Christina Websell wrote:
I'm not happy with one of the Pieds. She is showing signs of illness
(drooping tail, vent pasted with white today and walking slowly) I have a 7
day guarantee but if I remember rightly it was a referral to vet at their
expense.
My idea, if she is no better tomorrow is to return her, and get a better one
from the same group, another one from the group I got her from should slot
in quickly as they have only been apart for 2 days. Let *them* take her to
the vet. They cost 18.99 each phew and I really don't want to drive 10
miles to the vet for a chicken I just got.
Do you all think my stance is reasonable?

Seems fair enough to me, replacing like with like. 18.99 seems an awful
lot. We get PoL birds from Cambridge Poultry, and I'm sure they are only
10 pound each, and that was considered pricey (but for reliable quality)

Btw, I mentioned "walking slowly" In my years of experience of keeping
poultry, this is a very serious sign (along with other signs of illness)
that I noticed means "I am very ill, and despite what you do, I will die"

Our white chicken which I thought was on her last legs last year is still
plodding about slowly and with a bit of a limp, but has also still managed
a few eggs on and off. She's not dropped dead yet.

Of course hens can choose to walk slowly or quickly when they are in full
health. I know the signs of an ill hen and I have one.
I could kick myself for choosing her. I rejected her once because when I
handled her she felt thin. She had a big comb and wattles and I thought
she might come into lay soon, so when I picked her up again, I thought well
maybe she got bullied off the food.
I should have trusted my instinct and knowledge.
Baad decision.

Always best to go with first instinct.

The first 2 Nick got, before he knew what to look for, were both very
sluggish and dull. It wasn't until he got someone else to look at them
and we took them back and replaced with 'better' ones, and we realised
that complacent acceptance of handling wasn't 'normal'.