Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ManueB]

How many eggs are yours laying a week? I was hoping that they were not turned into egg machines yet.

They have been laying six eggs a week. Better than my ex-batts who laid seven eggs a week for a year, but more than I would hope for.

They've only been laying for little more than a month, so I'm still hoping it will slow down. My three pullets Léa, Merle and Piou-piou all began laying very often, and settled in their actual rhythm of four to five a week after about two months.

 

[Lilion]

Hey i do but it's called lemon meringue pie here. I've never had it made with lime

Not quite, but close. I love key lime and lemon pies, though I prefer key lime, and prefer whipped cream over meringue. I never get to make them because my husband dislikes citrus in baked goods...silly man.

Mmmm. Pie.

Pie tax.

 

[rural mouse]

Wild water is best

So says Lark.

 

[micstrachan]

Peanut's very ill
I think she is not long for this world, I'm afraid. Maybe ascites from tumors, or internal laying, but her belly is tight and she is not breathing well. This development was very quick, but was probably brewing for some days, and I missed it. The vet I thought she could see (but I didn't establish with them) is not in business anymore, and I've been calling around without success - but just got a call back by a traveling vet outfit that goes to farms and works out of trucks, River Valley Veterinary Services, and should know if someone can come here (or maybe we can go to them) . I don't see how this situation for her can be improved but I'd like a consult. Maybe they can give her pain meds. Any chance antibiotics could help?

I was away Sunday and back Monday evening, but she seemed active and talkative that evening, I didn't think to feel her, I thought she might be beginning molting as I think that's what is up with Butters, and now Hazel, they are both molting, and she held her tail a little down like they did in the beginning. Same Tuesday morning. But yesterday (Tuesday) late afternoon she began standing around and not foraging, her tail down, and went to roost very early. I thought she might have to lay, this didn't look too out of place but she didn't call about it like they normally might.

I should have felt her, because checking in on them late after the auto-door closed I saw she was breathing quickly, making a little noise with each exhale, her tail pumping with her breathing. I didn't think there was anything I could do late at night, so I woke up early this morning and saw she was still alive. I went and felt her, her belly is full and tight. I put a glove on and some KY and checked her vent, in about an inch and a half, I didn't feel anything. She left the coop and drank water

She is drinking, and ate a little, and is now resting in the shade of the lilac bush. She was alone for a couple of hours because the others were hanging out in the Winter run, but now she has company.
@BY Bob
@RoyalChick
@bgmathteach

Oh no. Poor Peanut. I have been down this road a few times and as @BY Bob mentioned, I have drained my own hen. As you know, treatment outside of draining would depend on the cause. In Ruby’s case, hormones, along with occasional antibiotics, kept the swelling at bay for years. However, her fluid was deep behind a thickened abdominal wall and had to be drained by an avian vet using ultrasound to guide the needle.

With Lucky, draining helped quite a bit and I was able to do it myself. I used these butterfly infusion needles with a 60cc luer lock syringe. (I had tried before with a regular needle attached, but it seemed more dangerous.) She would continue to drain for hours and it provided almost immediate relief.Do you think you could get your hands on supplies?

Aspirin can also help ascites. I would give one 81mg aspirin to a standard sized hen over 5 lbs. After that, you can cut them in half and give half as much. I preferred a whole one. It’s only for a couple (2-3) days and not long term use. Lily of the desert aloe detox also seems to help, but it takes longer. You can syringe 4cc orally, but it takes awhile not to aspirate. I like to put a full “shot” (1.5 ounces) into some damp feed and let them all eat it. They love it.

I have also had hens swell up and then reabsorb the fluid on their own. Millie used to swell up during laying season and then it would subside when her hormones changed during molt or broodiness.

If Peanut’s ascites came on quickly, I would recommend an attempt at draining to buy time as Bob suggested. I’m so sorry for both of you. This is so hard. I have done everything from treating as much as possible and taking to too far to immediately opting for euthanasia, as well as everything in between. If an avian vet could see her, that would be great. They just might not know what’s going on, either.

Best wishes, good luck, and please keep us posted.

 

[micstrachan]

Indeed! I am not sure. I have never used a mister - I hung up wet towels and sheets in front of the fan. But I believe @micstrachan uses a misting fan so hopefully she will pop by and explain how that works.

Sorry I have been absent and have not seen the tags. Bob’s came across my email this morning.

RC, I love your of a of a homemade swamp cooler! I use Opolar misting fans and love them! The mist is so fine, you can use them INSIDE the coop and not get everything wet. They do need to be filled often. For the run, I have arctic cove bucket top misting fans, but the misting pumps eventually stopped working. So I use them as fans alone and use separate hose misters. I think Ryobi may have bought them from Arctic Cove, as that’s what seems to be available now.

 

[BY Bob]

They have been laying six eggs a week. Better than my ex-batts who laid seven eggs a week for a year, but more than I would hope for.

They've only been laying for little more than a month, so I'm still hoping it will slow down. My three pullets Léa, Merle and Piou-piou all began laying very often, and settled in their actual rhythm of four to five a week after about two months.

That is way more than I expected. I would have hoped for the 3 to 4 range. Hopefully they slow down quickly.

 

[BY Bob]

Not quite, but close. I love key lime and lemon pies, though I prefer key lime, and prefer whipped cream over meringue. I never get to make them because my husband dislikes citrus in baked goods...silly man.

Mmmm. Pie.

Pie tax.View attachment 3567695

He is indeed a silly man. I turn down no pies.......

 

[BY Bob]

Oh no. Poor Peanut. I have been down this road a few times and as @BY Bob mentioned, I have drained my own hen. As you know, treatment outside of draining would depend on the cause. In Ruby’s case, hormones, along with occasional antibiotics, kept the swelling at bay for years. However, her fluid was deep behind a thickened abdominal wall and had to be drained by an avian vet using ultrasound to guide the needle.

With Lucky, draining helped quite a bit and I was able to do it myself. I used these butterfly infusion needles with a 60cc luer lock syringe. (I had tried before with a regular needle attached, but it seemed more dangerous.) She would continue to drain for hours and it provided almost immediate relief.Do you think you could get your hands on supplies?

Aspirin can also help ascites. I would give one 81mg aspirin to a standard sized hen over 5 lbs. After that, you can cut them in half and give half as much. I preferred a whole one. It’s only for a couple (2-3) days and not long term use. Lily of the desert aloe detox also seems to help, but it takes longer. You can syringe 4cc orally, but it takes awhile not to aspirate. I like to put a full “shot” (1.5 ounces) into some damp feed and let them all eat it. They love it.

I have also had hens swell up and then reabsorb the fluid on their own. Millie used to swell up during laying season and then it would subside when her hormones changed during molt or broodiness.

If Peanut’s ascites came on quickly, I would recommend an attempt at draining to buy time as Bob suggested. I’m so sorry for both of you. This is so hard. I have done everything from treating as much as possible and taking to too far to immediately opting for euthanasia, as well as everything in between. If an avian vet could see her, that would be great. They just might not know what’s going on, either.

Best wishes, good luck, and please keep us posted.

Thank you so much for responding. I know you don't follow this thread any longer but you have such great knowledge. I am very grateful that you will check in when tagged.

 

[micstrachan]

No impacted crops here. RC or bgmath are the regularly on experts. @micstrachan has crop experience too.

Yes, lots of crop experience here. If it’s impacted (firm, not fluidy) massage helps. And don’t be gentle about it. You can freeze coconut oil, break it into chunks, and feed it to the bird with the crop issue. The oil also helps when the blockage might be further down, like maybe in the gizzard.Massage the crop afterward and the oil helps lubricate and break up the clog. I have had hens with slow crop where just a little fluid (tubed or consumed on their own) plus massage was enough. For a really stubborn impacted crop, if massage and oil didn’t take care of it, a molasses flush did.

If the crop is sour, treatment is different. I had success with antifungal treatment. Clotrimizole vaginal cream given orally for a week took care of it. I forget the dose… something small like 0.1ml of the stronger cream. I syringed it inder the tongue. Super easy.

I tried acidified copper sulfate in the drinking water, but it had to be the only water spurce and my birds hated it. Plus, I found it did not stay in solution very well.

Most of the crop stuff I learned in the learning articles. After you’ve dealt with it yourself a few times, you just sort of know. I hope this helps!

 

[micstrachan]

Thank you so much for responding. I know you don't follow this thread any longer but you have such great knowledge. I am very grateful that you will check in when tagged.

Bob, I am just not on BYC much these days; it’s not about the thread. For some reason, I did not see any alerts until today. I miss you guys! Please feel free to text me and let me know next time, if you like.