Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

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.

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Poor little Bella.

 

[featherhead007]

This is my Hen-Rietta. 6 years old. Last of my original remaining tribe:
She’s with her rooster in this pic. View attachment 3183151

Two of the-Not fake chooks!

 

[RoyalChick]

Mini Coop remodel
View attachment 3185055Panorama twists things a bit, but food/water under nest boxes, more roosts.

Nice job!

 

[rural mouse]

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).

He's quite the looker, and if he's being a gentleman, do you have room for another tribe?

 

[RoyalChick]

Was out taking more "wild" pics, like these






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Then had a surprise......


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Finally started recording and had to go set up youtube just to share this

That was a treat all around. But particularly the second picture is quite special.
I think you should submit it to POW.

 

[RoyalChick]

Morning normal

Once the scratch is spread

I love that first video - I am surprised you didn’t get knocked off your feet!

 

[Ponypoor]

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.

View attachment 3186200

Oh no! Poor Bella, poor you too!

Glad you have an answer finally, and I sure hope she gets better soon

I will check in for updates

 

[RoyalChick]

I am not quite sure I am ready for this, but I have to face facts. Her comb is quite red and she just squatted for me.
I think we may be approaching first egg time.
Isn’t that waaay too soon?
She also jumped onto my arm - she is still my little alien baby!

 

[I Love Feather Babies]

Work as usual.

I cannot wait to get a pipeline project, where people are organized, work is paid well, and I can come and go as I like get my work done and not be treated like a child and told 'you have to take lunch' and you need to work X amt of hrs ( which I am and more!), AND when I want to take a vacation day I can without having the new hr mngr tell me my coworker is swamped and if there was a travel issue she could not deal with it.

I didn't even bother to remind her I always take my laptop home to deal with any issues that crop up at any hour of the day even weekends and holidays!!!

I also told her that I don't count hrs I am not one of those people who get bent out of shape if I have to stay a bit late, and I will just maybe leave a bit early to make up for it. I also am not going to make an expense report of a $1.50 stamp on a letter I have the mail for the company, or charge mileage to deposit cheques or pick stuff up. I will plan my day so I can go to the store for myself also.

I feel a work environment should be free to allow one to do their job how they wish and that is how I have always worked. Of course I know there are many environments where you need more structured work. But for what I do I feel I should be left alone and let me do my job!

So now I am never bringing my laptop home again, I will not answer the cell phone after hrs. I am doing a quiet quit, the bare minimum, work to rule...

So here I sit with my feet up, cuppa tea, just finished some toast, had a lovely long chat with a few of the directors here about safety, slips trips falls (I am a safety admin / office manager when I do pipelines).

I put on my safety boots and my hard hat and went and took photos of the demo work being done in the other offices, chatted up the construction boss (I miss pipeline construction!), And generally just puttering about.

One of the guys just stopped by to ask me if his travel package (border crossing letter and essential worker letter, etc) was ready. I looked him in the eyes said no, see me tomorrow.

He blinked and seemed very surprised that perfect efficient Kelly didn't have things done as usual... Hahahah poor kid, I will do their stuff later for them it's not their fault I am ticked off.

Of course if I were on vacation today they wouldn't get it till tomorrow!

Now I am looking on the barn cam at the horses and chooks... Later on for my lunch break I MUST take I am going to the hardware store, them MacDonalds for fries because I feel like having junk food .

Holy cow it's ONLY 10AM... This doing nothing makes the day drag by....

Tax for being big whiny sissy

The horses are way out in the middle paddock ( can't find the pic I took of them...)

Most of the gals are hanging out in Truly's stall
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And I continue to sit with my feet up
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Good for you.

 

[micstrachan]

That would require a tax payment. Have you forgotten so quickly?

Ok, here you go!