Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Somehow the wire cover came off the brooder. I have no idea how.

 

[bgmathteach]

I hope no one will mind if I mention this.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/getting-chickens-out-of-trees-and-into-their-coops.75511/

Hi all, another 'blast from the past' as I move through this thread. Sorry if I mess you up.

@Shadrach, I do all of this (except the ladder - my replacement knee & 'needs to be replaced knee' don't do well with ladders and holding a pole/chicken!) You put it sooo eloquently! Wish I could still free range, but circumstances prevent it now However, when I did, I would always call them (here chicky, chicky) to get their pm 'snack', and lock them in their run..and then they would roost (mostly) in the coop...some liked - PERPETUALLY - specific roosts in the run even though the coop roosts were higher. I used to get them off the outside roosts exactly as you stated, by putting my wrist or forearm at that spot & they just climb right on! I find I can 'pick up' semi-flighty hens this way if I need to look them over, too. I just have my second hand hover over their backs in case they think of flying off (of course, health checks are done in full light, preferably!)

I did have a Rooster that would fly into high bushes, low trees constantly to roost, though - not come in with the others (lower on rooster totem pole). After dark, he would be impossible to find given dense bittersweet and grape vines on everything & him being a dark Cornish. I started 'talking to it' (buuuk, buk, buk, buk...and he would answer me, so I knew where to shine the light & could then 'discover' his roost. I'ld take him off just as you described (all but one of his 'favorite' roosting spots I could, thankfully, reach with my hand from the ground - about 6 +/- ft. up.) I love your 'roosting' pole...I used an old push broom that I tore the worn bristles out of, and put a screw in to keep it from twisting. I like your roost better!

I should see what other articles you have written - you are a wealth of knowledge, and I love reading your posts and following your links to informative articles & studies.

 

[Anonymous Chicken]

Is she molting? Many of our hens seem to stop eating while molting.

She is. It could be from the stress, but I'm really hoping that it's her annual molt.

 

[Anonymous Chicken]

Yes, I've been thinking that, reading this conversation. You need to be very careful. With sour crop, you could also try massaging the bottom of the crop (carefully, so you don't cause aspiration). It's a shame @Anonymous Chicken hasn't found an avian vet; mine did two crop washes, which seemed to help. When you apply the anti-fungals, if the lesions are in the mouth you will need to squirt it in the beak so there is contact. There is no point syringing it into the crop if the lesions are in the mouth. I did that for River. ACV in the water, massage the crop and give her anything to eat that she fancies, you need to keep her nutrients up. Good luck! (I'm also quite a bit behind and may be late to the party).

Thank you. I'm surprised that there aren't any experienced poultry vets where we live, as many people in the area have flocks. But we'll keep looking and hopefully find one soon!

We've been giving her ACV in her water. She ate a couple bites of mash today, and her crop is pretty much normal now, so hopefully that's a good sign!

 

[Anonymous Chicken]

Honestly, it doesn't sound like sour crop to me then. Here is 2 links on some basic info about sour crop. and crops in general (sour crop, impacted crop, etc.) https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2012/02/sour-crop.html
https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-anatomy-crop-impacted-crop-sour/

I wonder if she has some internal infection? You would probably know it if it was respiratory, but it may be something in the digestive tract (other than the crop) If the crop mostly empties, I doubt it is either sour crop or impacted crop.

I wish you the best of luck with your turkey, and wish I knew more so could effectively help.

You're right, it doesn't seem to be sour crop. It's strange, though. She was on some very strong antibiotics because it was too late to try natural remedies (it progressed very quickly), and she seemed to be getting better very quickly. But a few days later we noticed that her crop was swelling again.

Thank you for all of your help, it is very appreciated!

 

[featherhead007]

This is grrrreat! Everyone has gone to their perches in the coop. And Arizona and Dakota followed me up on the porch (They knew it was time to go in for the night.) I picked up both of them, put one on each shoulder, and headed to the chickens room. They are perched contented now. It’s still early enough for me to take in a movie! YAY.

 

[Anonymous Chicken]

Meet Henry The Second and his hens!
These are all Ex Batts or rescues.
I'll be looking after them along with another person for the forseeable future.
They all live on a large allotment plot about 5 mins walk from my daughters.
I'll get some better pictures up later.
There is a lot of work to do. The start was made this morning when they all got out of their run for the first time together.
The first project is to increase the size of their run. There is just about enough grunt left in me to get a fence up and maybe even build a new coop. Negotiations are currently in progress.
I picked Henry The Second up today and a few of his hens. I haven't held a rooster for almost five months!
View attachment 2843499View attachment 2843506View attachment 2843507

Yay for you!

 

[bgmathteach]

You're right, it doesn't seem to be sour crop. It's strange, though. She was on some very strong antibiotics because it was too late to try natural remedies (it progressed very quickly), and she seemed to be getting better very quickly. But a few days later we noticed that her crop was swelling again.

Thank you for all of your help, it is very appreciated!

I hope you are able to figure it out soon. It must be so stressful for you not being able to help her or know what to do. I hate when I feel helpless to 'fix' one of my girls.

 

[Blazinga]

Tugging on the wrapping..what's this funny looking thing....running off with it in a beak, leaving mummy Alex spinning like a top...wonder if @Blazinga could sketch that one out?

You got it.

 

[LozzyR]

Not even a heery coo?

I love it that I got you guys talking about heery coos!