Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

First Morning Together

Nothing bad happened. Phyllis got up and started pacing the coop wanting out with the other hens. She does not normally leave the roost until the automated door opens and today was no exception. She heard the automated door open and hoped down wanting out. So I let her out right away.

The littles did not leave the nest box until she had left. Here they are coming out.

Right away they decided to have breakfast.

It was actually a no drama morning.

Of interesting note. If you look hard at the video of Phyllis leaving the coop you will see a broken egg. It appears that poor Phyllis laid while on the roost last night.

 

[RoyalChick]

Thanks Shad. Sounds like you shouldn't get too much unwelcome interference. The chooks will be able to flourish!

It might even be better - if the community starts to appreciate the eggs they may be willing to contribute to upkeep.

 

[BY Bob]

Phew! I was getting anxious.

Sorry. I was enjoying some time talking to them.

Aurora really wants in to explore the new coop. You can hear her passing around it underneath in the one video I took. When I had the upper door open, she stopped and judged the height of the lower door several times in preparation to fly up but figured that she could not do it.

 

[BY Bob]

It might even be better - if the community starts to appreciate the eggs they may be willing to contribute to upkeep.

This would be a great outcome. I imagine that it will be some time away though.

 

[RoyalChick]

First Morning Together

Nothing bad happened. Phyllis got up and started pacing the coop wanting out with the other hens. She does not normally leave the roost until the automated door opens and today was no exception. She heard the automated door open and hoped down wanting out. So I let her out right away.

The littles did not leave the nest box until she had left. Here they are coming out.

Right away they decided to have breakfast.

It was actually a no drama morning.

Of interesting note. If you look hard at the video of Phyllis leaving the coop you will see a broken egg. It appears that poor Phyllis laid while on the roost last night.

Good news all around (well apart from the broken egg of course).

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Well, folks, this should be my last post on the thread about dear Ruby. OMG, the report is horrible. My poor, sweet baby. I wish I hadn’t kept her alive so long. Ruby did not have cystic right oviduct, salpingitis nor fatty liver. Her fat stores were depleted and she was severely emaciated due to extensive metatastic ovarian cancer (liver, kidneys, intestines, coelom). The mass did indeed obstruct her duodenum, which could explain why she was so malnourished.

I’m going to crawl into a cave now. I might be joining the cull-all-sick-birds camp. Poor Ruby. Poor, poor sweet Ruby. OMG. ???

That was completely unexpected. No wonder you are in shock Michelle.
Don't be too hard on yourself. You know she had many happy chickeny days with your assistance.

 

[BY Bob]

Good news all around (well apart from the broken egg of course).

I'll take a broken egg when everything works out like this.

 

[BY Bob]

I'll take a broken egg when everything works out like this.

Besides Hattie rather enjoyed eating it.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Seems to me you did really well. You recognized that you need to take care of both of you. It is possible her path toward passing was easier on the pine shavings, as you note. Given your videos and history with them, I don't think actually being on your lap was necessary to help her feel comforted at the end. When she was out and about being a chicken, doing chickeny things, she didn't need to be on your lap all the time, did she? You would speak to her, pet her, and that was fine, she probably acknowledged you and kept on her chicken mission. That's what chickens do, surround each other physically and audibly. So here you were close by and kept her company. You stood guard with her, so she felt safe. She felt your presence, heard your voice and felt your loving touch.

So well put. This is just what I wanted to say.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

No no. You are not thinking right
You know she had good days and those were your gift to her. She told you when she was ready to go and you kept her safe while she departed.
The cause of her illness doesn’t change any of that and yiu shoukd feel proud of how you helped her.

Hold it. How does that diagnosis, compared to the other possibilities, make this so especially horrible? I think you are experiencing the second-guessing that grief brings. Please forgive the following rant, but I hope this will ease your mind some:

It is not how much cancer you have but what & where it happens to be impinging on, interfering with, pushing against (or not) that causes pain and discomfort. People can go along with a lot of cancer in them and not know it, and I would guess chickens too. That is why cancer is such a sneaky disease. I'm being flippant but in some ways I would rather have deadly cancer than deadly infections like salpingitis, where infection eats away at you right from the get-go and one has pain right away. One can live pain-free with quite a bit of metastasis. The ascites itself causes discomfort because of volume and you did help her there. Cancer in joints and bones can be painful, yes. Unless it originates there, for most people that is close to the end of their journey. Masses in the belly and elsewhere aren't necessarily painful.

But understand that pain can change as the disease of cancer progresses. It can even go away, and then pop up eventually somewhere else. Know that it's not necessarily a cumulative experience of pain as the cancer spreads. Humans can also have extremely painful non-cancerous cysts or growths, or be filled with cancer and be fairly pain-free, it depends. It's a judgement call between patient and doctors on how to treat, what pain meds to give and when and how to administer palliative care when needed. Everyone's experience is unique.

Often, our perception of cancer patients' trials and tribulations - the severe weight loss, the paleness, the hair loss - often that is due to the treatments, which can cause nausea, taste loss, blood problems, etc, not necessarily the cancer! Humans are able to eat a lot of calories. Maybe chickens cannot make it up the way humans can? Cancer is indeed hungry, it is rapid cell division, and weight loss can be due to the inability to keep up with the demands of both the cancer and the normal cell metabolism. But humans may both lose weight or gain weight with undiagnosed cancer. Ruby was eating and pooping up to her last days as I understand it, so in my opinion she was not likely blocked until the very end.

You observed Ruby very carefully. She had what appeared to be many good days in this journey because of your care. Try to remember that.

More articulate posts. RC you are so good at putting feelings into words.

Michelle, RC is right. You were not the least bit neglectful or cruel. You are a kind and caring nurse to your hens.