Sad news about Cathy Hen

Unfortunately my trip to the vet with Cathy did NOT have a good outcome :-(
Cathy had been suffering from Sterile Egg Yolk Peritonitis (EYP) This is something she has had for some time, it is something which is sadly common in ex battery hens due to their egg laying equipment being damaged by the excess number of eggs they are stimulated to lay. It is also what eventually led to the demise of Genghis Hen:-(

Cathy had been on antibiotics for a week, and had been kept near by, but separate from, the other hens for another two weeks. She was allowed back in with the rest of the hens a few days ago and seemed very perky and happy, as I detailed in my post showing her indoors with us.
But on Sunday evening she looked puffy in the abdomen, and hunched up, which is NEVER a good sign in a chicken. She also didn't want to move around or eat much. I had to take Sid down to the Vets on Monday (he has a poorly eye) and I decided to take Cathy also as I was worried about her. On examination she had a swollen abdomen and a temperature again. The prognosis was not good for her, but after establishing she was not in any real pain the Vets and I decided that they would try to draw off the fluid, to ease the discomfort and to get her back on some antibiotics. We all knew this might not work and if it did might not be a very long term help, but we were all wanting to try to save her. I left her at the vets for the procedure and when I went to collect her, was told that 350 ml of nasty fluid had been drawn off! Poor Cathy, no wonder she felt poorly.

I took her home Monday afternoon and started her on the antibiotic again and yesterday she seemed to perk up and came to see us in the house and had a few worms from where Compostman was digging



and seemed much restored



BUT today I was worried, she didn't look bad, exactly,..... but chickens mask how poorly they are (as a protective move) and so I just trusted my instincts that she looked wrong, somehow... Her comb was turning purple whenever she moved and she felt very cold so I took her to the vets this afternoon. On examination it was apparent she wasn't going to recover from all this. So I very sadly held her and stroked her whilst Tamsin the Vet gave her a lethal injection and she went to sleep for good.

I came home with her body and she has been buried on the edge of our woodland, next to Genghis Hen, with some flowers placed on her grave by Compostgirl.

We shall all miss Cathy very much, she really WAS a pet to us, wanted to be with us all the time, was gentle and friendly and sweet natured to all. She followed me around and chatted to me as I dug the garden or hung out the washing or worked in the polytunnel. I shall miss her waiting by the door to get into the kitchen, jumping up on my lap for a cuddle and purring when I stroked her neck. Compostman is also very sad as Cathy was his favourite hen and he chose her name, and she liked to come and see what he was doing in the garden also. She was the only hen to be really friendly to Compostman and Compostgirl as well as to me.

RIP Cathy Hen, you will be missed by all of us, but especially me.

Hen in the house

Yesterday a friend came round to collect some Master Composter supplies, as she is giving a talk later this week on composting. We had a good old chat, a wander around the garden, a look at my compost bins. A also stayed for lunch, which was a lovely treat for Compostman and I,to have company for lunch!

A was present when THE MOLE incident happened (which I will post about anon)

After she had left, and Compostman had gone to collect Compostgirl from school, I sat down for five mins with a cuppa in the sitting room.

Suddenly I spotted Cathy hen in the doorway and she came into the room and hopped up on my lap! I had left the back door open and she had come in through a hall, the kitchen (past Kitty Cat!) the inner hall and into where I was sitting!

I took her back out to the kitchen, wanting to get her back outside, but she promptly turned the other way into the futility room and started eating the cat food.....



Gosh, she made a mess....see the bits all over the floor?



She did peck them all up, though.... ;-))

She came in several more times yesterday evening and today wandered around the lower bit of kitchen, begging for crumbs...and tried to get through the cat flap into the futility room to get at the cat food I guess?

She follows us around in the garden as well, and comments on all that we do. And she purrs :-)

I think she must be happy!