Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

It is time I go outside and snoop on Perdita. She came off the nest yesterday and stayed off for a good hour. That is normally my warning that things are going to start happening soon. Will update everyone in a bit.

 

[Marie2020]

Oh we know what the issue is, she has trouble getting up when she lays down and also painful - she has arthritis in her hips, hocks, and sacrum, so she is refusing to lay down she gets sleep deprived (I know the feeling), and then falls asleep standing up and topples over (no I don't do that haha!).

Dangerous situation. I close her stall door in the evening so the chickens can't get in her stall, just in case she all of a sudden falls over - don't want no squashed chickies!

I hope you can get some gravel in around where she is so her hooves can grip on to the ground

 

[Marie2020]

My big worry was not being able to get her up it was so slippery - as it was she was just floundering about trying to get her legs under her, sliding around - I was supplying a steady 'pull' on her head which is a risky thing if she pitched forward she could trample me or fall on me - and I am not moving the best anymore, apparently I am not 19 anymore! (mind says I am - body laughs and laughs and laughs..).

Anyways, she finally got upright - I worried she would just flip over when she was floundering around - it's a scary situation. She couldn't put weight on her left hind leg as she was laying on it for who knows how long - and that is another worry - if the nerve gets compressed from laying on too long then the nerve can die and that is an instant death knell for a horse (or cow). I was a bit freaked out, and we stood there in the pelting down rain for about 10 minutes, I just held her head steady with my arm wrapped around her head while she got a bit more stable, she was freezing cold, shivering so hard. She is not good in the cold and wet as it is, but laying in the muddy water (and we are just flooded here) is enough to give one hypothermia. Poor Truly

Then I noted that the other two 'b!#$%s' had run to the back door and pushed the door open and went into the barn. I didn't want Truly to get even more freaked out being left all alone so I asked her to 'walk on' and she was able to walk forward, I watched her hind leg and she was putting weight on it thankfully - but limping, very stiff.

I got her in the barn, wrapped a polar fleece blanket around her, shutting the stall window, I gave her some hay to see if she would eat - which she did so I let her eat some hay and then after about 15 min, gave her some Phenalbutizone (Bute), a hot mash left them inside after breakfast as it is just miserable here, cold and drizzly - just like early November. We were under a severe thunderstorm warning but that has ended thankfully, I am guessing the 'hot humid' weather they were predicting is not going to happen.

So I guess I will go back to bringing them in at night, I have a tough decision to make with Truly, if I am going to away working for extended periods of time I don't want others to have to deal with these situations and heaven forbid if Truly fell and broke a leg in the stall. I have my cameras but sometimes when I wake during the night I feel so miserable (I know how Truly feels as I also don't sleep well) I just don't want to open the phone to check the cameras. Like last night and this morning. And of course where I board the horses the wife wont let me put cameras in the stalls. So I need to decide on Truly's fate. It would be easier if I could get a job working remotely from home - which I am actively looking for, but which are extremely slim pickings for!

Need to win that lottery so I can stay home, take care of Truly and my Mum!

Meanwhile the chooks were having a blast running around out back in the mud and muck - no takers on Wild Water though haha - ewwww!
View attachment 3575617

The youngsters were running amok
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And Truly’s back to normal, she is shaking her head at mosquitoes on this photo
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Have you tried "Horse warming balm" too help the muscle? It has red vine leaf in it.

 

[Ponypoor]

Sending many hugs your way. A downed horse is not fun and can be difficult to get up by yourself even in ideal conditions. She is getting up their in age right? I am really sorry you are thinking of euthanizing. When it comes to horses though I feel it is better a few days or weeks too early then a day too late when health and safety issues come into play.

Yep agreed - my friend spent a small fortune on her old stallion, putting special shoes on him so he could 'get up' but you don't what to know the number of times I helped her get him up. She finally came to the conclusion it was safer for us and better for the old boy to put him down.

My old stud went down, my dad and I hauled him up. I called my Vet and he came out and euthanized him. He was 30, and lived a good life. I didn't want him suffering.

 

[featherhead007]

My chooks have to stay in the coop/run today while I’m gone. I’m flying a guy to Sacramento airport. (Saves him the driving hassle.) And I can stretch my wings a little.

 

[Marie2020]

Yep agreed - my friend spent a small fortune on her old stallion, putting special shoes on him so he could 'get up' but you don't what to know the number of times I helped her get him up. She finally came to the conclusion it was safer for us and better for the old boy to put him down.

My old stud went down, my dad and I hauled him up. I called my Vet and he came out and euthanized him. He was 30, and lived a good life. I didn't want him suffering.

Horses warming balm, I've written this already. It may help. Perhaps your vet can get it for you.

 

[Marie2020]

I love the food on his little nose. He's begging for walkies

 

[Ponypoor]

An update

Lots has been going on here. For example, I got my first green egg two weeks ago. I haven't uploaded the picture yet. Twilight lays those eggs.

Yesterday, I lost a pullet. It was Brooks. I went into the barn to do the chores, I hear a desperate CHEEP CHEEP CHEEP! I look under my feet; no Tomatilla chicks I am stepping on. I look towards the big coop... Brooks is standing there, with lots of feathers missing and blood all over. Her butt was a bloody mess. Now if you know my chooks they will torture little chickies and practically kill them. They love going for the butt. I think part of her skull could have been broken off, and everything was just disgusting, gory, and bloody. I ended her misery. Even if I could have saved her, she would've not laid eggs. Because of the backside. Brooks was only about ten weeks old. Or could be seven weeks. She was a small chick.

Alpha wants to be a crazy rabbit. He is trying to thump my arm. It's called thumping; basically it's when the buck pinches some of the doe's fur near the back of the neck, and kind of balances, then starts thumping his back legs. It's a comical sight, kind of like a rabbit stacked on a rabbit. Anyway, he was trying to do that to me! Pinching my sweater, balancing on my arm, and thumping... Yeah not ideal. But I think he likes me...

A Gen.2 pullet, Esme, started laying yesterday. It was so weak shelled it broke in my hands. The membrane was strong, though. I just made mash of it. Chooks loved it.

Anyway, here's some tax, a random bunch of hens
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More like Lady Nacho (left) and Mary (right)

Sorry for your chick, that is sad, but happy you are getting lovely green eggs.

That white hen with the speckles on her neck is very pretty

 

[Marie2020]

Cute doggy nose tax...

 

[Ponypoor]

These girls were so upset because i couldn't get them in the garden because of ebay customers services messing me around for over an hour and still not resolved View attachment 3575690

They are looking good and that looks like a perfect location to spend snoozing during the day, with your little elephant statue to keep then company