Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[bgmathteach]

What was your next plan of action?

A friend told me that a mate of his made a rat trap with a bucket of water.

@Marie2020 I had posted this before.....but reposting for your reference:

making a mouse trap with pop can and bucket & coat hanger.

 

[RoyalChick]

What was your next plan of action?

A friend told me that a mate of his made a rat trap with a bucket of water.

I went all out nuclear. I think I have described my meticulous exclusion approach filling and patching even tiny gaps in the foundation. Then inside I put snap traps out at night (so as not to harm the chickens) and a couple of Rat Zappers which are basically electric chairs that kill instantly.
I caught so many mice in the Chicken Palace that the chickens started to refuse to eat the bodies ‘not mouse steak for dinner again?!’ they complained.
I know you don’t want to kill them and I had that thought initially but found it wasn’t practical. Both the zapper and the snap traps deal a very rapid and humane death unlike glue traps or drowning in buckets.

 

[bgmathteach]

Maggie
I am having a bit of a health scare with Maggie right now. She went to the vet on Friday who is a bit mystified and going to do some research and consult colleagues before recommending a way forward.
Basically she has a problem with balance.

Here is a video compilation I put together to show the vet because of course in the vet’s office Maggie steadfastly refused to do anything but stand and stare at the vet and poop all over her table.

On my list of possible causes are:
- Marek’s (the vet is skeptical)
- Botulism (but she hasn’t been around anything rotting)
- Mold (but the food seems fine and she is off commercial feed again)
- Vitamin or mineral deficiency - thiamine, B12 and selenium deficiencies can cause ataxia (maybe she got deficient because she is off commercial feed)
- Zinc poisoning. When she was X-rayed 15 months ago when she laid two lash eggs the vet did note she had eaten some small screws but that is a long time ago.

She is getting about in a drunken sort of way and is as feisty with the roadrunners as ever. Actually they are more terrified of her even than normal because you can’t really predict which way she will lurch so she is harder to avoid!

The vet recommended I put her in the hospital ward after dark so she doesn’t fall over and injure herself, but she put herself to bed in her nesting box which is even more contained so I let her be. How she got up there is anyone’s guess.

I am not waiting for a diagnosis to treat for vitamin deficiency and zinc toxicity. Today she seems no better but also no worse.

I am a bit devastated. These lovely ladies seem so fragile! I am buoying my spirits by remembering that Minnie pulled through and at her worst was much sicker than Maggie seems now.

And here is an action shot of Minnie with her nice plump red comb going after some choice morsel.

View attachment 2926814

Oh, @RoyalChick, I'm so sorry to see this.

I'm hoping it is just a vitamin/mineral deficiency and that she will be right as rain in a day or two!

How old are Maggie & Diana?

(How long do screws take to 'disintegrate' in stomach acid & pummeling by gizzard? Would their remains have been expelled by now? I assume the zinc coating has long ago worn off. However, could pieces still be in her and puncture something?) Just thinking out loud so to speak....I have absolutely NO idea about the answers to these questions.

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh, @RoyalChick, I'm so sorry to see this.

I'm hoping it is just a vitamin/mineral deficiency and that she will be right as rain in a day or two!

How old are Maggie & Diana?

(How long do screws take to 'disintegrate' in stomach acid & pummeling by gizzard? Would their remains have been expelled by now? I assume the zinc coating has long ago worn off. However, could pieces still be in her and puncture something?) Just thinking out loud so to speak....I have absolutely NO idea about the answers to these questions.

I don’t know how long screws take to disappear but this balance is not from them puncturing her gut. If they puncture her then likely she will die and quite suddenly of peritonitis and shock. That is a risk and has been since she ate them (she is always into everything so even though we were very careful it didn’t astonish me she found something).

I can ask the new vet to do an X-ray and I believe you can do a blood test for heavy metals.

I will ask her about that next week.

Edited to add: Maggie and Diana hatched in 2019. I don’t know exact date but I think they are about two years and nine months.

 

[Marie2020]

Maggie
I am having a bit of a health scare with Maggie right now. She went to the vet on Friday who is a bit mystified and going to do some research and consult colleagues before recommending a way forward.
Basically she has a problem with balance.

Here is a video compilation I put together to show the vet because of course in the vet’s office Maggie steadfastly refused to do anything but stand and stare at the vet and poop all over her table.

On my list of possible causes are:
- Marek’s (the vet is skeptical)
- Botulism (but she hasn’t been around anything rotting)
- Mold (but the food seems fine and she is off commercial feed again)
- Vitamin or mineral deficiency - thiamine, B12 and selenium deficiencies can cause ataxia (maybe she got deficient because she is off commercial feed)
- Zinc poisoning. When she was X-rayed 15 months ago when she laid two lash eggs the vet did note she had eaten some small screws but that is a long time ago.

She is getting about in a drunken sort of way and is as feisty with the roadrunners as ever. Actually they are more terrified of her even than normal because you can’t really predict which way she will lurch so she is harder to avoid!

The vet recommended I put her in the hospital ward after dark so she doesn’t fall over and injure herself, but she put herself to bed in her nesting box which is even more contained so I let her be. How she got up there is anyone’s guess.

I am not waiting for a diagnosis to treat for vitamin deficiency and zinc toxicity. Today she seems no better but also no worse.

I am a bit devastated. These lovely ladies seem so fragile! I am buoying my spirits by remembering that Minnie pulled through and at her worst was much sicker than Maggie seems now.

And here is an action shot of Minnie with her nice plump red comb going after some choice morsel.

View attachment 2926814

I'm so sad too see you are potentially losing this girl

I hope you get finds answers for her

 

[BY Bob]

I have been evicted from my chair by Diana. It is OK. I have my down vest on and she has lost most of hers. I guess she needs the sun’s warmth more than I do right now.

View attachment 2926771View attachment 2926772

How is Maggie today?

 

[BY Bob]

I truly suspect it is the odd weather. My chickens are molting late as well. We usually have a killing frost before Columbus day here (10/12) We didn't even have a frost until early November. It was unseasonably warm...and out of all my chickens (40 + that are 1.5 - 4.5 years old/would molt), I only had 2 that started molting close to normal time. By now even my late molters should be done, but more than half are are still quite bare/just have early signs of 'tufts' of feathers coming out the shafts. No one is (other than the afore-mentioned 2) is close to being done...and I have some that 'blew their feathers' this past week.

Yes, this is a VERY ODD molting year...and whether it is the cause ro not, it is coinciding with a very warm/odd fall.

I feel like this is true. We have not had enough freezing temperatures to put my allergies to bed yet and I am usually off my allergy meds before Thanksgiving.

 

[BY Bob]

Or, the more docile/gentle ones just won't fight for it.

When you catch up to last year's fight you will see Hattie fight like crazy for position 2. Something else happened this year. No one is wounded in any way.

 

[BY Bob]

Maggie
I am having a bit of a health scare with Maggie right now. She went to the vet on Friday who is a bit mystified and going to do some research and consult colleagues before recommending a way forward.
Basically she has a problem with balance.

Here is a video compilation I put together to show the vet because of course in the vet’s office Maggie steadfastly refused to do anything but stand and stare at the vet and poop all over her table.

On my list of possible causes are:
- Marek’s (the vet is skeptical)
- Botulism (but she hasn’t been around anything rotting)
- Mold (but the food seems fine and she is off commercial feed again)
- Vitamin or mineral deficiency - thiamine, B12 and selenium deficiencies can cause ataxia (maybe she got deficient because she is off commercial feed)
- Zinc poisoning. When she was X-rayed 15 months ago when she laid two lash eggs the vet did note she had eaten some small screws but that is a long time ago.

She is getting about in a drunken sort of way and is as feisty with the roadrunners as ever. Actually they are more terrified of her even than normal because you can’t really predict which way she will lurch so she is harder to avoid!

The vet recommended I put her in the hospital ward after dark so she doesn’t fall over and injure herself, but she put herself to bed in her nesting box which is even more contained so I let her be. How she got up there is anyone’s guess.

I am not waiting for a diagnosis to treat for vitamin deficiency and zinc toxicity. Today she seems no better but also no worse.

I am a bit devastated. These lovely ladies seem so fragile! I am buoying my spirits by remembering that Minnie pulled through and at her worst was much sicker than Maggie seems now.

And here is an action shot of Minnie with her nice plump red comb going after some choice morsel.

View attachment 2926814

If it helps, in another day (not more than 2) and if it's botulism she should start coming out of it. It does not last long.

 

[BY Bob]

Oh, @RoyalChick, I'm so sorry to see this.

I'm hoping it is just a vitamin/mineral deficiency and that she will be right as rain in a day or two!

How old are Maggie & Diana?

(How long do screws take to 'disintegrate' in stomach acid & pummeling by gizzard? Would their remains have been expelled by now? I assume the zinc coating has long ago worn off. However, could pieces still be in her and puncture something?) Just thinking out loud so to speak....I have absolutely NO idea about the answers to these questions.

I'm so sad too see you are potentially losing this girl

I hope you get finds answers for her

I think it is too early to say that she is losing her. I'm betting she starts to come out of it soon. Maggie is tough. She does not give up easy.