RIP Holly

This morning I walked down to the allotment hoping that Holly would be back to her usual self. Unfortunately, she still looked very ropey. Cliff came to lend a hand with giving her a dose of cinder vinegar. As he opened up her beak I spotted some yellowish lumps at the side of her throat. It turns out that Holly had an compacted throat, not a worm. It’s more common to have a compacted crop which can cause major issues but because Holly’s blockage was so much higher up, it was blocking her breathing. This is what made it look like she had gape worm. As we attempted to remove the blockage, Holly slipped away.

Vorwerks are gorgeous chickens and although not friendly like other breeds, they get used to you. Their white eggs are my husband’s favourite. Holly and Molly were the first chicks we managed to hatch thanks to the borrowing of Cliff’s Silkie-cross broody. I’m not sure how Molly will manage without her sister to protect her but maybe she will toughen up.