I think I'll just see how they go for a few days and if it starts to look worse again then I'll ring the vet and ask what he thinks about doing another week. There's loads left in the bottle as 1ml in half a litre of water was more than enough for a day for them.
Why not phone the vet tomorrow? They may advise a longer course and you wouldn't want a break in meds in case it sets her back.
Each time they were out for about half an hour, between showers, under very strict supervision. And each time they went back in of their own accord when it started raining again and were given a little of their day's scratch ration in their run for being good girls! They enjoyed nibbling on the grass and dandelions and were able to stretch their wings properly and Phoebe took off and flew a couple of yards across the lawn Angel and Rainbow came within about a foot of where I was squatting but Phoebe kept her distance.
I don't know if it was coincidence or not but there wasn't a single sneeze when they were outside. After something I read I'm now wondering if the soggy straw in the run might be a trigger so I'm going to see if I can come up with some play sand for the run to see if that makes any difference.
They look so adorable You are right soggy straw is not good, if it is on the floor of th e run I def would use something else. You may also find they will eat wet straw, mine always do so if anyone lays a softie.
I tried to order/reserve some play sand from Arg0s but something wasn't working right on their site so last night I moved the ark onto the lawn for the time being. The girls seemed thrilled when they came out of their coop (which must have been a bit odd with all the swaying around and muttering as I dragged it over there) and found lots of tasty grass, clover and dandelions in their run! I hope it doesn't get too muddy but I suppose I'll be moving the ark every couple of days.
A couple of days ago I started off with fermenting their pellets and it is just starting to have a slightly fermented smell. They ate it up nicely today with oregano sprinkled on top so they weren't too full of grass to tuck in.
I've also started trying to sprout some seeds in fabric bags for them. It will be interesting to see if I manage to keep it nice as I haven't done too well trying to do mung beans for myself in the past!
I thought I'd move the ark without the girls in it today so I put their two food bowls the other side of the lawn and they ran over quite happily when I tapped them with my nail so they knew what it was. While I was shifting it the cat came out to see what was going on. The girls nipped out of his way and squawked a bit and Spongebob completely ignored them and started eating their food I shut him in the house while I finished the job so they could eat in peace but I was quite pleased by both the reactions.
There's still occasional sneezing but I'm making sure to check often and there's no sign of any mucus or puffy eyes or any other symptoms.
Before I built the Walk-in Run I had them in an arc in the orchard with a flock-net surrounding the arc. I could usually move the arc while they were in the run and vv. But when the apples were ripe they had to come down near the house (I thought too many windfalls might be bad for them, and their attentions might be bad for my low hanging fruit).
The first time we moved the arc was quite funny. They followed us at first, then ran back to the old place. It took several attempt at OH ushering and me rattling a food tub - hens follow - hens think 'Oh help, we are too far from home' - dash back, dodging past OH's legs. Got there eventually.
My arc had a ridge pole that stuck out so that we could lift it, how do you get hold of yours? Mind you ours must have been heavier, it was 3'x3' house + 3'x6' run. It took 2 to lift it and carrying it far was quite an effort.
Mine has handles on the doors at each end. It's jolly heavy so I move it a few inches one end and then a few from the other end and I have to be a bit careful not to gouge chunks out of the lawn with the corner I'm rotating it on.
I was working in the charity shop and we stayed at my OH's place last night so it was nearly the girls' bedtime by the time I was home to feed them. I picked Angel out to give her a check over and she sat on top of the ark and had a little pinch of mealworms without the other two seeing. She's getting quite used to me handling her now and comes towards me instead of running off. While sitting up there she had a rather watery dropping which I was just starting to worry about when I remembered that they'd had melon for their treat last night (and not much food earlier today although as they're now on grass they won't actually starve).
I need to get the other two girls used to being handled too (especially Phoebe who could probably do with the odd snack away from the others) but they're much more standoffish than Angel.
I have done the pivot-lift too, but I think it strained the arc. These portable houses aren't very portable after all.
I think it would count as portable with two people but my kids are too small and my OH lives 3.5 miles away so I just have to manage as best I can.
Funny girls are now sleeping with Phoebe right up at one end on the perch and the other two squeezed into the corner of the coop underneath her but I suppose if they're happy it doesn't matter. When we've moved I'd like to convert a shed so they can have a nice high perch that's out of reach of any big chickens we might get!
I noticed this evening that Rainbow's chest was hideously deformed and, horrified, popped her in the cat basket while I came in to see if I could diagnose what dire condition she might be afflicted with. Only to get halfway through typing "chicken with lopsided breast" into google before discovering umpteen people being told it was just an over-full crop So one very greedy little madam has earned herself a night in the cat basket so I can check it's emptied by the morning. Serves her right for being such a little piggy and keeping the others away from the food bowls... Maybe I'll serve breakfast before letting her out so the other two can get a good helping first.
And tonight they are all very good girls too as I peeped in on them at bedtime and they were all lined up on their perch in their bedroom so it actually was worth making the perch and the wall to keep them out of the draught!
I got the play sand today as the lawn wasn't holding up at all well to having the ark on it. Not the girls messing it up but me walking over it and dragging the ark back and forth. So now the girls are back on the cement with sand in the run and I think I need to get the right sort of rake to use on it as the lawn one didn't seem to do much good.
While I was moving the ark it started to hail and the girls ran straight to where I'd just moved it from. Angel and Rainbow milled around wondering why there were still cold hard things falling on them but Phoebe had the sense to run into the flowerbed for some shelter. It was a bit of a job getting them back into the ark but I managed to corner Angel and Phoebe near the door by tempting them with some sprouted seeds and then had to catch Rainbow who was handily sitting on top of the ark. First time I've caught her by hand in the open!