Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

Or, a tiny flat head when you need a big one, or a big one when you need a little one!

Hmmm, at this rate, I'm going to need to take more pics to keep up to date on my taxes. Recycled ones will have to do for now:

View attachment 3156929View attachment 3156931
A very good boy that I am going to have to put down. He is only a year old, and near as I can tell, he has Mareck's. All my chicks have been vaccinated and/or hatched on site....no birds brought in but vaccinated chicks, so I am not sure how he got it, but it seems to be the classic symptoms and I can find no other reason. He can't use his legs. I have been working with him trying to supplement vit. B and exercising legs 2 x per day...and it has gotten worse, not better. Poor guy, he is sweet and was a good boy to the girls..... this is so hard, but, watching him quietly yesterday...I realized that I was so attached that I ignoring the obvious. He initially (quite suddenly - after a fight with another roo) was very weak in the legs and I brought him inside to protect him and work with him (initially thinking it was pain from injuries.) Despite my efforts, legs are worse...now he has no control of lower legs at all, no reflex nor grip motion with feet, nothing. He does have a will to live....but it is no life not being able to move. He can't even tip himself from one side to the other with his legs when laying...he has to use his wings. These pics were from March.

We are all having so many losses this past year I'm so sorry

 

[Marie2020]

Barred rock Tuesday it is then

 

[Ponypoor]

Tuesday twosomes

 

[bgmathteach]

I though Marek’s was a much faster progression to death. Do you know for sure he has Marek’s?

No, but there is nothing else I can find that could cause this, I have no Vet I can bring him to, and he was vaccinated (so might be a slower progressing with partial immunity?) But he no longer can use his legs at all. He uses his wings and his head/neck to 'adjust himself' and he mostly goes in a circle or inches forward a small bit.

He definitely has a will to survive, but what a miserable life for a chicken. And other Roos will definitely pick on him, so it also means a solitary life. And, eventually, he will get ulcers on his breast bone. I've been holding him on his side for an hour or more in my arms after doing exercises so he gets a couple of hours/day off breast bone, and I have padding/cushioning under him....but still....and his color is turning greyish on his face

 

[Kris5902]

But it is always a flat head when I need a Philips head or the other way around.

I have solved this particular issue by only buying #2 Robertson screws and bulk packs of the matching driverbits… if something comes with a Phillips screw I swap it out… I almost never need to look for a screwdriver as the ones I use most often I have I don’t know how many, and all the rest are rarely used, and usually manage to stay where they live in the garage trailer!

 

[featherhead007]

Rocks:

 

[Kris5902]

I have bought three of those so far. Where do they hide?!

Agree with Bob… three just isn’t enough to maintain diversity in your breeding flock of screwdrivers… I try to pick one up every time I see one at a check stand from London Drugs to any Hardware store. If it’s near the checkout as an impulse item I take that as a sign I should get just one more. Actually got so annoyed with falling apart cabinets at work that I sent one of my “minions” to the nearby hardware store with my personal CC to buy me one for my work apron… and minion was a coveted position that came with most of my supervisory powers, passwords, matching pens and sharpie colours to what I used, and a sample initial for signing off on things anytime I was working and no other people were looking. Can’t be doing returns on my day off or before I start work, can I?

 

[BY Bob]

Have those two become buddies?

This morning at least. It has not been consistent at all.

 

[BY Bob]

We are all having so many losses this past year I'm so sorry

It has been a realy rough last 9 months for certain. Thankfully @RoyalChick has had some success. We need someone to do so at some point.

 

[BY Bob]

Barred rock Tuesday it is then
View attachment 3157067

View attachment 3157066

Woohoo!