Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[RoyalChick]

Thank you CB and thank you RC.

We won't flush then. We will keep a close eye on her. I am also going to give her calcium citrate tablet.

@RoyalChick She was already pretty perky yesterday, but she does seem so relieved after getting rid of the eggs. She ate a lot afterwards. We both witnessed the end of her egg laying (thank god she came inside for egg laying today). She struggled sooo much, pushed sooo hard while making struggling sound. I almost cried.

Oh poor baby!

 

[fuentemoon]

Yes small wounds. There was blood on her neck, even under all that fluffy feathers.

She is molting and starting to reveal some skin. Today I noticed the exposed skin has some scabs .

Yes we might have to rehome her... I just don't get the sudden change. My chicken friend always likes her and would take her happily.

My mother had this happen in the extreme. Hers actually killed the one they had outcast, a sweet little polish.

 

[fuentemoon]

Thank you. Unfortunately an active imagination can imagine all sorts of horrors ahead of time Even if I could have someone to hold my hand it wouldn't help & it isn't allowed under the present circumstances anyway. I'm trying hard not to have a full blown panic attack & run for the hills.

I have spent a lot of time in hospitals, but thankfully not much as a patient. Things that might help you be more comfortable while there:
bring your own pillow or pillowcase
your favorite lap rug
your own pajamas
Anything to make you a little more comfy and a bit of home. Even for a short stay these can make a difference.

 

[Ponypoor]

But she laid 3 eggs in one shot!

Yes saw that also, how is she right now?

My Blanche went through a phase were she laid 2 eggs overnight with either no shell or thin brittle shell. Did that for a month! Now she doesn’t lay any eggs thankfully.

 

[Ponypoor]

Yes small wounds. There was blood on her neck, even under all that fluffy feathers.

She is molting and starting to reveal some skin. Today I noticed the exposed skin has some scabs .

Yes we might have to rehome her... I just don't get the sudden change. My chicken friend always likes her and would take her happily.

I sure hope this gets resolved, must be very hard for you. It’s sad you are having some problems.

 

[Ponypoor]

Thank you. Unfortunately an active imagination can imagine all sorts of horrors ahead of time Even if I could have someone to hold my hand it wouldn't help & it isn't allowed under the present circumstances anyway. I'm trying hard not to have a full blown panic attack & run for the hills.

You ok? You are almost a day ahead over ther, just checking to make sure you know we are all thinking good thoughts

 

[featherhead007]

Has it cooled off any there? Or is it still really hot? Been chilly here which the horses and chickens are happpy about I am sure!

It was a bit warm in the hen house last evening but figured it would cool down fast with the sun down. I keep an eye on Rose and Henny and also Dorothy, if they are showing signs of overheating I put the fan on for them.

High today will be 103f so yes it’s been heating up again.

 

[ManueB]

But she laid 3 eggs in one shot!

Although it is a cause of worry, it's not necessarily a short term one. It could be an "accident" and never happen again, or only happen again in a long time.
Many high production hens have difficulty laying but they can live with it for some time and I think it can vary a lot.
In my flock of six ex-batts, Vanille died of being egg bound after having lived all her life with those difficulties. She usually passed two eggs together, three in a row happened twice I believe. It took more than two years of laying before she died, and in all that time I think she laid "normally" no more than 20 times.
Blanche, an other of my hens, had a difficult period last year laying either two in a row or soft shelled every evening.It lasted for three months I think. Now she's doing okay although she still lays soft shell every now and then. Like Light, she sometimes screams when she lays and there's no doubt that it's from pain. It used to make me feel terrible but then she obviously is so much better once it's done and she just goes back to her crazy little self.
On the other hand Caramel had never shown any sign of having difficulty laying before she got seriously ill in May. I was also shocked, like you, that she was still laying then, even though she had eaten nothing at all for a whole week. Then she stopped laying and never laid again, even when she got better. And two months and a half later she died of egg yolk peritonitis, having too many shell-less eggs stuck in her.

So I'm not sure this sounds conforting but what I mean to say is that even though you will often read that once a hen has reproductive disorders she will die from it, it's more nuanced. I do hope and believe Light will recover fully, but I also want to say in case she doesn't that we never regretted keeping Vanille with us because in spite of her being in pain much of her time laying, she had a great fighting spirit and enjoyed every moment she was pain free.

Finally I think that with your flock you can unfortunately expect that at least one will eventually die from reproductive disorder- but then, every chicken has to die of something one day. I think with high production breeds it's best to set one's intention on giving them the best life rather than the longest, and hope that the best lasts .

 

[BY Bob]

Wish I could sleep in till then

Another unmotivated day here, sitting watching my barn cams hahaha

Whining tax
Keeping watch
View attachment 3224955

Pompeii looks great out and about with your ladies. Is it really going that well?

 

[BY Bob]

Thank you CB and thank you RC.

We won't flush then. We will keep a close eye on her. I am also going to give her calcium citrate tablet.

@RoyalChick She was already pretty perky yesterday, but she does seem so relieved after getting rid of the eggs. She ate a lot afterwards. We both witnessed the end of her egg laying (thank god she came inside for egg laying today). She struggled sooo much, pushed sooo hard while making struggling sound. I almost cried.

I have been thinking more about this and I might be tempted to do an internal just to make certain there is nothing left behind by all of this. I am guessing not but it would be a way to feel certain. Try to watch for tomorrow's egg and make certain that goes well. Hopefully it comes out normally and she is back on track. It should be laid just a little later in the day than today.