Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

University Know It All

Can’t argue with my niece she knows it all…

I told her off about the coop ( ugh!) and the ratty condition of the hens and that I felt they had scaly leg mites.

But my big thing is the condition of their feathers.

Can you guys look at Larry closely and check out her feathers by her gland and her tail feathers. How would they get so ratty? There is no rooster.

 

[Ponypoor]

Also….

Can you zoom in on Tuff’s feet and check out the scales that look like they are lifting,

 

[bgmathteach]

Hey don’t look at me! This is how my day goes lately - take today for instance….

Went to the barn and greeted the gang and let them out in the Rooster Run, get the wheelbarrow and start mucking out, empty the barrow, next stall, empty barrow, check the chickens, and make sure the gals are laying eggs in the hen house.

Back to the last stall, empty barrow, oh the horses are here, they need grooming, brush the horses, give them some loving….

Check the chickens, check for eggs, play with the chickens, treats…..

Check out BYC, post some pics, check for eggs, oh darn forgot to finish stalls, bed down stalls, fill water buckets. Check BYC post some comments and photos, play with chickens check eggs…. Go to my sisters and dose my nieces hens…

Back home, play with chickens, post pics on BYC, oh darn time to feed horses and bring them in… put chickens to bed, check out BYC… oh darn almost 6, need supper.

And here it is almost 9 I haven done evening chores yet because I am watching BBC shows and researching scaly leg mites and posting on BYC! A most productive day I would say! Doing diddly squat!

And so it goes!

Oh, but it is so fun doing 'diddly squat' with the chickies & horses! Besides, the best way to bond with them and the best stress relief is 'doing diddly-squat' with the chickies!!!!

@RoyalChick : you work very hard each day protecting the girls when they are out. And, it is clear that they think of you as both servant and protective Rooster....why else would they sleep/sun bathe under the protection of your chair?

Diddly Squat tax:

"Hey mom, stop doing diddly squat and let us out!

Ha! While Mum is doing Diddly squat, I'll escape over the fence! (te, he, he!)

 

[bgmathteach]

University Know It All

Can’t argue with my niece she knows it all…

I told her off about the coop ( ugh!) and the ratty condition of the hens and that I felt they had scaly leg mites.

But my big thing is the condition of their feathers.

Can you guys look at Larry closely and check out her feathers by her gland and her tail feathers. How would they get so ratty? There is no rooster.

View attachment 3318018

? Possibly feather/Red Mites?

That looks kind of like my girls who are the 'special ones' and get too much attention from a rooster. But usually the tail feathers, while not pristine, aren't that tatty. It looks like she is partially moulted...the front part of her has nicely coloured, pristine looking feathers. Maybe a combo of mites and tail hasn't molted yet???

Maybe @BY Bob or @Shadrach has some better/more informed ideas?

 

[ValarieF]

Have my neurologist appt this morning to find out about memory test and deficit and what else can be done. Didn't think I could make the drive with my back out but I did a televisit with the dr yesterday morning and got steroids and muscle relaxers so my back feels much better this morning. Chooks were waiting by the door for me to let them out, Hades is screaming up a storm but still not a crow yet. He's getting there his squawk is changing.

 

[ManueB]

Hello everyone. I have no success at all in getting thirsty pictures today but wanted to chime in about a few things.

@ChicoryBlue regarding sweet peanut. I'm no expert at all, but I've unfortunately had experiences with both egg bound hens and internal laying leading to egg yolk peritonitis. An egg bound hen will not act better if she hasn't laid. However in the cases I've seen the eggs that come out are not normal and the hens don't consider that they are eggs so they will basically pop them anywhere. Yes, if the egg comes out with a soft broken shell and the hens get to it first, it's possible that there remains almost nothing and you miss it. Sometimes I've found just a tiny piece of membrane under the roost or saw that the straw was damp.from the egg white they couldn't eat. However, usually you can find a least a little trace of something if you look everywhere.
Next, regarding EYP and possible salpingitis. Do you remember the exact last times peanut laid, and whether her egg was typical for her (big and oval,) or if something specific had happened ? Have you seen her trying to lay in the nests without success ? These were signs I didn't understand to be indicating EYP for my hen Caramel. In her case, she had also a mass in the abdomen which stopped her from breathing normally. Can you feel anything when handling Peanut, either a mass or an abnormally loose abdomen ?
What the vet told me is that antibiotics will cure the infection only if given early enough, and they do not treat the reproductive disorder. Amoxicillin is the generic antibiotic used. I remember @micstrachan advised me another stronger one, I will look for her post. Caramel was diagnosed too late, so she had to be opened up to exfiltrate all the yolks and sterilized definitely, and she died from the anesthesia, as you may remember. A standard procedure if diagnosed earlier would be to permanently put the hen on an implant to stop laying like supralorin which means going to the vet every three to six months, and accepting changes to the hen's metabolism.
I had a lot of hesitation when bringing Caramel to the vet. Now my choice will be to accept that a hen dies of reproductive disorder among her flock and try to make her as confortable as possible. I will finally say that the real confirmation of EYP is having the hen go through a radiography, which on a very unwell chicken is an invasive procedure.
You will find a lot of useful links explaining EYP and detailing the symptoms on the internet. I don't want to give advice, but I will say from my experience that if taking Peanut to the vet is a possible option for you, don't wait to do it.
It's a very painful thing to watch your chicken go through this. Don't hesitate if you want to ask any question or send a pm.
One of my last picture of Caramel

 

[ManueB]

I also want to say that I'm very relieved you will finally be operated @RebeccaBoyd. You deserve a life without pain. I'm sure Rosie can be trusted to act as a keeper - she seems a strong minded responsible young lady. We say in french dogs don't birth cats .

University Know It All

Can’t argue with my niece she knows it all…

I told her off about the coop ( ugh!) and the ratty condition of the hens and that I felt they had scaly leg mites.

But my big thing is the condition of their feathers.

Can you guys look at Larry closely and check out her feathers by her gland and her tail feathers. How would they get so ratty? There is no rooster.

View attachment 3318018

My hen Blanche also has these brittle feathers. It's something we have discussed on Shadrach's thread about battery hens and our best conclusion was that they had feathers of poor quality. These hens also don't molt normally so they don't have a chance of growing back new feathers. I think this could be what's affecting Larry if she is the only one. There is a type of depluming mite and for a long time I thought this was what Blanche had but I was wrong. Other hens would have rattled feathers also.

Also….

Can you zoom in on Tuff’s feet and check out the scales that look like they are lifting,

View attachment 3318021

Not able to say if this is SLM but I will say if you have a suspicion DON'T bring them in your flock. It's very contagious.
*****
Ok now for the good news that's not news to those who read it elsewhere...
Piou-piou laid an egg yesterday !!
She's the first of Chipie's hatch to lay! What an incredible surprise for this pullet who was a runt chick that couldn't run or fly properly.
It's a tiny beige thing but I'm overjoyed. I know I'm just overdoing it .

Here are two photos of her from two days ago having a drink.

 

[Ponypoor]

Have my neurologist appt this morning to find out about memory test and deficit and what else can be done. Didn't think I could make the drive with my back out but I did a televisit with the dr yesterday morning and got steroids and muscle relaxers so my back feels much better this morning. Chooks were waiting by the door for me to let them out, Hades is screaming up a storm but still not a crow yet. He's getting there his squawk is changing.

The ‘teenager’ squawk- I remember it and that first crow

 

[BY Bob]

University Know It All

Can’t argue with my niece she knows it all…

I told her off about the coop ( ugh!) and the ratty condition of the hens and that I felt they had scaly leg mites.

But my big thing is the condition of their feathers.

Can you guys look at Larry closely and check out her feathers by her gland and her tail feathers. How would they get so ratty? There is no rooster.

View attachment 3318018

I'm not sure from a single photo but mites would be high on my list of causes.

 

[Ponypoor]

? Possibly feather/Red Mites?

That looks kind of like my girls who are the 'special ones' and get too much attention from a rooster. But usually the tail feathers, while not pristine, aren't that tatty. It looks like she is partially moulted...the front part of her has nicely coloured, pristine looking feathers. Maybe a combo of mites and tail hasn't molted yet???

Maybe @BY Bob or @Shadrach has some better/more informed ideas?

So Larry is apparently a ‘broody’ hen preferring to sit in the nest box, her belly is bald but looks scalded, but that could be because my silkies have black skin so when they are bald I don’t see it as being sore.

I going up there today to take a close look at them, I will get some better photos. But all the hens backs by their gland is all ratty tatty . All though they are all a good weight they just look ratty ratty and not gleaming, they don’t look like my hens who are molting.