Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

I am hoping the Guccib will pick up soon. But yes. I am quite joyous right now. I can't believe they are this friendly already.

I can believe it, they are you all the time and associate you with good things

 

[Ponypoor]

Lady Featherington is a Jubilee Orpington.

I love the feather colours, I need one of them or maybe 6 chicks to stuff under my broodies, 2 for each one

 

[ManueB]

You can do an article that is not educational. That's what I did. It's called "member pages".

Thank you, that answers exactly the question I didn't dare ask.
Congratulations on bonding with your three new chooks.

 

[Ponypoor]

I am hoping the Guccib will pick up soon. But yes. I am quite joyous right now. I can't believe they are this friendly already.

Been reading up on the Jubilee Orpington, apparently cold tolerant and docile and friendly

 

[ManueB]

Hey all. I haven't been on for several days and am about to start catching up. First though I want to give you all an update on Bella.
Bella remains very poorly. I sent a throat swab for analysis and had almost convinced myself she had Mycoplasma. She does not.
She has a viral infection called Infectious Laryngotracheitis. It is caused by a herpes-type virus.
It generally comes in moderate or severe forms. The severe has a very high mortality rate (up to 70%) and is characterized by 'gaping' (which she does) and a lot of bloody mucus (which she does not have). The moderate has a lower mortality rate (up to 30%). It is supposed to resolve itself (well go dormant) in about 14 days.
Looks like Bella is going to take us past the average.
Because it is supposed to be a self-limiting disease I decided to tube feed her. I suspect it is at least as traumatic for me as it is for her, particularly as she collapses with exhaustion after every feed.

Thanks to both @micstrachan and @BY Bob for advice along the way.

There is a whole debate about vaccinating the rest of the flock. I will save the details on that for now - Bob just suggested I write an article on it as I have for sure dug deep on the research!

In terms of tube feeding, I have not wanted to swaddle Bella up too tight in a towel because she already feels like she can't breathe and I don't want to make matters worse. So instead I am wrapping her in a bucket (well a dish bowl really) so she can't wriggle away when I am in the middle of feeding her.

So, for Thirsty Thursday here is little Bella in her bucket after getting 55mls of liquid baby bird formula and a raw egg delivered straight into her crop.

My poor baby!

Now I am off to catch up on the thread before her next feed.

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I'm both sorry to hear this and relieved that you have a diagnosis. I feared worse news when you didn't give an update . It's not a disease we hear much about. It shows me that sometimes only a vet or a lab can diagnose, however much we have been ranting on the lack of easy access to specialized avian vets.
I hope very much that since she has survived past the supposed duration of fourteen days she will make it and start getting better!
Is it supposed to be contagious that you think of vaccine ? I will certainly be reading your article if you get to write it.

I am not quite sure I am ready for this, but I have to face facts. Her comb is quite red and she just squatted for me.
I think we may be approaching first egg time.
Isn’t that waaay too soon?
She also jumped onto my arm - she is still my little alien baby!

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It is early, she is only four months old right ?

 

[Kris5902]

Ooo...who is this handsome guy? You've been holding out on me

Be prepared...Alex will 'remind me' he is a 'fake' BR...but I really don't care, he is handsome

No BR genetics at all… in my flock that is, it might be coming from the CCLbar? Sammy is 1/2 CCLbar, Dean is 1/4, But his father might be Cass Isbar Marans X like his mother as well? He is one of the October Truss Babies from Grey Mama going rogue and hatching out 11 in our trusses.

He's quite the looker, and if he's being a gentleman, do you have room for another tribe?

I think so, if he continues to behave as well as he does… I don’t really love how far he takes the 3-4 ladies that look to be his little tribe up the woods NorthEast of here, but he also treats Sammy and Dean with their top Rooster Respect, and none of his girls have been hurt or worn bare by him so things are looking good so far. As for room… plenty as long as they continue to behave in the communal Coop for Roosting and not fight each other I’ve got 49 in the Free Rangers with just Sammy, Dean, him, and Spike. I’m going to have to figure out a name I suppose.

 

[Kris5902]

My day of doing diddly-squat ended abruptly at 2 min to 4 when the fire alarms went off in the workplace….

Of course my first thought was ‘you have got to be kidding, I was just about to leave!’

So much had to go through the exit the building go muster in the emergency area, do the head count, then wait for the all clear. Now I should point out that I work in safety on my real work so I take it very seriously. BUT having said that I should also point out that the fire safety guy was working on the system and there was a 99.9 percent chance he tripped the system - which he did….

It was a great exercise for everyone but I just wish it could have happened at 2pm rather than 4pm

More whining tax for being a big baby

Finally made it home so I can play with the chooks and geegees

yep I was thinking that afterwards

But I still miss him….

Note: if you ignore the alarms and continue working, the fire department usually gets very cross with you, also if you insist on walking in and clocking in, because if you have one more tardy you will be “separated” for it (public transit sucks in Vancouver for reliability and I was usually an hour early, but when I wasn’t it was often because of a bridge jumper, tree across the only road to the bridge, or catastrophic sky train issues), no, you don’t understand… alarms or no, they will use that as an excuse to can me! Oh and they also get angry when you block the emergency exits… including with the signage and tape to stop people from blocking the exit (you blocked them from blocking the exit, and in doing so just blocked the exit! ) other no-no include filling your electrical room with so much junk it can’t be accessed. Some really fun times at that store.

 

[the_kitchen__drawer]

Today our hens decided they needed some free ranging time and pulled a grand escape heist

aka

After one of the bars in our run was damaged, the ducks figured out how to volleyball themselves against the mesh until it bulged.

We had the wonderful sight of three ducks and two hens outside of the run, just in the yard. All doors shut, no idea how it happened. Until the fourth duck made a break for freedom... it was short lived.

Everyone received treats after coming back inside to the tune of "it's time to go home."

the face of a victor, one who will be back for blood

 

[RoyalChick]

How many weeks old?

16 weeks. She is still a baby!

Though I admit she has developed quite a disapproving way of staring at me!

 

[RoyalChick]

Evidently, the signals are coming in strong & heating up her reception area. Be careful...suddenly hopping onto your arm may be an indication of an impending 'probe;'for information. Hopefully it is done the human way - by inquisition - not by body cavity...well, you know.

Given her breed, I would think she would be on the early as opposed to the later end of the spectrum. She is coming up on 16 weeks..or just at 16 weeks, yes? I would say 16-18 weeks for her breed. Bella, even if she wasn't sick, would be more like 20-22 weeks, from my experience...and given her being ill @ this point in time, might delay it even more. (Notice I say 'might delay it even more'; with your excellent care, I am thinking positive that she will pull through this and lay you some very nice shade of deep brown eggs that you will 'ooh and ahhh' over!)

Wow. I was thinking like 5-6 months.
I need to adjust my thinking. Bernadette looks a long way off. Her comb is barely there let alone red.