Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[featherhead007]

I am missing my babies, my cameras are still down as I have been so miserable today I didn’t get around to fixing the network issue to the barn. I could barely get the horses fed and watered.

I can barely type this… and I can’t pay my taxes - sorry Bob.

I almost asked my mum to go out and take photos. I think I will soon drag my butt out there and do the horses for the night, and put everyone to bed for the night.

And I’m no help. I’m the one who made you feel sick, and I’m sorry Take things slow and get lots of rest please.

 

[RoyalChick]

I look terrible, so ignore me, instead look at Happy.
View attachment 3233887View attachment 3233888

Cute!
Have you taught him anything yet?

 

[featherhead007]

I look terrible, so ignore me, instead look at Happy.
View attachment 3233887View attachment 3233888

That didn’t take long to be able to hold Happy like that!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Apparently this type of conure are a 1 person type of bird. He already clearly prefers my brother. That is ok though, my brother on average works 60 hours a week so he is perfectly content to interact with me when he is not home. I've already did dishes with him on my shoulder today. And if you sing to him, he'll dance, very smart bird. Branch also got some loving sitting on my lap napping this morning while I had my morning coffee after Rosie got on the bus. I cannot forget my boy.

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

What I would really love to have happen is to have Happy on my shoulder while I'm holding Branch. I will not do it though, Happy came vaccinated with a few vaccine's but I'm afraid they could each pass a disease to each other. Therefore I wash my hands before holding either one of them. The last thing I want to do is get either my chickens or Happy sick.

 

[lightm]

I really don't know what to think or do.
I took Lulu to a vet from the list that @Ribh posted - a real avian vet.
He won't see people (!) so you have to drop your animal off and he calls.
She is behaving normally in the vet's office, she does not have an egg that he can feel or see in her abdomen (which I thought myself but good to be confirmed), her Xray is normal. Her poop showed she has cecal worms but that is unlikely to be making her feel miserable.
He is drawing blood and then I can go bring her home. None the wiser but with a much lighter pocket!
His advice is isolation which of course I don't love the idea of, and on balance I think is a bad idea. He also surprised me by recommending regular worming whether they have worms on fecal test or not. I am not sure about that either.
So, Lulu will be back home soon and I just have to hope she gets better on her own. He did see oyster shell in her guts so I am glad she is eating it!

I don't know what I was hoping for - a well chicken I guess!

So I don't go into a tail spin I am going to list all the good things that happened over the last 24 hours:
- We got nearly 3" of rain - you can hear the plants sighing with relief
- The other guy's insurance company accepted liability for my pranged up car
- Maggie let Bernadette groom her face
- The raccoon that ripped open the Chewy box that I forgot was on the doorstep only ate about a quarter of the bag of chicken food that was inside

It is good to confirm that there is no egg. I don't know how I feel about this vet either, sounds too medication heavy.

 

[featherhead007]

What I would really love to have happen is to have Happy on my shoulder while I'm holding Branch. I will not do it though, Happy came vaccinated with a few vaccine's but I'm afraid they could each pass a disease to each other. Therefore I wash my hands before holding either one of them. The last thing I want to do is get either my chickens or Happy sick.

Yes, bio security is very important. And it’s something that you can control (somewhat)

 

[lightm]

Twofer Tuesday.
Bernadette and Maggie. Look at how big Bernie has grown! I must get a weight on her she is a bit flighty so she isn’t the easiest to handle.
View attachment 3233741

Wow. Just gorgeous! A nice picture showing off Bernadette's feather. Do you call that penciling?

 

[featherhead007]

Yes. I have read all the studies on Ivermectin residue in eggs. As you say, there aren’t that many!
My point really was he should have discussed it with me.
I am actually fine with it but he doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know that I don’t make my living selling organic eggs. He doesn’t know that I am not afraid of ingesting some Ivermectin myself.
I feel the right thing would have been to give me some information and ask my permission.
Anyway, no worries really. Just reflecting that I think it probably reflects his mindset towards owners. And honestly I don’t hold the not meeting against him - I totally get being happier meeting animals than people. I have a good dose of that in me too!

Last time I was in the hospital, the doctors just did what they do. I was curious, but I didn’t question their abilities or reasoning. (I’m just saying)
And I became healthier by their efforts.

 

[lightm]

I feel like I have a good relationship with the other vet I found - and for Bernadette's leg she was perfect because she knew bird anatomy so could confirm nothing was out of place or broken and was then willing to work with me as we invented splints etc. But basically I don't think she has much chicken-specific knowledge.

This new guy I suspect knows his stuff (I looked up all his qualifications). I have no relationship with him as I never met him and I think he may be a tad dismissive of the owner. I was just reflecting, he found cecal worms and treated them with Ivermectin without asking me. I had to ask the receptionist when I collected Lulu what drug he had used. Now Ivermectin is off label and not supposed to be used in laying hens. Good that he is willing to go off label. Not so good that he wouldn't ask me first whether I was OK with the ambiguity of when it would be safe to eat her eggs. So I don't feel like I would ever partner with him in care like I did with the lady vet and Bernadette. Hmmm.

I will definitely try out the other one on the list next time - and maybe I mix and match based on the situation.

I would not go back to this vet ... In fact, I would probably have turned around upon the request that only chicken be taken in.

But this Ivermectin only needs to be treated once?