Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

I just got a photo of my whole, correction...most of my flock SUN BATHING!!! i rarely see them do this and it normally only happens in spring. Even more rarely will I get a picture of them and this flock behavior.
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That's amazing!

 

[BY Bob]

Yeash! I couldn't even drill the starter holes because the darn drill bit is dull! I'm always saying how capable and handy I am. Not hardly tonight. Also I couldn't find the staple gun...

And I got no eggs today! No. Just no. I'm done with the chicken coop tonight. I need to get some dinner and just crash.

Whining tax.
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[BY Bob]

I don’t think I do look good in glasses .
They are a bother to wear and find if lost.

My wife bought so many readers there is a pair everywhere she sits down. She never has to look for a pair.

 

[lightm]

Today we brought Light to the vet. She has had an impacted crop for about a month at this point.

Inside the car before the two hour car ride. She was a very good girl.

Patiently waiting at the vet

Overall I am not impressed but it is hopeful.

The vet did an overall physical exam which seems routine for all patients they take in. The clinic is avian and exotic only (no cats and dogs) but I am afraid the vet we have is not an expert in chickens. I feel like I know more than him on many topics.

After physical exams, he suggested x-ray, blood work, fecal test, and crop wash, all of which are diagnostic. Crop wash is to push some saline water down her crop and then take out a sample of what's inside her crop. It is not meant to clear the crop. I was really hoping that he would at least empty the crop somehow.

We chose to do crop wash and fecal test. Light was even sedated a bit (we were told it is pretty safe) during crop wash. After lots of waiting (we arrived at 10:20am and left at 4pm... it was a slow doctor according to the technician... lots of unnecessary waiting), the vet came back saying that it is all sand in the crop. He found lots of bacteria in her poop and her crop sand. With the crop wash, he also went ahead and took about half of the sand that was in Light's crop. So her crop is smaller now. He also gave us three medications, two liquid medicine that will help flush stuff down (one called slippery elm and the other called metoclopramide), one antibiotic. We are also supposed to tube feed her some sealed bird meals that he gave us.

I am hoping that getting her crop half cleared can be a good starting point and two liquid medication will be a better version of stool softener. The whole visit cost $400.

 

[knoturavggrl]

A tribute to a fallen Queen.

You came into this world during the wee hours of May 15 2020. The world was going crazy but you were a innocent ball of yellow fluff. We cannot say tiny because Butter girl, you were never tiny.
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It did not take you long until you were towering over your siblings. Yes at this point I was questioning you on if you were a boy.
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You were also a pig, you never saw a day of hunger in you life. If it could be swallowed, you swallowed it.
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Not even 3 months old yet but getting a preview of the beauty you were to become.
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Exactly 4 months old here. Butter you already had mom wrapped your toes. The phrase "Whatever Butter wants, Butter gets" was already in use.
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You never got into trouble as a youngster, you had minions for that. Instead you excelled at napping and supervising your future domain.
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The snow and the cold never bothered you. You had extra fluff for protection and used it as a backdrop, and a snack.
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You bucked the orpington trend of being broody. Chicks were not in your cards although you saw many of them come and go in your life. I could always count on you to ensure fair treatment at night once their momma's abandoned them. They knew they could count on you to shield them from pecks and flocked to you. You did become a mother though thanks to momma hen when your daughter Squirrel was born.
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Butter dear you gave me your first scare a month shy of your first birthday. You managed to receive a glancing blow from Dirt while he was playing. You were paralyzed and for the first few days unable to stand even with assistance. We were preparing ourselves to let you go when you rallied. 5 days in you laid a egg again letting us know everything was ok internally. You also started to stand for short times with assistance. Your stay inside cemented it in your mind that if you wanted to come inside you could and would. In fact you took it upon yourself to ensure stays inside your next 2 winters when you molted extremely late and it was either bring you in or let you freeze.
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Once you rejoined your flock in 2 months your limp was gone and you could run again. You also at that point took over as the undisputed Queen of the flock. You were never ruthless but was able to keep the others in line with a simple glare. Momma hen even backed down to you.
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Farewell my sweet Butter. May you have your fill of raisins every day and nap until your hearts content.

A beautiful tribute to a very well loved and beautiful hen. Fly high, you will never be forgotten.

 

[rural mouse]

I don't think the sorrow ever goes away, but in time it does get a bit less sharp - the pain.

Yay for Storm They are always adorable at this stage/age, but I think I am a bit biased toward the Whisky and the Havoc colored ones

The 3 MIA eggs may have been kick out of the nest by her - and some critter or other took them. I am always amazed - HOW.DO,THEY.KNOW especially early on - if an egg is a dud/quit??????

Hopefully you found the eggs soon enough that a couple more might hatch. How far off is Jessica? Will that maybe throw her hatches off by them hatching too early???

Jessica has been sitting for 5 weeks. At this point, I don't care how close her eggs are. None are the original eggs under her. I'm reaching the point of: if nothing hatches by Sunday, she's getting thrown off the nest and all eggs confiscated, including the fakes. Not sure I will actually do that....yet, but it's under serious consideration.

 

[knoturavggrl]

I just got a photo of my whole, correction...most of my flock SUN BATHING!!! i rarely see them do this and it normally only happens in spring. Even more rarely will I get a picture of them and this flock behavior.
View attachment 3589053

It looks like a postcard! Fabulous photo

 

[BY Bob]

Today we brought Light to the vet.

Inside the car before the two hour car ride. She was a very good girl.
View attachment 3589142

Patiently waiting at the vet
View attachment 3589140

Overall I am not impressed but it is hopeful.

The vet did an overall physical exam which seems routine for all patients they take in. The clinic is avian and exotic only (no cats and dogs) but I am afraid the vet we have is not an expert in chickens. I feel like I know more than him on many topics.

After physical exams, he suggested x-ray, blood work, fecal test, and crop wash, all of which are diagnostic. Crop wash is to push some saline water down her crop and then take out a sample of what's inside her crop. It is not meant to clear the crop. I was really hoping that he would at least empty the crop somehow.

We chose to do crop wash and fecal test. Light was even sedated a bit (we were told it is pretty safe) during crop wash. After lots of waiting (we arrived at 10:20am and left at 4pm... it was a slow doctor according to the technician... lots of unnecessary waiting), the vet came back saying that it is all sand in the crop. He found lots of bacteria in her poop and her crop sand. With the crop wash, he also went ahead and took about half of the sand that was in Light's crop. So her crop is smaller now. He also gave us three medications, two liquid medicine that will help flush stuff down (one called slippery elm and the other called metoclopramide), one antibiotic. We are also supposed to tube feed her some sealed bird meals that he gave us.

I am hoping that getting her crop half cleared can be a good starting point and two liquid medication will be a better version of stool softener. The whole visit cost $400.

This does feel somewhat positive. Their prices seem to be in line with my vet if that helps. I don't understand why the sand would not move on through on its own. That's feels odd to me.

 

[GregnLety]

This does feel somewhat positive. Their prices seem to be in line with my vet if that helps. I don't understand why the sand would not move on through on its own. That's feels odd to me.

I agree. We have nothing but sand here and no crop issues.

 

[BY Bob]

I agree. We have nothing but sand here and no crop issues.

I will say that of all the times I have taken a chicken to the vet, only Lilly's arthritis was actually fixed. Sansa and Gucci both passed away. Now I don't blame the vet. They were both likely genetic issues but it was a lot of money spent to no net result.

It's just what else can you do when you don't know and you need help?