Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

My understanding is that the crop should be essentially empty before food in the morning and if it isn’t there is a problem.
The problem may be fixed by coconut oil and massage (which is actually a nice binding experience).
The watch out is if it stays for a length of time without emptying then candida (the yeast that causes thrush in people) starts to grow and ferment the crop contents.
That is what happened to Minnie. You could smell it in her breath. That is what I was treating with miconazole.
But the other times crops have been slow I have solved just with the oil and massage.

I will do so, is it liquid coconut oil? Or solid stuff? Not sure how to administer it!

 

[Ponypoor]

And then there were three...

The broody trio....

Three happy fluffy broody butts

 

[bgmathteach]

I fear Lulu may have got too self important to chat. She is working on her own fashion label specializing in cute little hats and fascinators(sp?) so that alien chicks can walk among us undetected!
Here is an example of her work.

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OMG, that first pic made me think of someone in particular....the angle made it look like a particularly bad comb-over!




However, that last pic is gorgeous...she would fit right in with the royals!

 

[bgmathteach]

I will do so, is it liquid coconut oil? Or solid stuff? Not sure how to administer it!

Solid. It is solid at room temperature, just break it into small pieces; generally chickens like it and will eat it out of your hand or a dish, Some people will freeze it and cut it into small pieces. Either way, I think it is easier to administer than a liquid oil.

 

[Ribh]

Minnie’s crop was empty this morning. She went to bed with a normally full crop (not mega bloated) so I was optimistic.
But yay!!
I have no idea what of the various treatments worked but I don’t care. They worked!


I just gave her last dose of miconazole so I will start to feel less like I am running an infirmary.

Now she, Maggie and Dotty still have diarrhea which is how this all started, and I still have weirdly walking Bernadette. But at least I am not syringing and worrying about every bite of food.

Back to diarrhea. Is it possible diet is part of the problem? They are all on chick starter which is very high protein. But they are foraging a lot because the weather is good. Hmmm.

I am so pleased Minnie is doing better. Can I suggest you have a chat with @Perris because they twigged me to the fact chickens are a grazing bird but I found all mine got diahorrea when they moved onto grass. I'm not sure how you are doing seasonally but I'm wondering if coming off winter rations onto spring grass may have something to do with it. 6 months down the track I am still getting some ugly black splats, which makes me think the radical change in diet & keeping conditions is contributing to them.

 

[Ribh]

I know exactly what you mean
I'm doing that hold daily

Sorry, Marie. RC is American & they call what they do football ~ but it's the wrong shaped ball & they use their hands. (? How can it be football when you don't use your feet?) I hope you are not wrapping your chooks up like a soccer ball. That does not work @ all! Don't ask me how I know...

 

[RoyalChick]

Solid. It is solid at room temperature, just break it into small pieces; generally chickens like it and will eat it out of your hand or a dish, Some people will freeze it and cut it into small pieces. Either way, I think it is easier to administer than a liquid oil.

Fully agree with that. I spoon out little pill sized portions and put them in the freezer. That way they stay solid long enough for me to pop them down their throat if for some reason they haven’t already gobbled them up. Some of mine love it. Some not so much.
It is solid but soft at room temperature and becomes rock hard very fast in fridge or freezer.
Olive oil would do the same job but so messy and always a fear of aspiration if you are forcing it into them. Coconut oil chilled is just so easy to handle.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am so pleased Minnie is doing better. Can I suggest you have a chat with @Perris because they twigged me to the fact chickens are a grazing bird but I found all mine got diahorrea when they moved onto grass. I'm not sure how you are doing seasonally but I'm wondering if coming off winter rations onto spring grass may have something to do with it. 6 months down the track I am still getting some ugly black splats, which makes me think the radical change in diet & keeping conditions is contributing to them.

Indeed, their diet has shifted significantly as now they are foraging almost all day most days. I think with Maggie that must be something to do with it because she shows no sign of illness at all and also is the one who largely ignores the commercial feed as she prefers what she finds for herself.
Minnie was legitimately sick however - I really thought I would lose her. So maybe there are different things going on. Diarrhea is a rather generic symptom.

 

[RoyalChick]

Sorry, Marie. RC is American & they call what they do football ~ but it's the wrong shaped ball & they use their hands. (? How can it be football when you don't use your feet?) I hope you are not wrapping your chooks up like a soccer ball. That does not work @ all! Don't ask me how I know...

RC is a citizen of the world so we can settle on the correct approach to trimming a chicken being to use a rugby hold.
Actually RC is not remotely interested in sports and of those has only ever attended a single match/game and that was rugby.

 

[Ribh]

Indeed, their diet has shifted significantly as now they are foraging almost all day most days. I think with Maggie that must be something to do with it because she shows no sign of illness at all and also is the one who largely ignores the commercial feed as she prefers what she finds for herself.
Minnie was legitimately sick however - I really thought I would lose her. So maybe there are different things going on. Diarrhea is a rather generic symptom.

Probably a number of different things going on with Minnie. I truly hope its now all settled down & she can get back to normal.