathers down her front.  It was months before they resembled anything like a proper chicken.  You can hardly tell with Helen now, her body is covered in beautiful honey gold plumage.  Joan still looks a bit scrawny,  her tail feathers never grew back properly and she is tiny but there has been a wonderful change in her face.  You see on the photo above that both of them are very pale, they look absolutely washed out.

Look at how she's changed.  It's a total transformation.  A lovely bright red healthy comb standing upright and lots of colour in her other features.  Whenever food is put out she grabs some and runs away to eat it by herself because the others just grab it off her if she doesn't.  She's happy to be picked up but has never been one for a cuddle.  She used to climb frantically onto my shoulder and then jump off but now she grudgingly lets me hang onto her for a while and is even starting to relax and take in the moment.

And here is Helen.  Look at that beautiful feathered body.  The only evidence of her harsh treatment are those two bottom feathers on her wing which simply refuse to grow. 

How they have flourished with a little bit of tender loving care.

Tuckin' In

We've been taking daily trips to Chestnut House Hotel recently to get Polly used to getting walked on a lead.  It's much more interesting if you actually have somewhere to go.  Each day I show Polly her lead and she trots to the back gate and up comes the hoof to tap on it.  She waits patiently while I put her lead on and the three of us (Buffy, Polly and I) head off for our stroll.

Now this should only take me about 8 mins.  Picture this though.  Polly loves to eat, Buffy loves to sniff, and everybody seeing this strange spectacle loves to talk.  30 mins later we usually arrive at our destination.  If Lady J is there it's cup of T or gin and T depending on what time of day it is, if she isn't there we make ourselves at home in the garden.  Lady J's chooks have a bit of a mosey round outside their run, Polly checks out the veg patch and Buffy stares into the conservatory window where she knows the cat usually rests.  If the cat isn't there her food always is so either way, there's something in there that Buffy wants.

Polly is certainly getting used to this new place, she litterally stormed her way into the section of garden that she now considers to be hers.  She loves those veggies!

Today, when we were coming home there was a group of people doing a sponsored cycle and they were taking photos of their trip out.  What better photo to get than a lamb and a jack russell walking beside eachother on leads!  I'm hoping my head was out of the shot as it isn't one of my best days today!



Reservation at Chestnut House

We're very lucky to have wonderful friends and family to help out with the brood from time to time but one particularly kind friend (to be known as Lady J) has said that if we ever go away for a couple of weeks and are worried about Polly she is more than welcome to stay with them at Chestnut House.

I've said I'll muck in with their beautiful chickens when they need help so yesterday Buffy, Polly and I trotted down to Chestnut House for Polly to check out her Hotel.  The walk should have taken 10 mins maximum but by the time Buffy had sniffed at everything and Polly had stopped to eat everything time was cruising on by.  Coupled with the fact that passers by were asking a lot of questions and obviously I had a lot of explaining to do, 25 minutes later we arrived at Chestnut House.

Lady J was so lovely with Polly,  I have a feeling that if Polly does go for a short visit I'll have trouble getting her back!  They have a wonderful vegetable patch for her to tuck into and lots of bushes to have a go at.  Five gorgeous chickens named Katie, Poppy, Lizzie, Grace and Camilla, two huge (and I mean huge) brown labradors and a cat complete Lady J's own brood so I don't need to worry about Polly missing out on her usual friends for company.

Polly was a bit unsure at first, she was just like a dog and stayed by my side wanting her head sroked.  She was quite reserved and unsure about her surroundings.  When we went inside she bleated mercilessly and that's when Lady J brought her inside.  How lovely was that of her?  I have a feeling that Lady J may well even invite Polly upstairs when Sir A  isn't around!  Polly soon made herself at home as you can see here (although for some reason I can't get it facing the right way).

She even tried to have a sip of our g'n't's and a mouthful of crisps but we weren't having any of that.  We're going to be making a few trips up there in the next few days to get her used to the walk and the "hotel".

I have a feeling she'll be quite happy trotting down to Chestnut House Hotel each day with me!