Re: Thanks Nuele, Karen and Co

From: Bird! (zbird_at_nospamuk2.net)
Date: 08/16/04 

Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 13:49:51 +1200

That's really sad, I hope all goes well with the remaining birds.
They can be such fickle things when it comes to illness, by the time you
realise they're sick it's too late.

Bird!

"nuele" <fowls@nuele-online.de> wrote in message
news:1giki5h.1afkiquhdnzsN%fowls@nuele-online.de...
> Sue Wilkinson <sue@redballoon.org.uk> wrote:
>
> > Just to thank you all for your suggestions. The poor hen was in a sorry
> > state this morning so I took her to our vet (call out to surgery on a
> > Sunday will cost a bit, but this particular man is good with birds). He
> > took one look at her and said she had peritonitis and was in a bad way.
> > Only one thing to do for her.
> >
> > So having determined before that I wouldn't get upset I left her to be
> > put to sleep and then cried all the way home! My best layer and such a
> > cocky little bird. Only 2 years old.
> >
> > I'm feeling particularly bad about myself because although I don't work
> > full time at present I worked all last week and long hours. Apart from
> > taking down fresh water and food I didn't spend any time with the hens
> > and so didn't notice a problem soon enough. I thought she was a bit
> > listless but put it down to her moult.
> >
> > Does anyone know what causes peritonitis and whether it is catching to
> > the other remaining 2 birds?
> >
> > Sue
>
>
> I'm sorry to hear this, Sue! I'm sure you miss her awfully. Like Jill
> already said, it's often the best layers that get it.
>
> Don't blame yourself for not knowing immediately what was going on. When
> you start to keep chickens, you don't usually know what a certain
> disease looks like. Years may pass without problems, and then all the
> diseases we see are new to us at first. Next time you will know
> immediately what might be going on if you see the same picture in
> another hen. That's the normal way of learning.
>
> Nuele (D)
>