Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[LozzyR]

A good day to stay just as you are.

Given that the girls woke me this morning just after 5.30 and after I let them out, couldn’t go back to sleep, I’ve just had a nap on the couch whilst lying under a cat-blanket!

 

[micstrachan]

I have been holding on to this information but I think knowing this might help you now. Until this happens, Maggie is fine and you should relax and try not to fret too much.

Here is what you need to watch for.

The lash egg is the result of inflammation in her egg track. The inflammation typically leads to scarring which results in a blockage of the track. This means that eggs she tries to produce cannot progress down the track. This then results in a build up of liquid in her abdomen. The first visible symptom of this fluid build up will be difficulty breathing. I noticed it with Daisy, the greatest hen ever, on the roost cam. Usually their breathing is slow and steady while they are at rest. Daisy's was clearly not. It was easy to see. There is a chance that somewhere i have video of her breathing. If I can find it, I will post it but it was obvious.

Until you see that, I would not worry. You will likely not notice anything different until then. Please try to not be anxious and enjoy your time together. You could likely have all winter. That is my most fervent prayer for you.

I am sorry to say this, but I have to respectfully disagree. Being off feed is something to be concerned about, and I don’t think Maggie is necessarily fine. However, if she is active and eating worms, she is probably not in dire straights, either. I agree she has a decent chance of having a good winter, since her reproductive system may take a break. Also, RC, can you remind us of her molting status? My flock tends to go off feed during molt, so my fingers are crossed it is more from molt than salpingitis.

You can check for the ascites by cupping your hand gently around her fluffy butt. Once there is fluid, you can just wait and see, or you can try to provide some temporary relief by draining her. I have also had great success reducing ascites with Lily of the Desert Aloe Detox (4mL orally for a few days). Ascites is a symptom, so treating it only temporarily helps, but I am one to treat if it means I can enjoy my beloved feathered friend longer, as long as she is not suffering. I have also administered half an 81g aspirin for a few days. Also not a good long-term solution, but can help with pain and ascites.

I can’t recall whether Maggie was prescribed antibiotics?

I’m sorry, RC. I think if I were in your shoes, I would be letting her live her days right now, too. Have you tried offering a soupy baby bird formula? My flock is crazy for it.

 

[RoyalChick]

I am sorry to say this, but I have to respectfully disagree. Being off feed is something to be concerned about, and I don’t think Maggie is necessarily fine. However, if she is active and eating worms, she is probably not in dire straights, either. I agree she has a decent chance of having a good winter, since her reproductive system may take a break. Also, RC, can you remind us of her molting status? My flock tends to go off feed during molt, so my fingers are crossed it is more from molt than salpingitis.

You can check for the ascites by cupping your hand gently around her fluffy butt. Once there is fluid, you can just wait and see, or you can try to provide some temporary relief by draining her. I have also had great success reducing ascites with Lily of the Desert Aloe Detox (4mL orally for a few days). Ascites is a symptom, so treating it only temporarily helps, but I am one to treat if it means I can enjoy my beloved feathered friend longer, as long as she is not suffering. I have also administered half an 81g aspirin for a few days. Also not a good long-term solution, but can help with pain and ascites.

I can’t recall whether Maggie was prescribed antibiotics?

I’m sorry, RC. I think if I were in your shoes, I would be letting her live her days right now, too. Have you tried offering a soupy baby bird formula? My flock is crazy for it.

She is in full on molt and I am trying not to handle her too much. Her fluffy butt is more like porcupine butt right now.
She finds enough worms to fill her crop and I got live mealy worms to supplement as well.
She doesn’t seem quite perky enough but also definitely got life. She has clear views how she wants to spend her time (pulling worms) and she is still a very active digger.
I am clear on the plan - which is spoil her rotten until she is not comfortable or is in distress, and then I will seek help from the vet to put her to sleep. I just don’t know if that will be in days or weeks or months.
We take each day as it comes.

 

[micstrachan]

1) ashort term if you are prepared to do it. Probably not practicable for you in the long term given you travel.
2) Splitting the coop would be an option if Phyllis had one of her own for company. It's possible Sansa might fit given she arrived at the same time.
3) Ime it doesn't matter much how the roosts are arranged, The senior hens will just go and bug the odd ones wherever they roost.
4) Aurora is imo just doing what hens do. If you remove her another will take over. Aurora has earned her right to be there, much like say Knock here who is a pain in the bum when it comes to bullying opportunities.
5) A second coop is much like isolating Phyllis. It's not her fault she's different. If she had company then it's an option.
6) very difficult from what I've seen of your setup.

I think you may have to look for another Polish hen Bob., or better still, which would really piss off the seniors, a Polish rooster.

There is a number 7) while you think about what is and what isn't practicable and that is to bring Phyllis inside for the night.
I think she will try to roost in the coop again. Some nights are worse than others.
She isn't getting injured and while I feel for her, it is just intimidation atm and this needs to be born in mind.
I've has senior hens here put bullies in their place. Sometimes it takes a while. Donk used to have terrible problems with one of her daughters, Fray. It went on for weeks. Gedit was still alive then. Gedit was very mellow but she kept order in Tribe 3. I had just got to the point where I was considering interfering when one night they all went to roost, Fray being as horrid as usaul and the next morning when I opened up Fray staggered out covered in blood, a nasty rip in her comb and a couple of bleeding wounds to her head. Gedit came out with blood on her beak. Fray didn't give Donk much trouble from that day on.

I love the idea of a polish rooster!

 

[micstrachan]

She is in full on molt and I am trying not to handle her too much. Her fluffy butt is more like porcupine butt right now.
She finds enough worms to fill her crop and I got live mealy worms to supplement as well.
She doesn’t seem quite perky enough but also definitely got life. She has clear views how she wants to spend her time (pulling worms) and she is still a very active digger.
I am clear on the plan - which is spoil her rotten until she is not comfortable or is in distress, and then I will seek help from the vet to put her to sleep. I just don’t know if that will be in days or weeks or months.
We take each day as it comes.

It sounds like the perfect plan. If she’s in full molt, then, yes, I agree being off her regular feed is probably not a big deal. Phew!

 

[micstrachan]

Calling Phyllis

All this roosting talk has detailed the best thing from today so I am posting it again! How about Phyllis coming when called!?

I can’t wait to watch this later when my work wifi is not filtering it out.

 

[Kris5902]

@RoyalChick

I have been holding on to this information but I think knowing this might help you now. Until this happens, Maggie is fine and you should relax and try not to fret too much.

Here is what you need to watch for.

The lash egg is the result of inflammation in her egg track. The inflammation typically leads to scarring which results in a blockage of the track. This means that eggs she tries to produce cannot progress down the track. This then results in a build up of liquid in her abdomen. The first visible symptom of this fluid build up will be difficulty breathing. I noticed it with Daisy, the greatest hen ever, on the roost cam. Usually their breathing is slow and steady while they are at rest. Daisy's was clearly not. It was easy to see. There is a chance that somewhere i have video of her breathing. If I can find it, I will post it but it was obvious.

Until you see that, I would not worry. You will likely not notice anything different until then. Please try to not be anxious and enjoy your time together. You could likely have all winter. That is my most fervent prayer for you.

One of my Known cases of lash eggs (Tippie) was happy and healthy seeming right up until the end. She didn’t exhibit any other symptoms or signs of discomfort at all. I just came home one day to her passed away in a sunny patch of their new tractor. She looked fine and was behaving normally when I let them out in the morning. She was also (we believe) an older hen.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Calling Phyllis

I got requests for video of Phyllis coming when called. They are already quite a ways back so I quoted the post below.



I've always wanted to get this on film. So here is my little sweetie responding as requested. Don't blink, she's fast. I love how Sydney runs when Phyllis starts running but never comes all the way. I guess she figured out I wasn't calling her!

That is so awesome!

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Sure can! I’ve been keeping them for about a year now, and I’ve kept my population levels fairly steady... mostly through neglect. I forget they are there sometimes and a week or two will go by before I get them a fresh veggie water source. Please as always excuse the mess... I screwed the top of the organizer into some 2x4’s to suspend them below the skirt of the coffee table edge. So the table now weighs whole a lot more, but it was what I had to hand when I was setting it up and suddenly realized I needed to drop the organizers down to be able to open the top drawers.View attachment 2392868View attachment 2392857
I was using a screened bottom in a drawer (missing) but have given up on that and am now just letting the beetles live in the exact same set up as the worms. I need to find one of the regular drawers to replace it. I know it’s somewhere outside, as I have a third organizer I don’t have room for in the trailer and just use the Spare drawers for sifting.
View attachment 2392861View attachment 2392863
I moved the egg carton top over to take the picture of the worms... they are congregating there on a slice of zucchini.

This is fabulous! A steady supply of mealworms. Without spending a fortune!

 

[Kris5902]

This and as I posted above.
Chickens know who is family, who is the same breed and who can be intimidated.

Yes, I find in my more diverse flocks it isn’t quite so bad... but I have definitely got some concerns about some of my own planned winter moves here because of just this.

I want to take Bob in for Sausage (Sorry @BY Bob but he just isn’t being nice to his ladies anymore!) and move Barney into his place, but I hesitate to integrate Barney’s 6 girls with the 8 daughters of Hawk and two Barnvelder ladies that are already there. They would work better for Breeding purposes in with Hawk, and the numbers might be more even... but I think they like Barney and don’t want to unsettle them too much. Plus those red feathered girls can be bullies and I just integrated my three newest (red) rescues in there.

If I do this I could theoretically just build out a big plywood sleeping coop and re-integrate Sammy with Dean and Cass, and with all the extra girls in there hopefully they will be more sheltered and less antagonistic over winter here. I basically want to have everyone behind solid walls (no tarp shelters) at night for this winter.