Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Shadrach]

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

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

What exactly did the vet prescribe as a pain killer for the arthritis?
What is the dosage?

 

[Shadrach]

? Is her eyelid swollen, or is it just the picture? She looks sad but content, being on bucket boy's lap is probably comforting!

It's slightly swollen. I'm not sure what causes it. A couple of the others are like this. I'm inclined to think it's a symptom of a respiratory problem.

 

[RoyalChick]

Never mind, I think that I have embarrassed myself enough for today.

I don’t think so. I mean you haven’t embarrassed yourself.

 

[RoyalChick]

Well, just to help you out with the list, here's some pics of the steps

Wider shot from the bottom
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Close up of the body of the steps (local rock used as pavers)
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Close up of the join

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The rubber strips help with the slipping and it's set where it gets some good sun in the morning. As long as the stone gets some sunlight, they melt off faster than the beds around them. Shoveling on the other hand is a challenge as the surface is on the rough side.

I really love those. Thank you for sharing. I keep trying to figure out how to do something like that. Hasn’t clicked quite yet given the space.

 

[RoyalChick]

I make it loose enough to pour, but it settles quickly, so I have to scrape the bottom. I think I have a video of Ruby eating some on her second to last day. I’ll see if the consistency shows there.

Edited to add… actually, it is pudding texture sometimes, too.

Aww Ruby.
She certainly enjoyed that!

 

[RoyalChick]

Bob, I think this was a pretty successful vet visit. Did the vet mention poultry vitamins or will you tackle that with something specific once the bloodwork comes in?

I was thinking the same last night. Vitamins and minerals are usually the source of ‘shortages’. B complex has something to do with feathers I read somewhere.

 

[Marie2020]

It's slightly swollen. I'm not sure what causes it. A couple of the others are like this. I'm inclined to think it's a symptom of a respiratory problem.

Is there anyway you can find too clear her airways and would coconut oil help with her eyes, which I believe has been known too be an antibacterial

 

[BY Bob]

Bob, I think this was a pretty successful vet visit. Did the vet mention poultry vitamins or will you tackle that with something specific once the bloodwork comes in?

This is it for now. We are waiting for the blood work to come back before we try anything else.

 

[BY Bob]

Being way far behind again, I have been catching up since it’s 3:30 am and I can’t sleep.
I just read about Sylvia and Legertha, and I am devastated. I have been watching them grow up with great interest, and I just love them. And to learn that Legertha is gone now is just too sad.
It’s just not fair!
After the struggle with the mail order chicks, and everything you went through to finally get these two. And built them the Cluckle Hut.
I am so sad for you and Mrs. BY Bob, and Sylvie, too.

Thanks so much. It has been very hard.

 

[BY Bob]

So you should be. They are well brought up young ladies

They both are so polite and kind to others........NOT.