The Poultry Keeper

UG123 · Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 53 Location: Nth. lincolnshire

Hey, hey, shut up with all this legal s**t!!!! Shocked

I'll do what the h*ll I want to do with my chicken, and I'm telling you, I'm not being cruel to her! I'm not that kind of person!!!!! Mad

For your information, I've rung the three vets nearest to me, and explained the situation (including the fact that I'm 14 years old) and their prices are all in exess of £15 - that's not including any prescribed medication. I don't have that kind of money, and my parents aren't willing to pay that much just for one chicken, which may or may not pull through anyway! It's more three times what they paid for the chicken in the first place! We're doing all we can the natural way, and it seems to be slowly working. A friend of mine who's owned chickens for most of her life has had a look at the chook in question, and given me some advice, which I'm following. if the situation gets [i]illegally[/i] bad, I'll cull her (nice and humanely Wink

), but I'm sure that's not necessary just yet. Please, I'm seeking friendly advice, not accusation of cruelty to animals. - Please either help me out or butt out!!!!!!!!! Shocked

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7153 Location: isle of lewis

i'm sure you are Smile

.i think you just sound like an adult you where very knowledgable describing her symtoms ,i think we all try to do our best and sometimes hold on to hope Smile

,which is a good thing in some cases ,i'm sure that if the worst comes to the worst you will do what is right for her Crying or Very sad

,you sound like you are trying to your best for her Very Happy

suz

debcat · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 8:25 pm Post subject:

I hope she continues to improve and am sure you are doing your best for her Smile

and will recognise when she has had enough Sad

have you tried bathing her eye, I have one that has a continually sticky eye. Golden eye ointment is meant to be good and I'm sure it won't cost much
Good luck

Lisa · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:43 pm Post subject:

Steph, you just keep doing your best for your chook, as I am sure you are. Please keep us posted on how you get on. Wishing you all the best - whatever you decide to do.

fenwoman · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 10:45 pm Post subject:

Oh yes I'm sure you are doing all you can you poor thing. Commiserations. She isn't worth getting to a vet I agree as it is only a cheap chicken.
or.....
you cannot do what you want with her, there are laws which say otherwise. If you prefer to allow her to suffer and judging by the symptomns you describe, the is suffering, then you are breakijng the law. Perhaps that doesn't mean much to you or your parents but it should since THEY will be the ones prosecuted by the RSPCA and get their names in the papers. I phoned 6 vets in north Lincs late this afternoon and the consultation fee for a chicken ranged from £5 to £7.
I make no apologies for calling you a fibber and saying that if your parents are not prepared to give proper care to animals they own (you are not legally old enough to own them) then they should not have them.
No doubt the moderators will now haul me over the coals for being blunt and telling you about your legal and moral obligations instead of being all nicey nicey and pretending it doesn't matter that you are leaving a bird to suffer and die slowly but in my present frame of mind, frankly I couldn't care less.
Keeping chickens is not about how little they are worth it is about giving them proper care no matter how little they are worth because YOU chose to get THEM.

Bhindi · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:18 pm Post subject:

Crikey.. come on now, this is getting unnecessarily heavy, Im sure your right about legal obligations, but if you carry on in that slant then we might as well ask steph to close the Clinic forum down or head it with a statement .. dont ask .. go to the bl**dy vets NOW..

Maybe you are not in the bestest of moods, but please dont attack a well meaning member of this forum who is doing her best..albeit in her opinion and not yours..

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7153 Location: isle of lewis

hi steph
i'm sure that you are doing your best for your bird ,other wise you would not have asked for advise if you didn't care you do have a duty to care for your bird but i'm sure that there are many on here that have hoped against hope that they would recover ,if you do feel that you have to cull then you might have to get your friend who is an experienced chicken keeper to do your cull for you ,and i'm glad that you asked for advise
i was wondering is there a pdsa near you maybe they could help
suz

Lisa · Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 9:07 am Post subject:

Hmmm....

Steph, from what you've written you are aware you have a sick animal and you are treating it. Garlic and honey (manuka honey in particular) are known natural remedies for staph infections and wounds. Hardly an act of cruelty Rolling Eyes

so IMHO scaremongering about prosecutions were totally unnecessary and uncalled for.

You are obviously caring for your chook, and trying to get her to eat and drink. So you know that's especially important when they are ill. (I am assuming here that you are out during the day, like most people, and so can only tend to her when its dark). It will be useful to see what she's like over the weekend - hopefully you'll be able to get a better idea of her condition then.

Many of us on here have nursed sick chickens for days (probably even weeks in some cases) before either seeing an improvement, or deciding it is in the chicken's best interest to call it a day. Each case is an individual. A chicken may still be ill, but it is not fair to assume just because it is ill that it is suffering unnecessarily.

Please don't be disheartened by Fenwoman's post. There are many people on here who will offer you what help and support they can, whether they agree with you or not, without getting personal or confrontational.

So once again: Good Luck! and please come back and let us know how you get on.

Motherbird · Joined: 26 Oct 2005 Posts: 54 Location: Dorset

I would just like to put my 'oar' in. Very interesting string, and can see all points of view and feel for everyone, and the chicken. It does, however, highlight a 'pet' hate of mine. That being the horrendous prices vets charge these days. Vets and Dentists seem to be the cruelest people in the country, along with estate agents and solicitors! I will stick to vets. Years ago I had a very sick hamster, and a vet came out to the surgery to put it down for me at 12:30 in the morning. He charged me £3.50. I was so grateful as I was very poor. That man was a true carer of animals. The vets today, seem to hurt my pet more than necessary and bill me vast amounts. It is no wonder people avoid going to them. I have yet to find a vet that knows anything about chickens, in my area. I am grateful to sites like this, that have taught me to know what symptoms to look out for, and have found them far more knowledgeable than any local vet, as I live in a large town.

Motherbird · Joined: 26 Oct 2005 Posts: 54 Location: Dorset

http://www.poultry.baytril.com/70/About_Baytril_in_Poultry.htm
I cannot find a site that sells baytril. Perhaps somebody else would know how to get some?

Lisa · Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 3:06 pm Post subject:

To the best of my knowledge it is a prescription only veterinary medicine. This means you need a prescription from a vet that has seen the animal (at least once) beforehand to be legally able to prescribe it to you for that animal.

You do not have to buy it from that vet, but you would need the prescription before another place would sell it to you.

I have heard of people buying drugs from abroad, but I do not know how that works or the legalities of it.

Just stating the facts as I understand them...

1 Chicken Smuggler · Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Posts: 178

I believe it is sold by vet supplies in the United States without a prescription--I have no problems getting drugs that you all seem to need a prescription for.

CP · Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 4:03 pm Post subject:

Just goes to show the differences between your country & ours. Rolling Eyes

As far as I know you can't buy it over the counter here. Wink

Who is to say which is right or wrong though?

Motherbird · Joined: 26 Oct 2005 Posts: 54 Location: Dorset

I, for one, would like to be able to buy Baytril. It is a very good, and widely used antibiotic, by vets. Perhaps if it were available for people to buy, vets would lose a large income?

1 Chicken Smuggler · Joined: 11 Dec 2005 Posts: 178

Shipping is what would eat you up--but it is worth it since you would get enough to treat and have some on hand.Don`t know what customs would be,guess it depends on how it it shipped.