Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

They do better with the cold than heat. Heat kills really quickly. What makes you think Agatha can't handle the cold? Chickens moult when it starts getting cold & most do ok. If her eggs are thin shelled that is a separate matter that needs addressing with calcium. Others on here have good ideas about that.

One thing to consider [& I don't want to worry you] is sometimes a tribe will force a sick chicken out ~ especially if they consider her a threat to the rest. Has Agatha had a vet check? I'd consider it. Electrolytes & extra vitamins may be in order while she rebuilds her strength.

Please know I really appreciate all your advice and take it all onboard.

Vets are incredibly expensive here and i have not heard of a vet advised too me from another vet that I made contact with twice by leaving a message and texting

I've yet to find a vet with a good reputation that doesn't overcharge.

 

[Ribh]

I'm waiting for a tonic to arrive. I wrote in here yesterday. It has all vitamins needed in including electrolytes it's called Activit.

I always add oyster ground down shells as well as mixed grit. They have also had ground egg shells. I have mineral and calcium supplements here I think I will use again in tonight's feeding .

Yes, I don't always catch all the posts on Bob's thread. I know it is worrying but with the love & care you're giving her I expect she will be fine.

 

[Ribh]

Please know I really appreciate all your advice and take it all onboard.

Vets are incredibly expensive here and i have not heard of a vet advised too me from another vet that I made contact with twice by leaving a message and texting

I've yet to find a vet with a good reputation that doesn't overcharge.

Oh, I'm not phased. Lots more experienced people around than me. I'm lucky to have an ok Vet who has her own chickens & gets how much we love them but she is super expensive & I've just had one of my Vorwerks in for a visit. Treatment was working but she has relapsed. The wonderful vet gave me a consultation over the phone @ no cost to me & we worked out a plan of action from what is in my medical kit but I went years without a good vet & there's nothing worse than not being able to figure out what's wrong so you can treat properly. I get it. You are battling the turn of the season too with moults starting [if they haven't already] so there's lots going on in your tribe.

 

[Marie2020]

Oh, I'm not phased. Lots more experienced people around than me. I'm lucky to have an ok Vet who has her own chickens & gets how much we love them but she is super expensive & I've just had one of my Vorwerks in for a visit. Treatment was working but she has relapsed. The wonderful vet gave me a consultation over the phone @ no cost to me & we worked out a plan of action from what is in my medical kit but I went years without a good vet & there's nothing worse than not being able to figure out what's wrong so you can treat properly. I get it. You are battling the turn of the season too with moults starting [if they haven't already] so there's lots going on in your tribe.

I came across a lovely lady vet last year but when I called for her again the ice cold receptionist wouldn't get me in touch with her. I called again and a vet spoke too me advising this vet nearer to where I live. I requested a home visit and he didn't get back. Now money is a issue at least for a while or I would get another coop.

The two littles are so happy on their own

Letting them all out now . It's hard having to keep on going out in this cold. I'm really not built for this

 

[featherhead007]

I came across a lovely lady vet last year but when I called for her again the ice cold receptionist wouldn't get me in touch with her. I called again and a vet spoke too me advising this vet nearer to where I live. I requested a home visit and he didn't get back. Now money is a issue at least for a while or I would get another coop.

The two littles are so happy on their own

Letting them all out now . It's hard having to keep on going out in this cold. I'm really not built for this

Sorry you are so cold

 

[Marie2020]

Sorry you are so cold View attachment 2872146

Not that bad. I got mainly wet the past couple off mornings afternoons and nights then again this morning. I think I may be a duck

 

[Marie2020]

Send in the dropdown bears to sort out my chickens

 

[featherhead007]

Send in the dropdown bears to sort out my chickens

Drop bears only attack tourists who visit Australia. They don’t harm chickens

 

[featherhead007]

Australia,… everything can kill you in Australia. (I heard that a flight attendant on Quantas Air, beat a passenger (but not to death) don’t ask me how I know that. (I never reveal my sources)
Right CNN?

 

[RoyalChick]

An update on my little patient Minnie (sorry a bit long - I just need to offload on folk who understand how I feel).
The plan was to let her roost each night and then haul her into the hospital for the night with food and electrolyte water so she could get electrolytes and an uninterrupted breakfast. The vet suggested Gatorade but I had some sachet's of chick electrolytes so I used those (vet said that was OK too).
The first night she chose to roost on her own so I executed the plan. Of course I have a camera in the hospital so I could keep an eye on her. I learned a lot from the first night's experience. From the camera I learned that she spent a lot of the night doing this. Every 10 to 15 minutes for most of the night.

To me it looked like she was trying to rearrange stuff in her crop. So, I got up at about 4:30am and hauled her out of her hospital bed and sure enough her crop felt like it had a big hard lump still in it. I gave her a couple of pellets of frozen coconut oil and I held her and massaged her crop. I didn't really know how to do that because @Shadrach had told us it needs to be quite strongly manipulated to break anything up, but on the other hand I was terrified of causing her to aspirate.
In the end she seemed to enjoy the cuddle and fell asleep tucked under my arm while I pummeled and squished her crop around. It definitely got smaller as a result of this manhandling, but also wasn't completely empty when I put her back to bed.
When it got light she informed me that she hates electrolyte water. She wouldn't touch it and just sat there head down and all hunched up. Naturally I thought my night-time intervention had killed her, but when I gave her plain water she drank and drank and drank and then perked right up and had some breakfast.

So on to the second night (last night) and of course the best laid plans.. .. .. she roosted with her buddies. I mean look at them. Can any of you say you honestly blame me for deciding to let her stay there? From left to right that is Dotty, Minnie, Diana, Maggie.

I had a camera on her and she did do this, but only once the whole night.

I got up at about 5am (still dark) and picked her off the roost. Her crop was not empty but way less full than the day before. She got more coconut oil and a crop pummeling and then when put in the hospital bed where she consented to having a pretty long drink of Gatorade so now at least I know she got some electrolytes and some calories.

Onwards to another day - you can do this Minnie. Get better my baby!