The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[speckledhen]

Mary will be gone today. Her comb is black. And I do believe that Hector jumped on her from above. Even though she will not open her eyes this a.m., when you run your hand down her back, she does this flinching thing when you get close to the oil gland area, so she is showing definite signs of pain. He could have fractured her spine, though she was managing to get around a little bit until now.

My Blue Partridge pullet, Bonnie, is full-on broody. Unfortunately, I do not have eggs from Hector's group other than Thea's. Jill is not laying and hasn't since Mary was hurt. They'd be really too small anyway. BUT, I have eggs from both Zara and Athena and the Brahmas. whose eggs are larger than the BR pullets', so I could give her a few to try her luck at it.

I was thinking about the division of girls to Hector and Apollo. I think I should give Zara, Lizzie and Rowena to Hector. I could leave Athena with Apollo since she's only a half sister, and add Jill and Thea just so he had one more girl and they're used to Apollo already. They'd have three girls each.

 

[getaclue]

They did the surgery, and only lost me twice. No, I didn't die on the table, they actually "misplaced" me. They're not sure if the surgery "took", but think so. They did take a couple tissue samples, and sent them to be biopsied, so I will get the results of that next week. I was in ICU for 2 days, private room, competent staff, which was NICE, then they moved me to the dreaded 7th. floor. I complained enough they sent in the supervising floor nurse. When we talked, and I made reasonable assessments on what the staff was doing incorrectly, she wasted no time in addressing the issues, so things actually got pretty good after that.

The one issue she wanted to address was the situation with lady in the bed next to me. Her family was homeless. There were two of them, not including the lady in the bed, and there was a baby. She was on the back side of the room. When visiting hours were over, they would sneak into the bathroom to wait until the coast was clear, then go back into her side, pulling the curtain shut behind them. They were entitled to one complimentary guest meal, so all 4 of them were eating the lady's meal, and the guest meal, 3 times a day, every day. They took all the recliners, and were all spending their nights there. They knew the schedule for vitals, and labs, so they would hide in the bathroom while the nurses were doing their thing, then emerge once again when the nurses left. The staff had no idea this was going on. The supervising floor nurse did let them know that they had to leave the room after visiting hours, and could sleep in the recliners in one of the lobbies, until further arrangements were made. She must have really gotten onto the staff for their carelessness, and lack of observation, since they let this slide right under their noses.

One of the things I had complained about was the nurses not coming quickly when I would push the call button for them to come measure my fluid output in the bathroom. Normally, it should be no big deal, but the other family members would go dump the content, or add to it, so when the nurses didn't address it quickly, the results were incorrect. Yeah, head nurse was NOT happy about that. All I know is, after she began taking care of things, my nurses were much better to me.

I got home yesterday afternoon. My phone was ringing nonstop. I got situated, took a pain pill, turned the phone off, and slept.

 

[speckledhen]

They did the surgery, and only lost me twice. No, I didn't die on the table, they actually "misplaced" me. They're not sure if the surgery "took", but think so. They did take a couple tissue samples, and sent them to be biopsied, so I will get the results of that next week. I was in ICU for 2 days, private room, competent staff, which was NICE, then they moved me to the dreaded 7th. floor. I complained enough they sent in the supervising floor nurse. When we talked, and I made reasonable assessments on what the staff was doing incorrectly, she wasted no time in addressing the issues, so things actually got pretty good after that.

The one issue she wanted to address was the situation with lady in the bed next to me. Her family was homeless. There were two of them, not including the lady in the bed, and there was a baby. She was on the back side of the room. When visiting hours were over, they would sneak into the bathroom to wait until the coast was clear, then go back into her side, pulling the curtain shut behind them. They were entitled to one complimentary guest meal, so all 4 of them were eating the lady's meal, and the guest meal, 3 times a day, every day. They took all the recliners, and were all spending their nights there. They knew the schedule for vitals, and labs, so they would hide in the bathroom while the nurses were doing their thing, then emerge once again when the nurses left. The staff had no idea this was going on. The supervising floor nurse did let them know that they had to leave the room after visiting hours, and could sleep in the recliners in one of the lobbies, until further arrangements were made. She must have really gotten onto the staff for their carelessness, and lack of observation, since they let this slide right under their noses.

One of the things I had complained about was the nurses not coming quickly when I would push the call button for them to come measure my fluid output in the bathroom. Normally, it should be no big deal, but the other family members would go dump the content, or add to it, so when the nurses didn't address it quickly, the results were incorrect. Yeah, head nurse was NOT happy about that. All I know is, after she began taking care of things, my nurses were much better to me.

I got home yesterday afternoon. My phone was ringing nonstop. I got situated, took a pain pill, turned the phone off, and slept.

Geez, Louise? Really? Homeless people were basically living in your hospital room? That is completely UNACCEPTABLE! I'm so sorry you had to endure that while you were trying to recover post-surgery! I've never heard of something like that happening.
Well, thankfully, you're home and you can sleep! Nothing like being blissfully unconscious when pain is the alternative! Hopes for a fast recovery for you, Cheryl. You sure have stories to tell now, don't you?

 

[1muttsfan]

Glad to hear the surgery went well, and that you are home safe.

Cyn, that all sounds very reasonable to me. They are such pretty girls, all of them, and hopefully you will get some more.

Full on broody after just starting to lay? Really?? That is why I avoid broody breeds - I like me my eggs

 

[speckledhen]

Glad to hear the surgery went well, and that you are home safe.

Cyn, that all sounds very reasonable to me. They are such pretty girls, all of them, and hopefully you will get some more.

Full on broody after just starting to lay? Really?? That is why I avoid broody breeds - I like me my eggs

Well, my other two Brahmas were never broody so I did not expect this so soon.

It's over. Mary is gone. We opened her up and no broken egg, liver was healthy, couldn't locate the heart but we had an old scalpel and I was trying to take a few pics with my left hand and holding the skin open with my right for my husband. She was full of fluid, I mean FULL. It was a geyser when we first cut into her and pushed a little. Mary, I'll sent you a few pics. Could the fluid be from the back injury? We just gave up after awhile, trying to do it on the bench outside with the cat lurking around or I'd have found the heart and checked that out. It was hard to convince DH to even do it. He hates it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Well, my other two Brahmas were never broody so I did not expect this so soon.

It's over. Mary is gone. We opened her up and no broken egg, liver was healthy, couldn't locate the heart but we had an old scalpel and I was trying to take a few pics with my left hand and holding the skin open with my right for my husband. She was full of fluid, I mean FULL. It was a geyser when we first cut into her and pushed a little. Mary, I'll sent you a few pics. Could the fluid be from the back injury? We just gave up after awhile, trying to do it on the bench outside with the cat lurking around or I'd have found the heart and checked that out. It was hard to convince DH to even do it. He hates it.

That's Too bad. Ascites can be see in rapidly growing meat chickens, but your Mary wasn't one of those. I might suspect heart disease. Another cause can be too much salt consumption, but you probably already know all this. I don't know if it could be caused by a back injury, she might have just been very uncomfortable with all the extra liquid. I'm sorry you lost her, she was much too young.

 

[Wyatt0224]

I'm sorry to hear Mary passed away. Way to young. Can't wait to see what the babies will look like with Bonnie. Do you know how many you are going to give her?

And glad to hear the surgery went well.

 

[Pyxis]

So sorry you lost Mary

I too am excited to see the babies you let Bonnie hatch, I bet they will be gorgeous.

 

[speckledhen]

That's Too bad. Ascites can be see in rapidly growing meat chickens, but your Mary wasn't one of those. I might suspect heart disease. Another cause can be too much salt consumption, but you probably already know all this. I don't know if it could be caused by a back injury, she might have just been very uncomfortable with all the extra liquid. I'm sorry you lost her, she was much too young.

The color looked like egg yolk peritonitis-I sent Mary photos of some of her insides. I've never had it in a heritage/breeder quality girl and certainly, never in one this young, though I had a hatchery GL Wyandotte at a year and a half old with EYP, but those all have sucky genetics so not unexpected. I'm not sure of the back injury. I know when I palpated her abdomen a couple days ago, it was not that enlarged, not so I'd think there was much wrong. The fluid was all through her body, not just her abdomen. Poor Mary.
****I still think there was some injury, though it may not be what killed her. She definitely had pain in her back, more than I would see for just EYP. Could be she was moving slowly, which made it more difficult for her to get out of Hector's way.
Lisa, she would not have gotten a lot of salt because we rarely give our chickens any scraps, just their 22% layer plus the 16% game cock conditioner for their scratch, plus the occasional scrambled eggs (not salted) with yogurt and other supplements.

I'm sorry to hear Mary passed away. Way to young. Can't wait to see what the babies will look like with Bonnie. Do you know how many you are going to give her?

And glad to hear the surgery went well.

I gave Bonnie 8 eggs, 4 from Apollo's pen and 4 from the Brahma pen. I know whose is whose with Athena and Zara, but I have not much idea of who each Brahma egg belongs to except maybe the speckled one might be Betsy's. Not sure of the fertility on those Brahmas which is why I gave her that many eggs, total.

So sorry you lost Mary

I too am excited to see the babies you let Bonnie hatch, I bet they will be gorgeous.

4 BRs and 4 Brahmas. Apollo will be a daddy for the first time ever. I wish I'd had Mary or Jill's eggs but they were really small anyway. Hatch Day will be February 19 since it was mid-afternoon yesterday when I put them under her, so today is officially Day One.

 

[GabrielBane]

Cyn, what're your thoughts on the Rocks sold from Brinkhaven in Ohio?? I just won 20+ chicks from them in the Barred and Silver Penciled varieties. Excited to have them. Haven't had rocks since High school.