My Cockerel Back from the Brink in the Cold Snap

 Ten days ago my beautiful but aged cockerel, Ali, was looking deathly cold and hunched up. He came in and stood in the animal carrier for a while until he warmed up; he went out again to be with his girls for the night but the next day looked even worse with his body so hunched, his head was vertically above his tail. He came in again in the morning and soon slumped down in the carrier, tucking his head into his neck feathers.

He lay like that, flat and totally motionless, for 24 hours; we touched him every so often to see if he was still alive and he would groan, ‘go away and leave me alone’. I was convinced he was dying but my son, Hamish, put him right next to a hot radiator. The next morning we could not believe our eyes – he was standing up and crowing – a deafening sound within four walls! We moved him into a dog cage and for the next few really cold nights he has come in for the night.

Now he is pretty much back to normal but sensibly manages to grab the warmest spot for the night between a couple of big girls!