Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[micstrachan]

Aurora, Sydney, and Phyllis

I was going to go with this, but I think I swapped out Betty in place of Phyllis to mix things up!

 

[goldenfingers]

So still counting.

And still breathing, thank you very much.

 

[featherhead007]

I’m going with Aurora, Sydney and Betty nice eggs ladies!

 

[Scrambles83]

Lilly is back home tonight

I felt it best to put that right out there. Now I will endeavor to explain what the visit to the vet revealed, did not reveal, and what action was taken.

Revealed

1. Lilly has lost muscle mass. Her keel bone is significantly more prominent than it was back in November. The doctor noticed it immediately. At the time of the initial exam the thought was that this indicated even more fluid weight.
2. Lilly's liver is enlarged.
3. Lilly has a temperature of 108F (42C). This a degree higher than the vet would prefer.
4. X-rays revealed no eggs in the works, no crazy calcium deposits, nothing significant in the reproductive tract at all. (I was not surprised by this at all. My hope is that she really is done laying eggs forever.)
5. X-rays reveled some fluid build up but not enough to explain the weight gain and distension of her abdomen.
6. X-rays show a noticeable loss of calcium from her bones. (Can elderly chickens have osteoporosis?)

Not Revealed

1. The vet was not able to withdraw any fluid for analysis. This shocked us both.
2. The x-rays did not reveal any easily identifiable mass in her abdomen. However, apparently chicken x-rays are difficult to read for masses. She would need to send the x-rays to a chicken radiologist to be certain that she was not missing something.
3. No single easily identifiable cause for her symptoms was uncovered.

Action Taken

1. Lilly came home. With no solid prognosis at this time there was no way I was taking any other action but bring her home at this time.
2. The vet and I agreed that there has to be some kind of an infectious process going on. Therefore she got a dose of Doxycycline. I say a dose but it is a 7 day course of time release antibiotic in one shot. The perfect method to give a chicken an antibiotic. She remembered me saying how difficult twice a day was with Sansa and went and got this newer method of treatment for her chicken patients.
3. A comprehensive battery of blood tests were sent out. They could be back as soon as tomorrow and she will call as soon as they are back.
4. We held off sending the x-rays to the chicken radiologist until the lab work is back.

So no definitive answers at this point. Lilly is back with the tribe. Hattie too. I spent quite a bit of time with Lilly sitting in my lap at the vet's. It was fun to hear her and Hattie talk to each other as Hattie scratched in the carrier while Lilly sat in my lap.

The Queen is still with us. Long may she reign.

To be realistic, I still expect the final verdict to be bad news. For now there is hope and I will give her that chance until I KNOW otherwise or she has demonstrated that she is no longer interested in carrying on.

@Ribh @MaryJanet @Aussie-Chookmum @LozzyR @micstrachan @ChicoryBlue @Shadrach

Sounds hopeful. Staying positive on this side of the pond for Lilly

 

[Scrambles83]

(Dammit, she's on to us..... )

Hey Kris, come visit sunny Australia, you know you want to....

Hahahahahahahaha

 

[Scrambles83]

Hey, I see Belle is up and about! Did you encourage her to stop sitting or did she give up of her own accord?

I would encourage her out in the morning, her forays out got longer until there she was, out first thing in the morning with Snow waiting to be let out to roam.
She has been a bit of a pill to Snow though during her moult, pecking at her when they are eating. I’m having to make sure she’s letting Snow eat, my poor Scragglepuss I remind her to be kind because she will probably moult herself soon and she will want Snow to be kind to her when it happens.
I’m hoping I now have until next spring to decide about letting her hatch, she can’t possibly go a fifth time this season!
Well, now I’ve jinxed myself

 

[Ponypoor]

I nearly answered and picked up a SHRA tax but instead I trusted you to answer. Thank you for not disappointing!

No problem

I think the caterpillars were sticking to their beaks as they were trying to eat them and that is why they avoided them - I will try again this year if we have any if they eat snakes and baby mice why not caterpillars?

 

[Ponypoor]

Only Sydney and Phyllis have ever been broody out of this bunch.

I have found that having the two of them brooding together in the same nest box is a blessing, they have kept each other warm and avoided the randy teen Roos and Pangoo Rooster-brats advances.

I will have to seperate them when they break broody, they r too small for Pangoo and I don't want any further feather loss from the randy teens.

Twice a day to haul them off the nest give them food and water, they have weathered it well. Today they both came out on their own aye and went back in, so I think they are coming to the end of this cycle. I just darn well hope Henny Penny doesn't decide to start next.

I am planning on starting a new project (hopefully) and don't want my mum dealing with wacky broody hens in the winter... Oh work is a four letter word, bit it pays the bills...

Whining tax

Pangoo overseeing his harem on Mount Poopmore yesterday, I just looked out the window, lots of new snow the poor chooks will not be getting out to dig in the dirt any time soon .

 

[Ponypoor]

I would encourage her out in the morning, her forays out got longer until there she was, out first thing in the morning with Snow waiting to be let out to roam.
She has been a bit of a pill to Snow though during her moult, pecking at her when they are eating. I’m having to make sure she’s letting Snow eat, my poor Scragglepuss I remind her to be kind because she will probably moult herself soon and she will want Snow to be kind to her when it happens.
I’m hoping I now have until next spring to decide about letting her hatch, she can’t possibly go a fifth time this season!
Well, now I’ve jinxed myself

I have been dragging two broodiness' off the nest twice a day for the past few weeks... They both came out on their own yesterday afternoon, ate, drank, pooped and went back in themselves I think they will soon finish, this is second time for Curly, she brooded only two months after she started laying back in Oct when Henny Penny was also brooding.

I sure hope they don't do this when they molt too that would stress me out for sure!!

 

[Scrambles83]

Is anyone tempted to go lay in the run and see how long it takes before they start to peck at you? I'd love to gather scientific data on this but I'm not willing to do it myself.

Snow would be pecking within seconds
Belle would probably snuggle on my tummy.