MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

How are you feeling MJ? Isolation is one thing, but are you less achy?

Yes, the aches are much reduced. I'm still feverish and my nose is running faster than Usain Bolt. I'll be very glad when the perspiration subsides. The cold and flu tablets are relieving maybe 75% of the symptoms? That's lovely, but it makes me a poor judge of my own health status, so I'm doing a daily RAT and will stay isolated until I get two negative RATs in a row. So far they're all positive.

 

[Ribh]

Yes, the aches are much reduced. I'm still feverish and my nose is running faster than Usain Bolt. I'll be very glad when the perspiration subsides. The cold and flu tablets are relieving maybe 75% of the symptoms? That's lovely, but it makes me a poor judge of my own health status, so I'm doing a daily RAT and will stay isolated until I get two negative RATs in a row. So far they're all positive.

I'm sorry you're unwell, MJ. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery.

 

[MaryJanet]

I'm sorry you're unwell, MJ. Here's hoping for a speedy recovery.

Thank you.

On top of that, today is demolition day (at last).

So the hens are enclosed in the run because the side gates have to be open to provide access to the outside power point. The hens are NOT HAPPY JAN.

 

[LozzyR]

For me, it's been important to see artworks for myself. The more renowned ones have had so much discussion over the years I would expect most people who can read or listen would have at least a little awareness of them in advance, and that's me to a T, so it's a chance to see something I've heard of with my own eyes and then I can puzzle over the reasons for its renown.

Like bajillions of other people, I once had a good look at the Mona Lisa and I immediately appreciated the delicacy of the brushwork, but I wasn't taken by her enigmatic expression like all the discussion suggests. I thought she looked like she had observed something about da Vinci that she wouldn't speak - as if he was attracted to her but she didn't reciprocate. It was a knowing but kind smile.

The Mona Lisa was much smaller than I imagined. Still nice to say I’ve stood in front of it. And Michelangelo’s David.

I was at a Van Gogh exhibition in Amsterdam once, which was awe-inspiring.

 

[LozzyR]

Oh no. Since retiring I have become a real homebody.
I suspect @Shadrach and I may have trodden some of the same paths a long time ago however. I was quite immersed in Central Asia, Silk Road, Great Game parts of the world for quite a while. And as a child I spent a lot of time in East Africa. Then I fell in love with SE Asia. Really, it is Australia and NZ I have neglected, as well as much of Europe.

Well, we are at the a*** end of the world, as one former prime minister so eloquently put it.

 

[LozzyR]

That sounds wonderful.

I've had many wonderful travels, most recently Mauritius.

 

[LozzyR]

Phew, finally caught up. Happy belated birthday MJ for a week or so ago, and I'm sorry to hear you caught Covid. I hope you are starting to feel much better soon. I'm glad your renos are on the way too.

My friends, I'm sad to say I think that I am just about at the end of my chicken journey. Angel appears to have a respiratory infection; she has been wheezing and had a hard moult. Hubby said he thought it happened overnight. She's only just over a year old so she should not be sick. I think there must be something toxic about my environment but I haven't been able to discern what it is. I haven't had the soil tested because I don't know what to test for. There are many wild birds in our back yard, so if it's them bringing in avian viruses, I can't control that.

She's been on the Triple C broad spectrum antibiotic for the last couple of days and I will keep it going until I finish the batch, which will be longer than a week. Whilst it might clear up what is going on now, it will probably return because I don't know what the cause is. I can't give them away in case it's infectious, so I think I'm going to have to manage them until the end, which is probably going to be sooner than later. Snowy is broody now, although apart from that she seems to be fine and if she ends up on her own, she's actually pretty happy with her own company. But she's a sweetheart and it makes me sad that she will probably succumb to whatever is making my girls sick. My lovely henhouse will become a garden shed as I just can't do this anymore. But I still want to hang out with my chicken friends as I think you all are some of the most awesome people I have met.

 

[BY Bob]

Flock report!

Janet is not worsening, on the contrary she shows signs of improving: eating full-sized pellets and pecking Ivy. But she still keeps herself mostly isolated during the day and her poops are worryingly tiny.

Mary is thriving with no discernible loss of vision from her recent eye injury and nice big poops showing thorough digestion. 4-5 eggs a week. She's never energetic, she's just too big for doing much running, but she will join in with her lumbering quick jog when everyone sprints over for a treat.

Peggy is thriving. Lots of energy, zipping around the place. Unlike Mary, she prefers to scamper wherever she goes, with very long strides. She takes special care of Janet, cleaning her face each day. It makes me anxious because of the risk of Peggy picking up Jan's bacteria but I wouldn't deny either of them their friendship. One egg earlier this week, hoping for another today!

Ivy is thriving. She stopped being broody when I was in Sydney. My first day back she was off the nest all day, on it at bedtime, so I carried her over to the roost, which she's been using ever since. She is scolded by Janet every now and then, usually over barging in at dinner time, and then she passes that message on to Katie.

Christa is not well. I don't know why and I'm not seeking advice. She's just not well. Her comb has fallen over and she's lethargic. Her poops are mostly normal, a little greenish. She ate a lot the day before yesterday, but not much yesterday. I can't take her to the vet until I'm out of isolation.

Edie's thriving. 5-6 small eggs a week, big poops, well-digested food. Loads of energy, a very bustling hen. She didn't so much find her place in the flock as create it through her attitude, which was entitlement with a dash of deference.

And Katie is thriving. 5-6 big brown eggs a week. Big poops of well-digested food. Loads of energy, a sprinter. Her speed keeps her from receiving most of the pecks that are thrown in her direction. When a peck lands, she's more startled than hurt. Her constant dashing around annoys her friends, especially the older hens. Edie and Katie adore each other.

Thanks for the synopsis. It's nice to quickly catch up on everyone.

 

[BY Bob]

Yes, the aches are much reduced. I'm still feverish and my nose is running faster than Usain Bolt. I'll be very glad when the perspiration subsides. The cold and flu tablets are relieving maybe 75% of the symptoms? That's lovely, but it makes me a poor judge of my own health status, so I'm doing a daily RAT and will stay isolated until I get two negative RATs in a row. So far they're all positive.

 

[BY Bob]

The Mona Lisa was much smaller than I imagined. Still nice to say I’ve stood in front of it. And Michelangelo’s David.

I was at a Van Gogh exhibition in Amsterdam once, which was awe-inspiring.

One of the great experiences of my life was the Dalí exhibit in Philadelphia. It's was breathtaking.

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