Respiratory Infection

Amelia Update

Amelia is still battling her respiratory infection/ mycoplasma.  She has been making a shocking amount of noise when she breathes and has been constantly swallowing due to her toxic, sore throat.  I have been trying to ensure she drinks plenty of water - as this is where the medication is dispersed.  She has been fighting me a fair bit as I have tried to tip the water cup up to her beak each night.  So I thought it best just to find another angle.

You can take a hen to water...

But she isn't drinking enough of it to get the full effect of the medication.  So I've approached it differently.  Amelia has a terribly sore throat and although she does eat dry food, she is equally partial to wet mash.  I imagine it is a lot kinder on her throat.  So yesterday when I made her mash, I sprinkled the anti biotic powder on top, poured the usual boiling water on to the lot, allowed the mash to cool and then gave it to her.  Hey presto, medication administered.  She's been tucking in to the mash and it now doesn't matter too much if she isn't drinking a great deal.  

I'm probably imaginging it, but I think she is sounding better already.  She is able to make chicken noises again, as opposed to making a sound as though she has a plastic bag stuck in her throat. 

I had her on my lap on Tuesday for some extra warmth - here she is.