Sick Chicks

The chicks haven't been very well reccently, on Thursday they started sneezing, and by Friday poor Cav was so ill that he'd been left behind by his Mum as he was too sniffly to cheep. We spent over an hour retrieving him from the holly hedge he'd hidden in, and he then spent the weekend getting gradually worse. I'm a hands off person when it comes to animal care mostly, I don't like to pump them with medication as often things get better of their own accord given good food, and a bit of time, but in ths case a little chick didn't have enough resources to fight a probable case of pneumonia.

By Monday I was on the phone to the vets for antibiotics and was syringing them in to Cav on an hourly basis along with some yoghurt. As quicly as he got sick, he's got better, and while they're still sneezing, they've been well enough last night and this afternoon to be let out of the run and to have chance to scratch about and have a dust bath. 

Their Mum in particular was rather keen to get out, she's hated being confined for several days, and has been leading them everywhere. They're starting to develop wing feathers so have added leaping power now.

The others in particular have been taking advanatge of the empty run to examine the teampting treats the chicks have been eating.