Joe is sick

After coming home from work Tuesday evening I found Joe laying down in his pen.  At first I thought he was cowering and hiding from Bert.  I had just let the group out from the big coop to run around the yard and Bert had gone right over to see if he needed to chase Joe away! 

I went into his pen and when I tried to pick him up he did run away but there was not much energy in the attempt to get away from me.  When I picked him up his head hung down and he had to struggle to lift it up.  I immediately set up the dog crate in the house and put him in there.  He doess seem to have the same symptoms that Priscilla did. 

Joe eating a scrambled egg

We are hoping that he will be strong enough to overcome the disease.  Unlike Priscilla, Joe is older and was in good health before he got sick.  Priscilla was small and young and not able to overcome the disease.  I have made him scrambled eggs a few times and he seems excited to eat them.  He is drinking water.  Both drinking and eating are a challenge for him, it is difficult to get his neck and head to go where he wants it. 

Jim is particularly upset because Joe was his favorite (even though Joe would attack him any chance he got!).  So we are hoping and praying that he can make it through.  The fact that he is currently eating and drinking is a great sign.