Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

Mo having a dust bath. I found red mite in their coop on the roost bar which is the only wood in the coop. My sisters husband doesn't have a blowtorch but he does have on of those chef blowtorches which should do the job.
Mo is senior to Chick but junior to Mini and Freya.
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Awww… Shad. They're so lucky to have you visiting. And while I feel sad for you missing your own tribes, the selfish part of me is glad that you can see and appreciate keeping chickens when conditions aren’t as awesome as at your old place. Chickens can still be happy that way!

 

[micstrachan]

It's Friday!

Watching Phyllis' molt got me thinking about Patsy's molt, which got me looking at old photos. In the old photos I also came across photos of Daisy, the greatest hen ever, molting. Daisy molted slowly and the only way you knew was that her feathers went from yellow to bright white and you could see the yellow patches on her. This photo shows how awful Patsy's molt was while you can see both the old and new feathers on Daisy.

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In celebration of Friday, here is Daisy post molt. Look at how bright and shiny her new white feathers are.
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Wonderful photos, Bob. Poor Patsy!

On that note, remember poor Ester?

 

[micstrachan]

When she learns how to cook, and can fly an airplane, mow three acres of lawn, rebuild an automotive engine, transmission, and keep clean fingernails.
( is that too much to ask?)

That sounds like a double standard, Alex…. “mow three acres of lawn, rebuild an automotive engine, transmission”
AND
“When she learns how to cook and keep clean fingernails….”

How about you? Do you do all those things?

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

RUBY IS ON A ROOST!!!

Sorry to be shouting over the Internet, but this is huge! Ruby put herself to bed early on a little roost that’s only about 6 inches off the pine shavings. Since she’s no longer bloated and there isn’t danger of her rupturing, I thought she might enjoy sleeping back up on her shelf. So I helped her up there. I had put some fresh pine shavings and she gave me a little contented chortle. About half an hour later when I went to lock them up, the first thing I noticed is that she was not on the shelf! She had managed to jump up the 18 inches onto a roost and then over a foot or so onto the roost in the middle of the coop. I am beyond happy. My sweet girl gets to feel like a chicken tonight!

So happy for you both!

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Wonderful photos, Bob. Poor Patsy!

On that note, remember poor Ester?
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Poor darling. She looks miserable. Hopefully this was a one off bad moult.

 

[Scrambles83]

RUBY IS ON A ROOST!!!

Sorry to be shouting over the Internet, but this is huge! Ruby put herself to bed early on a little roost that’s only about 6 inches off the pine shavings. Since she’s no longer bloated and there isn’t danger of her rupturing, I thought she might enjoy sleeping back up on her shelf. So I helped her up there. I had put some fresh pine shavings and she gave me a little contented chortle. About half an hour later when I went to lock them up, the first thing I noticed is that she was not on the shelf! She had managed to jump up the 18 inches onto a roost and then over a foot or so onto the roost in the middle of the coop. I am beyond happy. My sweet girl gets to feel like a chicken tonight!

Good news for Ruby @micstrachan and for Naenae @Lady Red

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Naenae's vet visit

I have to admit, I had been contemplating canceling the appt after she had been doing better. Hubby stopped giving her treats, and she seemed to improve.

Then Monday night she was back in the house after laying a GIANT double yolker in the morning. She tail was droopy, and once I got outside of Pecking Garden, she immediately layed a soft shell.
She still seemed uncomfortable, so chicken infirmary it was! She shortly layed a shell less egg upon admission.

So I kept the appt.
It was today, and I was readying her carrier and glanced outside to see her right then lay a soft shell. Her sisters got to it before I could stand up straight.

I packed her up (she traveled well!) and took her in.

She weighs 2kg and was deemed healthy aside from overproduction issues. And she layed a soft shell in front of the vet.

Over the phone he had said they don't keep lupron in house, but could write a script for her after assessment. I told him I wanted that route.

Hubby was with me at the appt, and asked all the questions I had gone over with vet on the phone. He and the vet then said they thought the hCG injection would be a good thing to try first.

Not exactly what I had planned on. Sounds like it doesn't have as high of a success rate as Lupron. But I didn't feel like fighting with hubby about it (he wasn't keen on a chicken vet until a few weeks ago when he noticed I was in tears about the bird).

So here we are. An hCG injection that may or may not work, only lasts a month, I probably won't see a decrease in eggs until a week from now, and anything she does produce is not for consumption.

I guess it should be chalked up as progress.
1. I found a vet
2. Hubby agreed to let it happen
3. We are trying something for her, and
4. If it doesn't take, Lupron is next line of attempt.

Praying that it works.

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh

Wonderful photos, Bob. Poor Patsy!

On that note, remember poor Ester?
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Oh good grief. Oh poor Ester.
A little warning is needed. Oh no. Oh. Oh I can’t bear to look. Oh that looks so uncomfortable. Oh it looks itchy. Oh oh oh.
Please tell me everything is OK now. Please tell me that doesn’t happen every year.
Oh my. I am going to have nightmares about that.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

I was too stupid to ask this time… The last couple of times it was a giant amount… Like 500mL or something like that.

That is a lot of fluid from a little chicken.