Disaster struck yesterday.
I moved the chickens from their main pen into their little day pen in the paddock so they could have a scratch around. Some time in the three hours after that, one of the sheep went nuts and hurt them.
From the state of the bars, it looks like one of the sheep got a horn stuck between the bars of the small pen and dragged it round as it struggled to free itself. The welds are broken and the bars bent. Ginger was killed, broken neck I think, and Nerys injured. I found her huddled up to Ginger's body, in shock with her entire head comb missing down to her scalp.
I got her in the house, tucked her up in box and syringed some painkiller and electrolytes into her. Later in the evening, she ate some food and went to sleep but this morning things had taken a turn for the worse. She couldn't stand and had fluid building up in her lungs. Despite being hungry and keen to eat and drink, she steadily got worse until it was clear she was suffering terribly, heaving for every rattly breath. I can only think she had a punctured lung or heart failure, both of which would cause a rapid fluid build up.
We had no choice but to put her down quickly and stop her suffering.
Nerys and Ginger were the best chickens we've ever had; so friendly, industrious, and productive.
Worringly, while I was in the paddock retrieving Ginger's body to bury, one of the sheep stormed past me and I realised too late he was charging up to Fleagle, who I hadn't seen had followed me in. It was only because she puffed up and screamed that it pulled up short in surprise,and I had enough time to chase her out, otherwise she would have been trampled like Georgie was.
Enough is enough.
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