Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Ponypoor]

Many thanks for all the information, I really appreciate it. I will look to see if colloidal silver oral use is approved here ; I have only heard of it being used in the textile industry. I already use chlorexidine and Betadine as disinfectants on wounds (well, either, not and, as I was told chlorexidine should not be used in conjonction to iodine). I have access to our bee's honey but it's so sticky I'm not sure how to use it on a chicken.

And I really agree that one of the best way to do without antibiotics is to try to have chickens with a strong immune system. It's why I personally do believe in using natural products, maybe most of the times not as a treatment but as a kind of support, and also to help prevent. @bgmathteach I do give my chickens herbal teas but they don't all accept to drink it !

Too bad about the CBD not helping stress. We have a saying "brandy in the Bib" for agitated babes, I would have switched that to hemp in the chicken feed ...if it helps with pain, that is already very good.
I will also be interested to read in further studies.

A little sweetheart that has been giving us a lot of worries for health issues. Piou-piou the feral runt has morphed into the most human friendly bird we have. Probably because of all the time we spent tending her.
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I do think that they have made it very tough for farmers, small holdings persons, and the like to treat their animals. Most know how to treat all the usual ailments without getting a veterinarian out to look at their animals.

Here the large animal vets want a yearly herd health check done which farmers do no want to spend money on. The vets are making it very difficult and I can see most either leaving the profession or moving to other places as farmers increasingly just kill off any animals that will cost them money - small animal vets charge an arm and a leg to treat your pets and in the end they don’t live any longer than they did 40 yrs ago!

I told my small animal vet she might as well euthanize my cat I was not willing to spend all the money on all the tests she wanted to do.

I took Henny Penny to my Vet to have her look at her twisty toes and she charged me $50 for trimming her nails which I had already trimmed!

All I wanted was her to look at the toes to see if one on each side could be removed to prevent the curling and twisting - of course that was on the tail end of Covid and she was still not seeing clients.

Easier to charge people a fortune if you’re not there to question treatments! I will NEVER EVER bring my pet to a vet if there is ever a lock down again. It will need to take its chances I can’t afford another $1700 vet bill for gastric upset in my cat ( do not get me started - I already sent them a nasty-gram an exceedingly rotten review).

I am extremely lucky my horse vet knows me and that I can diagnose and treat just about most things on my own. Having said that - I will never get another horse it’s just to darn expensive for vet care.

 

[Ponypoor]

Tax

I better clean that poop of of that lumber and put it away. They just want to roost on everything I touch!

 

[RoyalChick]

I do think that they have made it very tough for farmers, small holdings persons, and the like to treat their animals. Most know how to treat all the usual ailments without getting a veterinarian out to look at their animals.

Here the large animal vets want a yearly herd health check done which farmers do no want to spend money on. The vets are making it very difficult and I can see most either leaving the profession or moving to other places - small animal vets charge an arm and a leg to treat your pets and in the end they don’t live any longer than they did 40 yrs ago!

I told my small animal vet she might as well euthanize my cat I was not willing to spend all the money on all the tests she wanted to do.

I took Henny Penny to my Vet to have her look at her twisty toes and she charged me $50 for trimming her nails which I had already trimmed!

All I wanted was her to look at the toes to see if one on each side could be removed to prevent the curling and twisting - of course not was on the tail end of Covid and she was still not seeing clients.

Easier to charge people a fortune if you’re not there to question treatments! I will NEVER EVER bring my pet to a vet if there is ever a lock down again. It will need to take its chances I can’t afford another $1700 vet bill for gastric upset in my cat ( do not get me started - I already sent them a nasty-gram an exceedingly rotten review).

Wow. I don’t think my vet closed during Covid. I just wasn’t allowed in with my cat. I had to sit in the parking lot.
Actually it was an improvement for my cats as they didn’t get scared waiting with all the hyperactive dogs!

Vet waiting room tax: preening party.

 

[BY Bob]

Indeed. I'm so glad little Eve did not find it first.

 

[BY Bob]

Oh dear. What was that poor critter when it wasn't breakfast?

I think it was a rabbit at one time but it is hard to be sure.

 

[Ponypoor]

Wow. I don’t think my vet closed during Covid. I just wasn’t allowed in with my cat. I had to sit in the parking lot.
Actually it was an improvement for my cats as they didn’t get scared waiting with all the hyperactive dogs!

Vet waiting room tax: preening party.

View attachment 3548462

Yes that is what happened here. But I want to be there to discuss things with the vet; I could have told the one vet my cat needed some subQ fluids and an anti nausea med rather than her telling me all the things that had to be ruled out - costing me $1700 ! And in the end the dingaling giving my cat some fluids and meds and she was fine.

Or costing me $50 to trim my hens toe nails!

 

[BY Bob]

1)
Antibiotic/antibacterial

For oral systemic use for infections there is no scientific proven substance. And would not waste my money on the so called natural stuff out there - having tried this way back with the horses.

For topical use I use an ‘antimicrobial’ soap which we can still get here, but maybe not much longer; you can also try Betadine (iodine soap), which hospital’s use for prescrub for surgery. This is what I will go to once the soap I use is no longer available.

This access to meds is problematic here also, most people just let their animals die rather than get an expensive Veterinarian out to prescribe a med for a simple wound infection.

If the animals lives yay! If not so sad too bad is the motto now for most farmers and small holdings persons. Many animals are now just dying needlessly now in my humble opinion.

2)
CBD oil

McMaster University here in Ontario has been doing studies on it effectiveness for a few years now, the studies are inclusiveness for pain and anxiety, but many swear by it.

I always try stuff out on the horses, my dog and cats in the past to see how things worked (much money has been thrown away on so called natural or organic treatments!), I am interested in how the CBD works for Bob, I may try it for Penelope, and my old horses this winter for their arthritis. See how it works, if it’s effect for them. If it gives them relief perfect!

The problem is that there are no real standards for dose or preparation, it’s the Wild West with the preparation, dose, etc, so that is my main issue with its use.

I am hopeful that universities like McMaster can set dosages and preparation standards if this is a viable product.


Snoozing
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I have the cbd dose that my vet prescribed for Lilly so that is something to go by for chickens. I don't know how you would dose horses.

 

[BY Bob]

Cleaned up and scrubbed the porch yesterday. In doing so mom tossed one nest box that was in the other corner of the porch. I told her she should leave it, 3 hens were laying in it and it would cause drama over it being gone. She told me no it would not, 2 perfectly good ones empty. Well, I was right, drama, major drama and unhappy hens which have got the roosters going on the porch. It has been loud, very loud. Perfect timing for the phone call which she answered from the silkie breeder. Yup she now knows, and threatened me over not keeping another silkie rooster. I'm not, I'm not, but I will keep a hen.

It kinda feels wrong to laugh at this but what the hey. That is life with chickens.

 

[BY Bob]

Thanks for the responses. Now I'm a bit worried I may have 2 broody girls! For a visual aid, here's my set-up.
View attachment 3547978
It took me ages to get them to lay in the bottom! They were laying in the high traffic areas by the pop door. We had to lay boards all over the coop and hang the bottom curtain to get them there. As you see, the top boxes are only used by the occasional mouse!
View attachment 3547980

But, all 3 have always used the bottom. Now both Eenie (the red one) and Sheba (the black one) are in there! We caught Sheba in there once at night before our trip, but she was out a bit yesterday. Eenie was in when we got home and remains there, though she got up and shuffled around when I lifted the curtain. View attachment 3547982
I suppose I could put a box next to the other on the floor. I have tried putting eggs in the other boxes before and they still ignored them.

If I do block off the nest, how does she got food and water?

I don't really want two sitting eggs. I guess if it doesn't resolve, I'm going to have to try to break one of them. Or would they share? If I left say 6 eggs, would they both raise chicks from a shared nest? Or fight?

I'm unprepared for this. LOL

@Ponypoor had a succes co-broody situation and @MaryJanet had a tragic one. I would say it depends but you won't see me trying it.

 

[BY Bob]

I don't know. I've talked to my parents about it multiple times, but I've never gotten an answer.
If we do, it will be expensive.

Sadly it likely will be expensive,much like a dog or cat.