Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RebeccaBoyd]

Well, that girl really has me confused now. I went out just a few minutes ago to check on her. She is in a extra large dog crate and before I disturbed her I was hiding and watching her. First thing this morning she could not take a step without falling onto her side. Now, she can take 3 steps at a time before she stops. She turned around without falling as well. I got her out and went to feeling around looking for what I felt around her hip this morning.....it is not there. I can not feel a egg, but I'm now convinced she's got one on the way that is giving her trouble. She is still in the crate and I will give her time to pass it herself this afternoon before we check to see if we need to intervene and help.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Mrs BY Bob has been known to sing to chicks.

Aw!

 

[Kris5902]

I won't touch anything from KFC. I cannot support the hideous way they treat their chickens. So not one penny of mine goes into their purse

The tax I’m gonna owe for this one… it’s not raining so maybe I will have a chance to collect it!

Like I said, it’s a very rare thing to have any outside food here, especially chicken! All the chicken in Canadian KFC conforms to our meat industry standards for humane raising and handling of the animals. I don’t generally eat commercial chickens either, usually just my own birds or ones from farms with extremely high standards for husbandry, but I was also raised to never turn down someone offering you food. Especially a guest who shares their dinner with you! That may be the only thing they have to share, and the offer of sharing food, especially if it is scarce, is quite the gift. Oh… the things I’ve eaten just because it was shared, Haggis (shudder, why the oatmeal? Why?) see-sig (fried pig intestines… delicious, but kind of gross), snake, alligator, prairie Oysters; I am forever thankful I have never been offered Balut! Having spent some time myself first homeless during winter and then clawing my way out of that poverty slowly with whatever job I could get, really changed my perspectives on food. Then working at a high end grocer in an affluent neighbourhood, and now raising food animals myself.

Aside: a local “caterer”, on the other island DH works on, sent an email out to the abattoir asking for local chicken producers. They want 160 birds a month, locally raised by a small farmer, and are Willing to pay UP to $6/lb CAD for locally raised Chicken. That would be a small farmers entire Legal production for a year, sold at a steep loss. The only way to make those numbers is to do a full commercial operation/chicken barn. Those Licenses Sell for millions and there are no new ones being issued by the chicken marketing board. The problem with the industry is really the end consumer not being willing or able to pay the high prices that come with ethically raised animal products. Large scale farming isn’t sustainable, environmentally friendly, or good, and that goes for everything from corn and soy and almonds for vegans to feedlot beef cattle and huge commercial chicken barns.

I am a huge proponent, enlightened self interest, of natural and ethically raised food, knowing the farmer and their methods far exceeds any organic certifications possible, however I will never look down on or judge someone for not being able to afford my products, or for buying what they can afford. Unfortunately our economy isn’t set up for that. I would love for everyone to be able to afford our products. But if a small local hog costs us $800 we have to price our sausage from that accordingly. A lot of people are in for even more sticker shock as the rising feed costs are going to continue to hit consumers. The local propane supplier just put out a “please be nice, I’m a single dad and this is what I had to pay for the propane, stop sending me angry emails” notice. But our gas prices should drop again with the next deliveries… which will be nice. Now, off to chase the chickens around with my camera “look fluffy darn it! Mommy pulled out the meat industry soapbox again, and needs cute picturesof you for internet chicken taxes!”

 

[Kris5902]

Crap, I've got a injured hen this morning. I went out to feed breakfast this morning and one of my cochin girls cannot walk. She can stand but when she goes to take a step she falls over on her side. She was perfectly fine last night running around when I put her to bed. She is behaving the way Daisy did over a year ago when she had that monster egg get stuck. I've felt around and can not feel a egg. What I did feel I do not like and as soon as mom gets up I want her to double check. I'm not sure but I think somehow overnight she's dislocated a hip. Right now she is in the hospital crate with food and water and a nest made up. If something is fixable I'm all for rehabbing and giving them time to recover, but, I do not know if a dislocated hip is fixable. Of course it would also be the friendliest of the cochins. The girl who finally decided it was ok to sit in my lap and allow herself to be petted.

Well, that girl really has me confused now. I went out just a few minutes ago to check on her. She is in a extra large dog crate and before I disturbed her I was hiding and watching her. First thing this morning she could not take a step without falling onto her side. Now, she can take 3 steps at a time before she stops. She turned around without falling as well. I got her out and went to feeling around looking for what I felt around her hip this morning.....it is not there. I can not feel a egg, but I'm now convinced she's got one on the way that is giving her trouble. She is still in the crate and I will give her time to pass it herself this afternoon before we check to see if we need to intervene and help.

She could have just landed on it oddly, that happens. If you do need to do some rehab on her if it is an injury and not an egg issue, it’s a challenge but worth it. Hoppy had quite the injury but a month or so of rehab and she had a great life afterwards, even with her limp.

 

[BY Bob]

Crap, I've got a injured hen this morning. I went out to feed breakfast this morning and one of my cochin girls cannot walk. She can stand but when she goes to take a step she falls over on her side. She was perfectly fine last night running around when I put her to bed. She is behaving the way Daisy did over a year ago when she had that monster egg get stuck. I've felt around and can not feel a egg. What I did feel I do not like and as soon as mom gets up I want her to double check. I'm not sure but I think somehow overnight she's dislocated a hip. Right now she is in the hospital crate with food and water and a nest made up. If something is fixable I'm all for rehabbing and giving them time to recover, but, I do not know if a dislocated hip is fixable. Of course it would also be the friendliest of the cochins. The girl who finally decided it was ok to sit in my lap and allow herself to be petted.

Boy, I hope you can get it back in place for her.

 

[BY Bob]

I'm hoping it is something you can fix. I imagine a dislocated hip could be fixed (like in humans), but how to manipulate it properly??? And then she would need time to strengthen the ligaments/tendons so it doesn't happen again.



Brief mention of Vet can fix dislocated hip
BYC thread for a chick with dislocation
Avian skeletal system
Avian Skeletal: better pics but less detailed info.

Wow, excellent assistance available here. Great work researching for her.

 

[BY Bob]

Well, that girl really has me confused now. I went out just a few minutes ago to check on her. She is in a extra large dog crate and before I disturbed her I was hiding and watching her. First thing this morning she could not take a step without falling onto her side. Now, she can take 3 steps at a time before she stops. She turned around without falling as well. I got her out and went to feeling around looking for what I felt around her hip this morning.....it is not there. I can not feel a egg, but I'm now convinced she's got one on the way that is giving her trouble. She is still in the crate and I will give her time to pass it herself this afternoon before we check to see if we need to intervene and help.

This is very interesting now. I will be waiting to hear more.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

I am now 100% convinced it was a egg issue. I heard her start to raise a ruckus in the cage and went out to check on her. No egg, but a angry caged hen who is now pacing back and forth. I opened the cage and she RAN to her favorite nest box. What I felt and thought this morning as a dislocated hip had to be a egg working its way down.

 

[BY Bob]

I am now 100% convinced it was a egg issue. I heard her start to raise a ruckus in the cage and went out to check on her. No egg, but a angry caged hen who is now pacing back and forth. I opened the cage and she RAN to her favorite nest box. What I felt and thought this morning as a dislocated hip had to be a egg working its way down.

This feels like the best possible outcome. Especially if she is running!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Yes it is the best outcome. One day though these girls are going to cause harm to themselves. They were never taught or given the opportunity to roost before I got them. I try every night even with a roost I've placed about 2 inches off the ground and they will not use it. Instead they huddle together in one corner of the coop to sleep. The problem with this is they end up sleeping on top of each other. I cannot break this behavior and I really don't know what else to try to change it. I've even came out hours after they have went to bed and placed them on the roost and they jump right back off and huddle in the corner.