Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Allele says, "as it should be"View attachment 2875005

As does Diana

 

[BY Bob]

Well she has been out digging stuff up for many hours today and even flew about 15’ so I think she is doing OK on the exercise front. She is still outside (everyone else has gone to bed) and she just got a worm and had it all to herself. Will it wriggle its own way out of her crop or will I have to help with my morning massage?
Hmmm.

I can't help picturing that worm now!

 

[BY Bob]

Excellent.

 

[BY Bob]

As does Diana

View attachment 2875026View attachment 2875026

They are indeed lovely.

 

[RoyalChick]

Did you share a link to this scale so others could buy one?

I would agree that Minnie seems underweight but is that really a shocking finding? I am sure she will put weight back on as she recovers. I do think you should be careful of what your standard weight is. I am going to check my veterinary manual to see what it says for you. I would think that a healthy hen a little under the standard weight might actually be a good thing.

Thank you. That perspective would be very helpful.
I will link to the scale when I go back in and find it. I am staying out until Minnie stops foraging.
Honestly she looks fantastic today but then she squirts out liquid and I get all worried again.
She is not needing resuscitation rations so we are in a better place than a week ago. But I would just like one more-or-less normal poo before I relax!

 

[RoyalChick]

I can't help picturing that worm now!

 

[BY Bob]

Thank you. That perspective would be very helpful.
I will link to the scale when I go back in and find it. I am staying out until Minnie stops foraging.
Honestly she looks fantastic today but then she squirts out liquid and I get all worried again.
She is not needing resuscitation rations so we are in a better place than a week ago. But I would just like one more-or-less normal poo before I relax!View attachment 2875028View attachment 2875029

She looks good. You've done great!

 

[BY Bob]

You said it!

 

[MaryJanet]

A mini Minnie update
It is still dark and I am just back in from my morning coconut oil and massage routine. There really wasn't anything to massage because her crop was completely empty. A situation she is currently remedying by picking the cabbage off her breakfast buffet in the hospital ward.

She was also more feisty than other mornings including being more vocal and getting down off the roost and wandering off before I could grab her (another myth busted that chickens don't see in the dark!).
Her poo overnight however is still mainly liquid. The optimist in me noticed two things: there are definitely urates and they are nice and white, and there is some 'stuff' in the splatter - it is no longer just fully clear water like a few days ago.
How she can have had a big breakfast 3 days in a row - and eaten other things when she forages during the day - and not produce meaningful solids in her poop is a real mystery to me.

The vet called me yesterday and if nothing else good comes from this whole episode I am really happy that I have found a vet who is a chicken lady. She totally got the whole morning coconut oil and massage thing and why it was a delightful way to start the day. She called it 'mutually therapeutic' which is about right!
She also seemed really interested in things like Minnie's mood and is clearly a believer in minimizing her stress by letting her be with her friends and getting exercise. She was very happy that Minnie spent most of the afternoons outdoors with everyone else scratching around.
The poo sample was clear - no parasites, no abnormal bacterial load. The vet is as puzzled as I am about why the poo is not returning to normal and suggested increasing the amount of chicken food mash in my beef, egg, yoghurt, cabbage mix as maybe those will help give her poo more form (assuming she eats it of course).
Thinking ahead to next week when I am away I am thinking of doing a trial without coconut oil and massage over the next 24 hours to see how she does on her own.
It will hopefully reduce my anxiety about leaving her while I am away. Wish her luck!

Good luck Minnie!! You can do it! Your Aussie friends will be cheering for you!

 

[MaryJanet]

And today’s FBF contribution comes from the lovely Minnie who spent yesterday afternoon ‘digging around’.
She is sporting her single remaining tail feather having left all the others at the vet. In spite of a week of liquid diarrhea she has pristine clean fluff. I now see the benefit of the skill she had as a chick of projectile pooping (the days when she aims it at my face are thankfully over!)

View attachment 2874397

I like the one tail feather look! It's quite theatrical.