Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[MaryJanet]

Her insides. Might be informative?

I'm thinking of the image Mark took of Peggy's intestines that showed pretty much a straight line when it should've shown a bunch. Her liver had expanded and pushed her gut out of place.

 

[BY Bob]

Full update from Vet Visit

They spent most of the morning in my office with me while waiting to go to the vet. They were surprisingly quiet and I got through all of my conference calls without anyone noticing. I gave them meal worms to eat this morning and Lilly would not let Sansa have any. So after Lilly stuffed herself I put more in and Sansa got to eat as well.

Here they are on the car ride there.

They were very quiet and did not complain at all on the ride there.

Here they are once we got to the vet's.

Let's cover behavior at the Vet's. Lilly was quite quiet and docile when the vet handled her and during her x-ray. Sansa was quiet while Lilly was being examined.

Sansa fought the vet almost every step of the way. When Sansa bawked while flapping at the vet, Lilly did not like that at all and she let her displeasure be known. As soon as she saw Sansa again Lilly calmed down and stopped bawking. While waiting together in the crate Lilly groomed herself and Sansa.

The outcome:

Lilly
The vet was pleased with Lilly. She could not feel any swelling in her belly or hips and did and x-ray to check for arthritis. The x-ray did reveal the presence of arthritis and she gave me a liquid pain reliever to give her. The supply should last through March. I figure I will soak it up in a small piece of bread and give it to Lilly every morning. Hopefully it tastes good. Lilly weighs 2.23 kg or 4.91 lbs. Right at her fighting weight of 5 lbs.

Sansa
I put out the preliminaries before on Sansa. She is clearly not as cut and dry. To recap:

• Because it could be a nutritional issue and to reverse the weight loss I need to switch her to chick food.
• Because of her lack of feathers she asked me to heat the coop if I could. Luckily Sylvie is once again fully feathered so I will move the Brinsea Heater to the big coop.
• Make certain oyster shell is present.
• They drew blood and sent out for a fecal float. Blood work will not be back until next week. The vet is going to call me from vacation when the blood work is back.
• She believes that the feathers are not growing correctly because of a nutritional deficit of some kind but she is not certain. She is going to research more on it as we wait for the lab work to come back.
• She confirmed no mites, lice or other creepy crawlies on either lady.
• Sansa weighed in at 1.71 kg or 3.77 lbs. this makes significantly smaller than Lilly and you can see it in the pictures.

The ride home:

I have learned that I need to adapt the crate to include wood shavings or straw to accommodate the poop. That was not cool. Otherwise the system worked well.

Surprise
I got quite a surprise when we returned home. I went to check on the remaining chooks and found Hattie and Aurora in the Cluckle Hut! They emerged as if it were no big thing and came down to meet Lilly and Sansa. I then check to find Sylvie and she too was in the Hut. I assume she was safe in the nest box but now I wish I had bothered to check to the camera before going to see them.

 

[BY Bob]

Initial Reations to Sansa from the Vet

I recall Hazel did eat a tiny bit and Butters just loved the Exact baby bird feed I tried with them. Ate it like yogurt. You could try some crushed fruity Tums or citrate & D3 in with it too in case she's not taking enough oyster shell or isn't metabolizing oyster shell well.
Heat - a heating pad on low, covered with a small towel and then wrapped in Press 'n Seal (a la @Blooie) if she roosts in a next box, or on a bar where she roosts, will work.

Sansa is in a nest box tonight, but that is not always so. Some nights, like last night, she is on the roost. It is not going much below 30F. Let's see how the whole coop heater does. I do have a heating pad around here somewhere. If I knew which nest box she was going to sleep in that would work.

 

[BY Bob]

Her insides. Might be informative?

OK. I get it now. The vet did not see any reason to x-ray her at this time. I think she is fully focused on nutrition at this time. If nothing else we need to get weight back on her for the winter.

I am debating if I need to lock them in for the foreseeable future so I can better control what Sansa eats.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Full update from Vet Visit

They spent most of the morning in my office with me while waiting to go to the vet. They were surprisingly quiet and I got through all of my conference calls without anyone noticing. I gave them meal worms to eat this morning and Lilly would not let Sansa have any. So after Lilly stuffed herself I put more in and Sansa got to eat as well.

Here they are on the car ride there.
View attachment 2906510

They were very quiet and did not complain at all on the ride there.

Here they are once we got to the vet's.
View attachment 2906511

Let's cover behavior at the Vet's. Lilly was quite quiet and docile when the vet handled her and during her x-ray. Sansa was quiet while Lilly was being examined.

Sansa fought the vet almost every step of the way. When Sansa bawked while flapping at the vet, Lilly did not like that at all and she let her displeasure be known. As soon as she saw Sansa again Lilly calmed down and stopped bawking. While waiting together in the crate Lilly groomed herself and Sansa.

The outcome:

Lilly
The vet was pleased with Lilly. She could not feel any swelling in her belly or hips and did and x-ray to check for arthritis. The x-ray did reveal the presence of arthritis and she gave me a liquid pain reliever to give her. The supply should last through March. I figure I will soak it up in a small piece of bread and give it to Lilly every morning. Hopefully it tastes good. Lilly weighs 2.23 kg or 4.91 lbs. Right at her fighting weight of 5 lbs.

Sansa
I put out the preliminaries before on Sansa. She is clearly not as cut and dry. To recap:

• Because it could be a nutritional issue and to reverse the weight loss I need to switch her to chick food.
• Because of her lack of feathers she asked me to heat the coop if I could. Luckily Sylvie is once again fully feathered so I will move the Brinsea Heater to the big coop.
• Make certain oyster shell is present.
• They drew blood and sent out for a fecal float. Blood work will not be back until next week. The vet is going to call me from vacation when the blood work is back.
• She believes that the feathers are not growing correctly because of a nutritional deficit of some kind but she is not certain. She is going to research more on it as we wait for the lab work to come back.
• She confirmed no mites, lice or other creepy crawlies on either lady.
• Sansa weighed in at 1.71 kg or 3.77 lbs. this makes significantly smaller than Lilly and you can see it in the pictures.

The ride home:
View attachment 2906512


I have learned that I need to adapt the crate to include wood shavings or straw to accommodate the poop. That was not cool. Otherwise the system worked well.

Surprise
I got quite a surprise when we returned home. I went to check on the remaining chooks and found Hattie and Lilly in the Cluckle Hut! They emerged as if it were no big thing and came down to meet Lilly and Sansa. I then check to find Sylvie and she too was in the Hut. I assume she was safe in the nest box but now I wish I had bothered to check to the camera before going to see them.

Can you clarify the end there - Hattie was with who besides Sylvie in the Hut? Sidney? Aurora? Interesting and nice, hopefully due to the urge to have the flock - all the flock - stick together!

 

[RoyalChick]

Full update from Vet Visit

They spent most of the morning in my office with me while waiting to go to the vet. They were surprisingly quiet and I got through all of my conference calls without anyone noticing. I gave them meal worms to eat this morning and Lilly would not let Sansa have any. So after Lilly stuffed herself I put more in and Sansa got to eat as well.

Here they are on the car ride there.
View attachment 2906510

They were very quiet and did not complain at all on the ride there.

Here they are once we got to the vet's.
View attachment 2906511

Let's cover behavior at the Vet's. Lilly was quite quiet and docile when the vet handled her and during her x-ray. Sansa was quiet while Lilly was being examined.

Sansa fought the vet almost every step of the way. When Sansa bawked while flapping at the vet, Lilly did not like that at all and she let her displeasure be known. As soon as she saw Sansa again Lilly calmed down and stopped bawking. While waiting together in the crate Lilly groomed herself and Sansa.

The outcome:

Lilly
The vet was pleased with Lilly. She could not feel any swelling in her belly or hips and did and x-ray to check for arthritis. The x-ray did reveal the presence of arthritis and she gave me a liquid pain reliever to give her. The supply should last through March. I figure I will soak it up in a small piece of bread and give it to Lilly every morning. Hopefully it tastes good. Lilly weighs 2.23 kg or 4.91 lbs. Right at her fighting weight of 5 lbs.

Sansa
I put out the preliminaries before on Sansa. She is clearly not as cut and dry. To recap:

• Because it could be a nutritional issue and to reverse the weight loss I need to switch her to chick food.
• Because of her lack of feathers she asked me to heat the coop if I could. Luckily Sylvie is once again fully feathered so I will move the Brinsea Heater to the big coop.
• Make certain oyster shell is present.
• They drew blood and sent out for a fecal float. Blood work will not be back until next week. The vet is going to call me from vacation when the blood work is back.
• She believes that the feathers are not growing correctly because of a nutritional deficit of some kind but she is not certain. She is going to research more on it as we wait for the lab work to come back.
• She confirmed no mites, lice or other creepy crawlies on either lady.
• Sansa weighed in at 1.71 kg or 3.77 lbs. this makes significantly smaller than Lilly and you can see it in the pictures.

The ride home:
View attachment 2906512


I have learned that I need to adapt the crate to include wood shavings or straw to accommodate the poop. That was not cool. Otherwise the system worked well.

Surprise
I got quite a surprise when we returned home. I went to check on the remaining chooks and found Hattie and Lilly in the Cluckle Hut! They emerged as if it were no big thing and came down to meet Lilly and Sansa. I then check to find Sylvie and she too was in the Hut. I assume she was safe in the nest box but now I wish I had bothered to check to the camera before going to see them.

I assume you mean Hattie and Aurora or Sydney?

 

[BY Bob]

Can you carify the end there - Hattie was with who besides Sylvie in the Hut? Sidney? Aurora? Interesting and nice, hopefully due to the urge to have the flock - all the flock - stick together!

Aurora. I have corrected the sentence. Hattie and Aurora were in the Hut.

 

[BY Bob]

I assume you mean Hattie and Aurora or Sydney?

Big oopsy

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Sounds like you had a full day! @BY Bob have a restful evening!

I am cooking my turkey tomorrow, my DH works 24 - 29 so we will have our 39th turkey dinner

hahahaha

 

[bgmathteach]

Initial Reations to Sansa from the Vet

Switch her to baby chick feed. Worried about nutritional deficit of some kind.

Make sure oyster shell is available.

Heat the coop if I can.

Blood work drawn and sent out. Will likely be next week until it comes back.

Vet is going to research situation as she has not really seen this before.

Of course they are also doing a fecal exam.

Sounds like you have a good vet that will be thorough! Hope it is something easy to rectify - like just giving chick feed, and nothing more serious. How did Lilly like the trip? Nice for Sansa to have a friend along!