Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

Go get her some chicks and shove under her tonight

That is what I want to do with my broodies… if I knew what I was doing work wise!!

I don’t want more chicks, (at this time)

 

[Ponypoor]

Back taxes

Curly likes to live dangerously!! She is up on the high window!

Sophia and Blanche in their prime roosting location - the early bird might get the worm, but the early to bed get the best roosts!

The hay pile is always great fun for the gals, not so much fun for me when I grab the bale strings covered in Cecil poop!

Sophia with her lovely eyes, and wattles - she is my only hen with wattles!

 

[RoyalChick]

Hey all. I haven't been on for several days and am about to start catching up. First though I want to give you all an update on Bella.
Bella remains very poorly. I sent a throat swab for analysis and had almost convinced myself she had Mycoplasma. She does not.
She has a viral infection called Infectious Laryngotracheitis. It is caused by a herpes-type virus.
It generally comes in moderate or severe forms. The severe has a very high mortality rate (up to 70%) and is characterized by 'gaping' (which she does) and a lot of bloody mucus (which she does not have). The moderate has a lower mortality rate (up to 30%). It is supposed to resolve itself (well go dormant) in about 14 days.
Looks like Bella is going to take us past the average.
Because it is supposed to be a self-limiting disease I decided to tube feed her. I suspect it is at least as traumatic for me as it is for her, particularly as she collapses with exhaustion after every feed.

Thanks to both @micstrachan and @BY Bob for advice along the way.

There is a whole debate about vaccinating the rest of the flock. I will save the details on that for now - Bob just suggested I write an article on it as I have for sure dug deep on the research!

In terms of tube feeding, I have not wanted to swaddle Bella up too tight in a towel because she already feels like she can't breathe and I don't want to make matters worse. So instead I am wrapping her in a bucket (well a dish bowl really) so she can't wriggle away when I am in the middle of feeding her.

So, for Thirsty Thursday here is little Bella in her bucket after getting 55mls of liquid baby bird formula and a raw egg delivered straight into her crop.

My poor baby!

Now I am off to catch up on the thread before her next feed.

 

[RoyalChick]

You could do what I did with the FBA Primer and add it to your signature. I think that would work. An article like that can be constantly updated.

I was thinking of doing something like that. Is an article the right approach? Or is it just a link to a thread?

 

[Kris5902]

Who is this handsome fellow?

Still Nameless, but he didn’t join the sausage boys because he’s very light weight, and pretty decent if a bit of a loner, which is why you do t see many pictures of him he usually takes his little junior tribe and heads northeast up the mountain a bit during the day to forage, but with me limiting their feed and only feeding in “the compound” around the RV proper because of dogs, cows, sheep, and Campbells… he has started joining the main flock more (there’s only so much foraging up that was and he needs to keep his ladies happy and fed) he was hatched out October of last year by Grey Mama, and has interesting coloring, like his sister Barred mama (who was an awful mom).

 

[Kris5902]

Hey all. I haven't been on for several days and am about to start catching up. First though I want to give you all an update on Bella.
Bella remains very poorly. I sent a throat swab for analysis and had almost convinced myself she had Mycoplasma. She does not.
She has a viral infection called Infectious Laryngotracheitis. It is caused by a herpes-type virus.
It generally comes in moderate or severe forms. The severe has a very high mortality rate (up to 70%) and is characterized by 'gaping' (which she does) and a lot of bloody mucus (which she does not have). The moderate has a lower mortality rate (up to 30%). It is supposed to resolve itself (well go dormant) in about 14 days.
Looks like Bella is going to take us past the average.
Because it is supposed to be a self-limiting disease I decided to tube feed her. I suspect it is at least as traumatic for me as it is for her, particularly as she collapses with exhaustion after every feed.

Thanks to both @micstrachan and @BY Bob for advice along the way.

There is a whole debate about vaccinating the rest of the flock. I will save the details on that for now - Bob just suggested I write an article on it as I have for sure dug deep on the research!

In terms of tube feeding, I have not wanted to swaddle Bella up too tight in a towel because she already feels like she can't breathe and I don't want to make matters worse. So instead I am wrapping her in a bucket (well a dish bowl really) so she can't wriggle away when I am in the middle of feeding her.

So, for Thirsty Thursday here is little Bella in her bucket after getting 55mls of liquid baby bird formula and a raw egg delivered straight into her crop.

My poor baby!

Now I am off to catch up on the thread before hee next feed.

View attachment 3186200

I hope she makes a complete turn around with the feedings and gets back to being healthy and happy. I’m glad you were able to get the cause figured out, but wish it was something more simply treatable. Will be praying for Bella and you. As to the catching up… it’s going to be a feat thanks to an abundance of lovely celebration photos, but it will be a joy as well!
For you and Bella both!

 

[RoyalChick]

Hi der Brudda Bob! Looks like I happened to pop in at just the right timeView attachment 3184397View attachment 3184398View attachment 3184399
I just went ahead and picked these three… these are fitting I think because these are three of my first group of eight chickens that I started with.. Rosemary, Maryn(my fave), and Ruby (the leader of the flock) who is no longer with us… I lost her this spring. The others are four years old
I hope I did this correctly
Congratulations on this! This has always been one of the few places that I have hung out on BYC… and I am thankful for the friends I have made and all the knowledge I have gained!! Love ya ma Brudda

It’s Whodat back!

 

[bgmathteach]

Blast for the past

I miss having a Roo around

Pangoo Rooster Man

View attachment 3185784

You miss him...until morning drama starts up again.... just saying...

I'll go away now..

 

[bgmathteach]

This “working at work” might actually let you spend even more time on this Chicken website than working from the barn office did! HR people are like weenie accountants, PITA side note your missed vacation day might just cost me as much in taxes as it does you View attachment 3185866

Ooo...who is this handsome guy? You've been holding out on me

Be prepared...Alex will 'remind me' he is a 'fake' BR...but I really don't care, he is handsome

 

[featherhead007]

I have eight chooks. Only five of them are fake.