Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Yes. lots and lots of water very carefully injected with a syringe.

Got it. Makes sense.

 

[Shadrach]

What do you mean exactly by flushing out? I get the finger probe - but flushing sounds like syringes and water. Is that what you did?

It helps if you have a good diagram of a hens reproductive system. You can then see where in the oviduct the shell is formed. Above this point is a bend and a narrowing of the oviduct.

 

[Shadrach]

As a general comment.
In the UK and some parts of Europe now you can be prosecuted for advertising/suggesting the use of, or where to acquire antibiotics along with some other restricted drugs.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Well thanks. You've all been very nice to me. I do like talking about chickens and I wouldn't mind posting some things. I've never warmed up to the idea of being involved in a social media type thing (Facebook, Twitter, etc. really turn me off) until I ran into this group on BYC. I may not be the most prolific contributor, probably rather sporadic, but who knows, this first foray into the social media world might suit me just fine. I'll try to let you all know a bit about my chicken story and put up a few pictures, which are all pretty low quality phone camera stuff, unfortunately. Oh well, we deal with what we have!

This was exactly me! This is my only social media and I am loving it!

 

[Kris5902]

When Dink laid her first soft shelled egg I took her to the vet and the vet flushed her out. Some bits of shell were removed along with egg yolk and membrane. No medication was given and she was fine afterwards until she got killed by a hawk.
I've two more since then. Blue Spot who was 11 years old contacted EYP or some other reproductive problem. At that age, it's just one of those things that kills hens. It's just like the problems that tend to kill humans when they get old.
I've had one other yoounger hen lay a broken shelled egg. This was due to the way she laid eggs and her position in the nest. I flushed her out this time and she is still living and laying eggs.
There is a faction on this forum who believe they know better than any vet and also seem to believe that heavy chemicals are the answer to just about every complaint. Mention scaly leg mite you'll get told Ivermectin, mention any wounds and you'll get told antibiotics. It seems to be a cultural thing to a certain extent.
I've given antibiotics twice here in the last ten years on the advice of my vet. Never in the two years I had bantams and never when I worked for 6 years on my uncles farm caring for the free range chickens there.
You must of course do as you see fit but please bear in mind that the advice you got the last time didn't save your hen if my memory serves me.

I agree with you on the antibiotics, but for the SLM I have to say I swear by the ivermectin. Granted ours were so bad Chickens were losing toes and dying from the mite/lice loads, there were 20 of them back then crammed into a tiny coop and never seeing the outdoors. When I would treat them I would end up covered in lice as well, running up my arms and all over me. I was also trying to treat them in a quarantine like situation to avoid infecting my birds.

Sometimes the situation warrants it, and sadly in many parts of North America there aren’t any vets that will consider treating “livestock”. I tried everywhere when I was dealing with coccidiosis, no avian vets or exotic vets would consider seeing a chicken/doing a fecal float on chicken poop, small animal vets? Nope. The nearest vet that handles livestock is several ferries and a four hour highway drive away... but guess what? They finally returned my call but “don’t do” chickens! So, I cajoled my cats vet into doing the float and prescribing the meds. Of course I had to buy a full gallon for $300, and now every time my cats go in there’s the reminder that he “doesn’t do livestock”

Unless you’re very lucky, in my area, if you aren’t a huge industrial poultry barn that keeps a vet on staff to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics and medicated feed There really aren’t any options. It’s learn to treat yourself, and procure what you can, or watch your birds die of a easily fixed ailment.

 

[WhoDatChick]

When Dink laid her first soft shelled egg I took her to the vet and the vet flushed her out. Some bits of shell were removed along with egg yolk and membrane. No medication was given and she was fine afterwards until she got killed by a hawk.
I've two more since then. Blue Spot who was 11 years old contacted EYP or some other reproductive problem. At that age, it's just one of those things that kills hens. It's just like the problems that tend to kill humans when they get old.
I've had one other yoounger hen lay a broken shelled egg. This was due to the way she laid eggs and her position in the nest. I flushed her out this time and she is still living and laying eggs.
There is a faction on this forum who believe they know better than any vet and also seem to believe that heavy chemicals are the answer to just about every complaint. Mention scaly leg mite you'll get told Ivermectin, mention any wounds and you'll get told antibiotics. It seems to be a cultural thing to a certain extent.
I've given antibiotics twice here in the last ten years on the advice of my vet. Never in the two years I had bantams and never when I worked for 6 years on my uncles farm caring for the free range chickens there.
You must of course do as you see fit but please bear in mind that the advice you got the last time didn't save your hen if my memory serves me.

Do yall just ever leave them when you see something off..? I have found multiple times those soft/shell less eggs... never to find the owner and all seem fine... I have seen on a few occasions a very weak and sick looking chicken.. only to leave them be and then fine again... I also have seen the very pale comb and wattles.. and again all fine... do yall think that they just have off days like we do and work it out on their own..? Just wondering.. cuz I tend to not take any action... I guess unless, it would go on and on... I would do something then..

 

[goldenfingers]

This was exactly me! This is my only social media and I am loving it!

So there's hope, it would seem!

 

[RoyalChick]

Houston, we have a problem.

How is she doing today?

 

[micstrachan]

How is she doing today?

Hi! Thanks for asking.
She seemed spunky at first, and then her body language seemed slightly off. She was outside a nest box, so I brought her in where it’s nice and warm and I can see what she produces. She’s doing normal nesting/egg-laying stuff, but hasn’t passed an egg yet.

 

[micstrachan]

Chickie says thank you and here’s a hug from me. She was like a different chicken today, seemed her usual self! On our vet’s advice I gave her a dose of Meloxicam (pain meds) last night, so not sure whether she’s having a bit of pain and she got some relief, or whether the warmer weather was knocking her around and it was cooler today. I’ll will stay in touch with my vet and listen to what she has to say.

Yay!