The patient

Ward round

Oh well I don't know what to do next. I have been feeding the patient with little titbits of soft food but she has been sick and will not leave the wound alone. I have just swabbed it down with Dettol and put some powder on it. now I'm wondering if I could fashion one of those plastic funnel things that dogs have on when they have had something done.
i will put a photo on as soon as I get around to it.
sheila x

Continuing hen saga

So first thing this morning I visited the patient who has overnighted in a box in the garage. I was pleased to see that she was quite chirpy and put a dish of water and a dish of yoghurt into the box. I also found the asprin that I gave her last night so she obviously hadn't taken it.
I went next door to feed the rest of the girls. When I turned around there was the patient eating some of their food. I had to chase her to put her back in the box as I don't want her to eat anything yet. A little while later, Graham called me to come to the garage. I must confess I expected the worst. However there was the hen roosting on the handle of the lawnmower, having knocked all the things off a shelf etc. She is now back in the box with a wire netting over the top. I must say that her spirit has given me hope that she will pull through.
Sheila x

operating theatre

On letting the hens out this morning I took the poorly one and put her in a box in the garage so that she couldn't eat or drink anything.
At ten o'clock Ann and I moved into the operating theatre and prepared the hen for surgery. We hypnotised her first before tying her legs together. We then more or less wrapped her in an old towel and taking a scalpel I cut a three inch slice into her crop. There was very little blood but we were amazed about the amount of what seemed like long matted grass that was contained in the crop. It took ages to get it all out and the smell was vile! Then we tried to superglue the wound but it wouldn't stick due to the wetness so I had to stitch it with purple cotton. I then clarted the wound with anti biotic cream and prising open her beak gave her a small asprin. She was very quiet and seemed to know that we were trying to help her.
she is now asleep in the box but seems to be o.k. Only time will tell now, as the wound needs to heal. She cannot have food or drink for twenty four hours and then only yoghurt and soft things etc,
I have told Ann that she should give a talk to the W.I entitled " My time as a theatre nurse in Grahams garage"
must go. Am making curry.
Sheila x

Sour crop.

I have been reading up on my poorly hen. Apparently she has a condition called Sour Crop which , if nothing is done about it, will eventually kill her. She keeps eating and drinking but as she is not digesting anything she is not getting any nourishment. So the only solution is surgery. Tomorrow my neighbour Ann and I will operate on her to remove the contents of her crop. She has to be isolated from the others so that they don't peck her stitches out etc ( although I might use super glue) and she has to starve for 24 hours. Then she can have some yoghurt and soft food etc.
If it doesn't work she will die anyway so it will ease my conscience knowing that I did what I could!
We seem to have solved the "laying away" problem but I will continue to keep an eye on proceedings.
About two months ago a policewoman drove at speed into my neighbours garden, demolishing a 50 year old hawthorne hedge and a fence.
She was told that she would hear from someone with regard to compensation etc. Well just as she was getting a bit impatient and was going to send them a letter, she recieved a letter this morning from the police authority to say that they would be taking no further action in the case and that if she wanted to bring a civil action she could but it was unlikely to succeed!!!
What a nerve. no apology no nothing and she's the innocent party in all of this!
Sheila x

Tree's blossom

hooray it's April and the tree's are starting to blossom. It's not a very good picture but it shows the drive at the front of the house.

Sheila x

Pesky Tina the chicken!

What a performance every morning in an effort to stop the hens laying other then in the nest box! I let them out, but only into the compound until they have laid their eggs. This is turning out to be counter productive because the other hens are getting confused. Tina and A.N. Other are the main culprits and I don't want them to set a bad example so if I think those two have laid then I let them out into the field but follow them to watch where they go. Yesterday they still tried to get to where they had made a lovely nest, (which Graham has destroyed) so I locked the two culprits in the hen hut to teach them a lesson!
Anyway today the Tiresome Two had laid before I let them out so hopefully they have got the idea. Because they are truly free range now, they have gone wild and I hardly have to feed them at all.
I have been asked to be a cake judge at the Alford Horticultural Show which I did last year. I have never eaten as much cake, or felt as sick afterwards. I shall have to try and do it differently this year and save myself for the splendid lunch which I was unable to face last year!
I have also been asked to organise a village fete for August 2010. This is to be a massive undertaking so I need to have discussions before I commit myself.
Must go. I have a tray apple bakewell in the oven.
Sheila x