Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

She is eating when I bring her little treats but she is not eating from the feeder. She wasn't keen on egg and sardine or chicken food mash but she ate a lot of corn, blueberries, tomatoes, blackberries and kefir.

I believe you mastered tubing, correct? Do you think it’s time to implement?

 

[rural mouse]

The Roof is On
One of the reasons there is no Ask Aurora is that today was nice enough to finish the roof on the main coop. So i took my lunch and got the panels installed. It is barely warm enough to caulk but I managed to pull it off.

I started by putting the foam spacers in place. I caulked the top of them and the edge on the right.
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I then installed and screwed down the panel.

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I extended the foam with caulk and installed the second panel.
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I then installed the final panel.
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I then caulked and sealed the ridge line to the quarter round at the peak of the roof.

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Next I installed a piece of PVC edging to finish off the edge of the roof. This side is in the lee of the prevailing wind.

Edging
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Edging installed
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This end of the coop, above the porch, gets the strongest winds. So I did Extra to keep the wind from cashing the edge and pulling the roof off. I had an overhang of roofing and bent it down to create a flush edge.
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Once I had it bent down I installed the PVC edge.
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All finished!

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That's worth having Aurora skip a week. She was supervising the process, right?

 

[featherhead007]

I believe you mastered tubing, correct? Do you think it’s time to implement?

Tubing is not fun for bird or her caregiver

 

[featherhead007]

Sweet dreams Coco nut! She’s asleep on my shoulder now.
And again, she laid me another egg today.

 

[RoyalChick]

I believe you mastered tubing, correct? Do you think it’s time to implement?

Yes I feel confident tube feeding. But I would only do that if I thought there was a temporary issue that I was correcting for.
Apart from the worms idea I cannot think of what that could be.
She is still molting but she is at the very end of that so I don’t think that is the issue.
Worms is a treatable condition so I am definitely considering treating her for that.
But what else is there apart from life ending tumors and other such things in which case tube feeding would just be prolonging suffering.
I will sleep on it. But if she survives the night I will consider worming and seeing if I can tempt her to take some Gatorade for fast sugar.

 

[BY Bob]

Wow! So, why are they laying in the cluckle hut instead of the Fluffy Butt Acres coop???
That is odd....but so nice to see her bright red comb and wattles...and hear her voice singing the song of her people!!

I was putting the metal roof on the coop so Syd went to the alternate location. They do lay in Hattie House from time to time, that's why there are 2 fake eggs in there. I've caught all of them laying in there last year.

It looks like Phyllis is also getting interested in laying as well. Why else would she be in the nest box?

 

[BY Bob]

She was wormed in June when I got a positive fecal test (float test is just saying how they check the poop for worm eggs,).
Not sure if others know - but wouldn't it be odd to be so infested to get weak in such a short time?
But weak she certainly is.
I don't know if I did the right thing, but this evening she desperately wanted to join Bernie on the roost but she just wasn't strong enough to jump up on the tree stump. I don't know why she didn't use the ladder which would have involved much less jumping.
Anyway, it finally got dark and she was forced to hunker down on the step. I went in and offered her an elevator ride up which she happily took.
I have put lots of bedding both sides of the roost so if she falls off I don't think she will do herself any harm. She looks nice and comfy there for now at least.
I wish I knew why she was so weak. I could worm her just in case or I could persuade a vet to do a test for me which will likely take a couple of days to get results.
Any advice anyone?

Worming can be hard on them and will temporarily cut down their nutritional intake. I would like to be sure before I wormed her right now.

 

[micstrachan]

Yes I feel confident tube feeding. But I would only do that if I thought there was a temporary issue that I was correcting for.
Apart from the worms idea I cannot think of what that could be.
She is still molting but she is at the very end of that so I don’t think that is the issue.
Worms is a treatable condition so I am definitely considering treating her for that.
But what else is there apart from life ending tumors and other such things in which case tube feeding would just be prolonging suffering.
I will sleep on it. But if she survives the night I will consider worming and seeing if I can tempt her to take some Gatorade for fast sugar.

Oh goodness. I didn’t realize you thought she might not make it through the night. I have had more than one go weak during molt. g

 

[micstrachan]

Tubing is not fun for bird or her caregiver

Nope, I wouldn’t call it “fun” either. However, I have seen birds perk up pretty quickly after I have tubed them. In fact, today I tubed Lucky twice with fluid to help her better tolerate me tapping 60cc of fluid from her coelom. It’s not for everyone, but it has helped a few of my birds get through a rough patch until their appetite returned and they would eat and drink enough on their own. For me personally, I’ll do whatever I can to help my chickens through a health crisis until I think it’s terminal (or I’m prolonging suffering) and then I need to let them go.

 

[micstrachan]

Worming can be hard on them and will temporarily cut down their nutritional intake. I would like to be sure before I wormed her right now.

I tend to agree with this. Worming is not as risk free as treating for coccidiosis.