Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Chicken poppy]

Did you get a result about poor Dixie from the lab? And did Jolene survive?

Dixie ended up passing from many tumors, she had severe cancer. Tumors in the intestines, ovary, kidney, spleen, everywhere. She acted off for a while before being broody, i really believe she would have passed sooner but pushed onwards to care for her babies and to teach them all they needed to know.
Jolene seems to be improving rapidly. She had worms in her poop, i’m treating it with safeguard. She is eating and drinking well. Hope she makes a full recovery.

 

[micstrachan]

@RoyalChick and @micstrachan
A further link from @Ponypoor 's article led me to a study about the effectiveness of Flaxseed in a hen's diet to reduce ovarian cancers and ASCITIES (which seems to be related)

I'm curious, RC, if you think the phytoestrogens (anti-estrogens) produced by flaxseed in the gut would be enough to decrease laying in a hen...or just limit 'free floating estrogens' that are linked with reproductive cancers?

Note, I may be overstating it's ability to reduce ascities.....but it appears the inference is clearly there.

And this is an article about human oral contraceptives used on hens. Interesting, wonder if it could be used on hens at risk to stop laying instead of implants. It would require daily feeding of a pill, I would assume, as otherwise it would be hard to make sure one hen got it, but not others. (I have to admit that I only read the abstract for this one, so need to read further for full implications...but that will have to wait - I need to get cracking on finishing up 'creating' my online class that starts Monday!)

I

Thank you for this! I will read it! Yes, all my hens with ovarian cancers (at least two, probably more) had ascites.

 

[micstrachan]

Chicken news from the week just past at Fluffy Butt Acres

@Lilion's flock accused her of starving them: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26617510

@RoyalChick shared some adult content: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26617834
and Aurora approved: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26618650

@Ponypoor started the week by driving home through snow and ice and shared the now classic albeit humiliating picture of Mr.P: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26618492

Late in the day @BY Bob treated us to the assembled Fluffy Butts of Fluffy Butt Acres: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26618609

@micstrachan's plans for new chicks this year are up in the air because of a mountain lion! Read the story here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26618674

@BY Bob re-posted a video of Aurora taking on a turkey leg. Enjoy it here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26618838

@RoyalChick shared some footage of the morning routine in the Chicken Palace: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26619024

@bgmathteach's chickens were very suspicious of her camera: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26619772

@RebeccaBoyd got chastised by both Chiquita and Branch because she tried to rescue a small marshmallow from the hay stack. Turns out that marshmallow was a tattle tail and screamed blue murder to summon their protection detail who immediately went into action. No pictures but read the full story here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26619901

@RebeccaBoyd's Meeko and Grackle (hatched in October) started laying a bit earlier than expected - their eggs are small and elongated in shape, and Meeko's has the most beautiful speckles! See these gorgeous eggs here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26619998 and here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26623368

One of @micstrachan's older hens started laying and while I don't have any experience of underwater weaponry, I think naval vessels should be on the look out for this one! See it here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26620862

Over with @rural mouse , Twirp has started laying her blue eggs again: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26623370

@Firsttimehens1234 hatched the first two chicks - so cute - from her Olive Egger who was very sick at the time but now is well and just started laying again: Honestly, they couldn't possibly be any more cute! https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26628313

@featherhead007 got back home after a mystery journey and the first thing that happened is Xzit bit him!

@Chicken poppy lost her hen Dixie unexpectedly. Rest in peace Dixie, the chicks you left behind will be well cared for. Read the story here with some heartbreaking and cute pictures:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26627205
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26629904
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26630805

@Ponypoor is back home and her chickens are once again enjoying her singing:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26629678
And Mr.P got a spa day with a trim and pedicure: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26635145
She also has a broody. See here who it is: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26626726
Or possibly she doesn't: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26627042!

Hattie at Fluffy Butt Acres, in a first (at least in living memory), roosted! See it here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26630977

For anyone who missed it, Ask Aurora is posted here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26631868

@RebeccaBoyd's creek has some good fishing and guess who gets to enjoy it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26635733
And just for Bob: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26635755

Oh dear, Madea turns out not to be exactly what @RebeccaBoyd was hoping for: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26635793

@RoyalChick shared Eli's problem: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26636368

Very thorough! Thank you! I can’t wait to dig into the links.

 

[ValarieF]

Well I went to the emergency room. Nothing they could see. So I do have to call my digestive dr monday and get in.
Meanwhile......2 silkies have hatched! A buff and a blue! They are so cute.

 

[featherhead007]

Dixie ended up passing from many tumors, she had severe cancer. Tumors in the intestines, ovary, kidney, spleen, everywhere. She acted off for a while before being broody, i really believe she would have passed sooner but pushed onwards to care for her babies and to teach them all they needed to know.
Jolene seems to be improving rapidly. She had worms in her poop, i’m treating it with safeguard. She is eating and drinking well. Hope she makes a full recovery.

Two emotions. And so sorry about Dixie. Get well soon Jolene.

 

[featherhead007]

Well I went to the emergency room. Nothing they could see. So I do have to call my digestive dr monday and get in.
Meanwhile......2 silkies have hatched! A buff and a blue! They are so cute.

What? The emergency room couldn’t find anything? Maybe you have some kind of intestinal blockage or something? Lots of different things that could be causing your troubles.

 

[micstrachan]

Found it!

Amazing! I remember this video!

 

[micstrachan]

I discovered the hard way yesterday I need to work on handling the Marshmallows outside of the chicken coop. Inside, I can get one and after a minute they will settle right down and cease the "omg someone is killing me" shriek. While egg collecting yesterday I discovered that Chiquita had them playing on the hay pile. They saw me round the corner and their flight instincts took over and they scattered. All except one, it burrowed into a crack in the hay stack. Naturally I had to rescue said chick. The second I touched it it let out the "death is coming" shriek. Seconds later I have Chiquita on the war path attacking the back of my legs. Now I'm trying to settle down a dying chick and a angry fuzz ball. I assumed if given that minute it would settle down and quit acting like it was being killed. I did not get that minute. Chiquita kept it worked up, and then she let out a cry for backup. My loveable Branch answered the call and he came tearing to us. He meant business, I do not care if he is my buddy, in his frame of mind at the moment I was being flogged. I let the chick go so he did not have to cross the line that shall never be crossed. Instead of sitting down and holding a calm marshmallow I had to calmly remind Branch I was not the enemy. Chiquita ran off to uncle Dirt with her crew while Branch postured, growled and once chest bumped me before he was calm enough to let me touch him. I then picked him up and he settled down while I rubbed his favorite spot at the back of his neck and told him he was a good boy. He really was in that moment. He thought the chicks were in danger and he was coming to do his job. Now I need to figure out how to not be flogged and handle the chicks during the day.

Absolutely amazing story! Such awesome chicken parents!!!

 

[micstrachan]

The October girls turn 5 months old tomorrow. I noticed that Meeko and Grackle were maturing and getting pretty red in the face about 2 weeks ago. I assumed by the end of March I would need to be on the lookout for their first eggs. In the last week I have spotted both Meeko and Grackle in the tote in the coop. Ok, you girls are practicing getting ready for the end of March. Look what I found in there this morning.
View attachment 3428429
For size reference, here they are with a Goose egg. Goose lays a a silkie size egg like her mother.
View attachment 3428431
Here we have a Lilly egg, followed by the two new ones, then Goose's along with a Buff orp egg. Yup I am convinced these 2 are pullet eggs.
View attachment 3428432
Not enough convincing, here in the carton. Bottom row, normal egg, then the 2 new ones. very skinny.
View attachment 3428433
Now I do foresee a problem when these eggs come to size in a few weeks. They are a 2nd generation Marans cross. their eggs could be easily mistaken in the future for a pure marans egg. Oh well, one is speckled, you all know me, I love a speckled egg.

Beautiful!

 

[Ponypoor]

I truly am. She is a special lady.

View attachment 3428065

Bob I saw this and thought of you and this beauty