Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Jaffar made it through his experience because I had removed all the maggots from his body. Picked out every little beast one at a time. Soaking him in water and permethrin 10 and keeping him soaking until I was sure that I got them all out.

That was true love there. It is obvious how important he is to you.

 

[Ponypoor]

I just can't imagine. Poor her and poor you. I'm not at all sure I could do it. I guess you never know until you have to.

Look what I found when I went to shut the chicken coop!View attachment 3617029

That's right! Little Eenie with her huge children tucked up under her, up on the platform! I'd rather they were over by the roosts instead of by the nests, but I'll take it!

Oh that’s wonderful! I am glad they are learning to roost up high. Are the wee ones now allowed to come outside? Or is momma still trying to keep them inside?

 

[Ponypoor]

Jaffar made it through his experience because I had removed all the maggots from his body. Picked out every little beast one at a time. Soaking him in water and permethrin 10 and keeping him soaking until I was sure that I got them all out.

My HUGE worry is that they got inside her body which is why I gave the ivermectin. I am just furious with myself - I was distracted with chasing randy Roos, fixing the barn, etc. I was complacent thinking it would never happen to me. Poor Red

I just checked her and she seems to be sleeping, I saw her flick her head so she is alive. And upright on her sternum sleeping I would say.

 

[featherhead007]

My HUGE worry is that they got inside her body which is why I gave the ivermectin. I am just furious with myself - I was distracted with chasing randy Roos, fixing the barn, etc. I was complacent thinking it would never happen to me. Poor Red

I just checked her and she seems to be sleeping, I saw her flick her head so she is alive. And upright on her sternum sleeping I would say.
View attachment 3617061

I hope you got them all off her .

 

[Ponypoor]

for your guilt, better late than never also applies here! What about a soothing ointment on her wounds maybe? A very low dose lidocaine cream, or a salve? Question - If they die while half in her skin, do you bathe her again,once a day or at some interval, to try to stop infection?

I have been reading up on treatment of necrotic tissue and ways of debriding it, the use of a certain honey has worked well for cleaning up old sloughing tissue and helping to debrief it, as a Nurse we often used a sugar and betadine mixture on decubitus ulcers and unpasteurized honey on sloughing wounds.

The honey has a special compounds which aids in antibacterial action and drying and cleaning up wounds. Medical grade Manuka honey is the best to use.

Anyways we shall see if she survives this initial treatments.

 

[Lexicon]

I have been reading up on treatment of necrotic tissue and ways of debriding it, the use of a certain honey has worked well for cleaning up old sloughing tissue and helping to debrief it, as a Nurse we often used a sugar and betadine mixture on decubitus ulcers and unpasteurized honey on sloughing wounds.

The honey has a special compounds which aids in antibacterial action and drying and cleaning up wounds. Medical grade Manuka honey is the best to use.

Anyways we shall see if she survives this initial treatments.

I am so sorry this happened. It's not your fault! We all do the best we can.

I wonder if it might be a good idea to bring her into your home to eliminate the possibility of a any more flies getting into her wound.

 

[Marie2020]

What a day, I spent the morning doing my job hunt - not sure who thinks there is a shortage of workers…. I don’t see it at all.

Anywhoo then I noted one of my nieces hens had a poppy butt so I went and started washing it, and that’s when all sh1t hit the fan.

Upon removing poops I turned her over and she was crawling maggots. Lots of swearing and running around gathering supplies to deal with that. Tripping over stupid roosters (yep they are all going except Mr P of course), trying to remove maggots, I cut off all her feathers as close to the skin as I could, then I washed her again in a bath of disinfectant soap, trying to scrub the maggots off her skin, and once I got the ones off I could I flipped her over again and inspected her.

It looked like a pocket where more maggots were residing so I flushed that with peroxide and them rinsed her off in another bath.

Then I hauled out the tweezers and started picking off maggots. Then I got out the blow dryer and dried her off. Once she was dry I could see the full extent of her wounds, her belly seems to have necrotic tissue and I could still see maggots lurking in part of the wound.

I had to wait while they came out into the air, so I dosed her with Ivermectin to kill the little flickers, I also hat her a mega dose of antibiotics (500mg of Amoxicillin), 1/2 a low dose aspirin and Tylenol. If they doesn’t kill her and she survives the maggots and her skin heals she might be ok.

Then it was back to plucking maggots, I grabbed a few more and couldn’t see any more so I gave her some mash, and put her in the large crate away from anyone who wanted to peck her.

I cannot tell you all how guilty I feel for not nipping this in the bud sooner. Totally my fault for not keeping on top of poopy butts. Poor Red

Tomorrow anyone with a remotely poopy butt is getting a Brazilian done.

What a nightmare. I would have been in a right old panic . I don't have half of what you have there. I'd have to find alternatives. Sorry about this bold writing.

 

[Marie2020]

Or even an eye injury by hen pecking.

Naughty boy Alex

 

[Marie2020]

Flystrike. Warm, moist weather, poopy bottom that the flies would lay in/on (their eggs, that is)...next thing you know the eggs are hatching into larva and they are burrowing into the flesh to eat and grow.

I thin Alex dealt with it with Jaffar a year or two ago. Nasty, that is; she will have to monitor it daily to make sure no more larva, and keep after the wound. Poor dear girl....nasty dirty flies!

Maybe @featherhead007 would fill in @Ponypoor regarding the time line for removing larvae and the wound healing ...if I remember correctly, it was a disgusting thing and took constant attention until it was cleared up. Not just for the current fly eggs/larvae, but to be sure they didn't lay again in the open wound. Again, disgusting things...I don't envy you nor your hen, Kelly

Wouldn't Epson salts and vinegar soak help the surface maggots then the honey?

 

[Marie2020]

I was ok about it....until I started writing it up. I suspect more numb than anything else with the whole week. She helped raise every last one of the chickens, Pear included (She's next oldest). She survived the foxes making off with most just before a late spring blizzard that lasted a week. She survived a stray (ish) dog killing almost half the pullets (Cheetah and those ladies) and Storm's parents. She's called me out to deal with a hunting cat who WASN'T afraid of the chickens. She placed herself between the other birds and the cat while the rooster (don't remember if it was Cheetah or Rusty (Storm's papa)) came up to echo the call by the kitchen window. She dealt with snow blowing powdery fine and piling up to a foot deep. She found the best places out of the wind and the places that stayed cooler in the deep summer. She loved grasshoppers. We had to catch and collect them so she could eat the big ones while the babies (Pear's group) ate the littles. Silver wasn't broody, but we (didn't know the "proper" way to raise chicks) put her in with the babies anyway. She didn't start the broody buk-buk, but she invaded their section, showed them she was in charge, and proceeded to model good chicken behavior. She would eat near them, drink near them and even did a baby round up when we let them out to explore and some deer came round the corner. The babies ran for cover and she lurked just outside it, again between the deer and the babies. She was a little over a year old at the time.

She was an absolute legend
What wonderful memories and it must be good knowing her family remains with all of that knowledge she taught them.