Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

I hope my birds make it up in the coop. It’s still 95f outside. (They are all panting with wings open. I have the portable A/C going, but it’s still very hot

 

[BY Bob]

Congratulations on the 5000 pages!

That is for us all. I did not write 5,000 pages. It took us all.

 

[BY Bob]

Anna and I went to the Carnival tonight.
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Marigold says it is too hot to stand and drink.

I feel that marigold.

Where is the carnival? I don't know this one.

 

[featherhead007]

That is for us all. I did not write 5,000 pages. It took us all.

But you started it!

 

[featherhead007]

But you started it!

And what Bob doesn’t know, is I went through 2 cell phones and 1 laptop repair, just to stay connected to Fluffy Butt Acres chat room! Just FYI

 

[micstrachan]

It is not nice to do a bomb like that and disappear. I assume that there will be an explanation later.

Sorry. It turns out I’m allergic to my new med. I’ve had a brutal, intensely itchy rash all over my hands and feet for days. It’s traveling up my arms, too, even though I stopped the medication Saturday. I awake every night in the wee hours of the morning to put them under running water after scratching myself raw. Here are my feet at work today. Notice the puffiness under the rash.

I had a video appointment with a doc Saturday who agreed I was allergic, told to stop taking it, and said it was fine to continue with over the counter antihistamine. I was taking Benadryl around the clock to help control the itching. I was feeling a bit off and dizzy, as well. Kinda freaked me out. My rash was getting worse, too.

I had planned to take a vacation day Monday to spend time with my daughter. When we were walking the dog on the beach in the morning, I was light headed, had the shakes and tingling extremities… I really needed to sit down. Felt a bit freaked out again… “What if I pass out and she’s stuck here on the beach with a passed out mom and a dog?” She’s 17, but doesn’t drive.

Eventually we drove home and I wrote my doctor’s office. The dizziness/lightheadedness and shakes continued intermittently. I called an advice nurse, wondering if I should go to the ER. Based on my symptoms, she said no, but tried to set up another video call. All the docs were booked.

After that, I heard from a doctor from my doc’s office who said YES, go to the ER for further evaluation.

They did an EKG shortly after I got there and it looked good. Doctor came out to talk to me and said he thought it was a reaction to (more like a compensation for) all the Benadryl. However, he wanted to run some bloodwork “to check my heart” and get me some IV fluids to get me feeling better.

So I got 1000cc if fluids and my labs all came back looking good. Phew!

It was still pretty scary, but I’m glad it was more like a false alarm. I’m looking forward to feeling normal again, without itch or dizziness. I’m kinda wiped and am REALLY hoping to take some time off after this week. It’s been quite a year and I still have most of my 2020-2021 vacation time left and get my new days on Thursday. My body is CLEARLY telling me to take better care of myself. Putting myself dead last ALL the time has gone on too long.

So that’s my exciting story. Scary while it was going on, but thankfully not all that eventful in the end. I’m a bit tired from it all, but grateful.

 

[micstrachan]

Well, today was heartbreaking and makes owning and raising chickens hard. One of my silkie chicks crashed today. Totally unexpected, it was perfectly fine yesterday and first thing this morning. At noon, it was found on it side seizing. I have no clue what happened, but before I could get it in the house it passed. This is the 2nd one out of 6 successfully hatched to pass and it was the 2nd biggest of the group. I'm going to be honest here, while they are adorable, and Rosie loves them if I can successfully raise just 2 of these for her I don't see myself hatching anymore for myself. After having large fowl raising true bantams is nerve wrecking. They were so tiny for so long that they were over 2 weeks old before I even felt comfortable letting them and momma free range for a few hours. I have a personal favorite of the group, and it is the tiniest but so sweet. I'm praying I do not loose anymore and that my tiny one thrives and turns out to be a pullet.

Aww… Rebecca, I’m so sorry.

 

[micstrachan]

Well, I feel awful for adding this to the discussion. I have lost three Chickens in as many days. One Red Rock to the heat, I didn’t even know she was missing as I’ve been struggling with head counts with the new girls, four broody mamas, One batch of weanlings, and another attempt at brooding by my bully girl on top of this furnace we are experiencing as “weather”, and all the other chickens. Add in finger pecker and the buff lady in with Hawk and that’s 5 in less than a week. Roostie squashed his favorite hen, then accidentally cut her back when he was mounting her. She was on the road to recovery until today when I went into town. DH did not follow my I instructions for separation and she paid for it with her life. I was in town doing the feed run and letting my mother do her own shopping for a change. We also put down Little Red as his bumblefoot became complicated and was spreading rapidly. Roostie’s is responding to treatment though and the mamas are doing a great job with their babies. Also I soaked my cats today and it was so bloody hot they didn’t mind at all.

Oh no, Kris! I’m so sorry. What an awful run for you.

 

[micstrachan]

Good Morning Everyone,
Happy Tuesday!

at 4:30am it was a nice NORMAL 65 in the coop, I was a LOT of hard work but all the chickens are very well this morning.
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yesterday, 100 in the coop
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100 in the run, I went out at 9am and took every tarp down and redid them to get the best coverage I could. I finished that at noon & raked / hosed the run.

Then every hour until 7pm, I moved the food and sprayed the tree down, the far east end, the tree roots, light not to make mud in the middle, but not the chickens. They didnt want to get wet and I didnt want them to run from the spray and exert energy.
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Well done!

 

[micstrachan]

Most snakes in the states are really your friends and friends of your chickens. You just have to watch out for egg loss.

Except here in California, where we have Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes. Thankfully, have never seen one in 12 years of living here. We did, however, have TWO encounters when we lived further up the hill in a more chapparal-type area.

Because, you know, we don’t have enough predators already. LOL.