Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

OK, you can laugh if you want to, but does anyone know how many pieces of grit a chicken eats a day?
Trying to motivate Bella using the corn kernels she seems to love but I have been tube feeding her formula for so long I worry that she won’t be able to break them up to digest because of lack of grit.
So, and this is where you get to laugh, I have been inserting individual bits of grit into individual kernels of corn in order to trick her into taking in some grit.
I got her to eat 10 pieces of grit. Any ideas if that is enough for now?

Here she is in my arms and here is Lulu come to say hello. Lulu’s comb is getting a bit wild!

View attachment 3200707View attachment 3200708View attachment 3200709

You are a wonderful chicken mama!

 

[rural mouse]

Sunset this evening.

Storm trying to blow up from the south, Hector tried to mount (and cornered) Cuckoo in the coop. Finally enough to get Cheetah to hop down and go after him. Half the Littles hunkered down I side the olive trees (Whiskey went back out to get them). Maizie got lonely (or something) without Whiskey so decided my shoulder/head was a comforting place to settle. Wound up moving across the coop with her so she could hop off on the lower cross roost. Took the above pic on my way back in after the crazies finally settled and the doors were secured. Still no storm, just the wind from the edges.

Edit: can smell the rain, though

 

[micstrachan]

Thank you.
She certainly thinks so!
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Lulu is GORGEOUS!!!

 

[BY Bob]

Beyond adorable! Is this another maine coon? My sister has a young cat who us becoming massive; we’re thinking he's probably part maine coon. I’ll look for a pic.

Enzo is from the same barn where we got Davis 9 years ago. We are calling them some kind of cousins. Davis is a big cat and part Norwegian Forest Cat for sure. But we have no idea what Enzo will be.

 

[BY Bob]

Sunset this evening.View attachment 3204890 Storm trying to blow up from the south, Hector tried to mount (and cornered) Cuckoo in the coop. Finally enough to get Cheetah to hop down and go after him. Half the Littles hunkered down I side the olive trees (Whiskey went back out to get them). Maizie got lonely (or something) without Whiskey so decided my shoulder/head was a comforting place to settle. Wound up moving across the coop with her so she could hop off on the lower cross roost. Took the above pic on my way back in after the crazies finally settled and the doors were secured. Still no storm, just the wind from the edges.

Edit: can smell the rain, though

That is spectacular!

 

[featherhead007]

You are a good neighbor!

I’m a sucker for a sad story.

 

[fuentemoon]

Wow. Car troubles can be so frustrating. Could you take an Uber to work?

Thank you for the reminder Bob, downloaded uber and lyft and got a discount code for lyft. Ride to work with bus home.

 

[BY Bob]

Thank you for the reminder Bob, downloaded uber and lyft and got a discount code for lyft. Ride to work with bus home.

I thought it might be obvious but I figured why not suggest it. I'm glad I helped.

 

[micstrachan]

My male cat, Grochatila, was absent for 24 hours which isn't that unusual for him.
However we just found him like this, he's been stung near the eye, probably by a hornet.
We'll see if he's better tomorrow morning otherwise he's going to the vet . His behaviour is normal- he is his usual sleepy Garfield self.
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Aww, poor guy.

 

[micstrachan]

Stay of execution
Here is a short update on my beloved Bella Dracula. She has not been doing well at all. I think I already posted that she had stopped eating and drinking and I had decided to tube feed her. My thinking was that she is young and has a known viral infection which will most likely pass.
All was going well though she was dropping weight and getting weaker.
Then her crop started to slow and I couldn't tube feed her if her crop was already full without risk of aspiration. So she was getting less food and fluid. She has become physically very weak but mentally all there and interested in her surroundings and chatting to her buddies.
On Sunday I brought her in for a few hours because it was so unbearably hot. She delivered a quite normal poop and was interested in eating frozen corn kernels. I started to hope again.
Then Monday all action stopped. No reduction in crop size overnight or during the day and no poop. I resolved that if that was still the case this morning I would take her to be euthanised because starving to death did not seem like a humane way to die.
Sure enough early this morning there had been no poop overnight and her crop was the same size as on Monday and Sunday night with nothing having gone in.
As soon as the vet opened I made an appointment for her to be euthanised. I would be able to do it myself if she were in extreme pain - but when I pick her up she perks up and looks around and sometimes grooms my hair or my shirt. I didn't trust myself not to waver.
Appointment made I went back to the Chicken Palace to give her her 'last meal'. She had pooped and her crop was a little bit smaller. So I called the vet back and said I wasn't sure and I just needed her help with the decision.
Off we went. I opened up the cardboard box at the vet and Bella periscoped up. She devoured more corn and a treat the vet offered her.
The vet said, I think she needs more time.

Nobody get excited by this - I have been there 3 times already this last week - the difference here is I made it all the way to the vet.
But for now, Bella gets to live another day.
I on the other hand am completely exhausted with the stress of it all.

Oh gosh, RC. I’m so sorry about all the stress. I hope to read ahead and learn that Bella improved.