Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[Marie2020]

Anne sure is poofy isn’t she !

Oh gosh have added Buff Orps to my list now

Omg, how many more. They'll be in your bedroom next

 

[ManueB]

The poo was very watery. I would describe it as diarrhea on Mon/Tues, then as the week progressed it looked different. Today it was like mini bright green turds sitting in a large quantity of liquid and urates. The color and diminutive size are appropriate for the amount she’s eating- basically a starvation diet. So, better?
Her abdomen felt fine a few days ago (no eggs, no accumulated liquid). I should check this again.
Her crop continues to be empty. Eyes clear, vent normal. Gait normal.

She runs up to the gate when I arrive and totally perks up (yes, that’s a recent picture! She even dust bathes!). But then… just doesn’t eat. And when I spy on her from inside the house she’s depressed/lethargic, tail hung low, body poofed. She went to bed two hours before everybody else.

I was able to take a fecal sample to a vet today though. They say it may be a couple of days until I get results.

That's the typical poo from not eating enough.
If it's possible for you, since you said she does eat scrambled eggs, you could try to bring her an extra small bowl with a choice of support confort food daily, ideally before roosting, for a few days to make sure she gets enough energy . Either as a choice, or you can make a mash with their usual food and add stuff in. Some ideas on top of scrambled egg, of things you may have in your cupboards : sardines, tuna or mackerel, crushed walnuts or almonds, cooked whole grain rice or wheat or small pasta, a tiny amount of peanut butter, tiny amount of shredded hard cheese, small pieces of apples or bananas. Everything needs to be smaller pieces than a healthy chicken could eat.
White rice isn't very healthy, but it's something most sick chickens will eat.
And if you have bread that isn't loaded with sugar and additives a small amount can also do the job.
Of course it's best that they eat their usual food...but it's better to eat something than nothing.

If you can catch her easily, I would also weigh her, and do it again in a few days. It's more useful if you know what her healthy weight is, but it will allow to see if she is loosing too much.

I hope the fecal float helps you find out what's going on. It happened to me to find a sick chicken when I came home from vacation and the house sitter hadn't even noticed .

And tiny Chipie...it's a long story ! She has ruling ambitions that are far too ambitious considering her size, and this tends to backfire against her as soon as the younger chickens realise it's all a bluff.

 

[rural mouse]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!

Oh my gosh more babies

Your just killing me here no babies ordered here till 30th April. Oh gosh they are so adorable! So what breeds are they ?

Liz is a Speckled sussex and the tiniest of the lot. Hyacinth and Violet are silver laced wyandottes. Daisy and Rose...were labeled as dark brahma....but do NOT look like my big girls did. When I picked them out, I was wearing my tinted glasses which washed out the gold faces. I was thinking they were light brahmas. Once I got home and changed glasses, I saw the gold tone, so I think they're actually buff brahmas. Will have to see as they grow.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I’m having a toad situation here. The deluge of rain, has brought out the toads from hiding and they are all over the place in the yard. On the porch, around the coop and run. Wow so many toads!

Toads migrating, what you're seeing? They go to meet up each Spring, but I don't know if they go back to their hatching water or find new water.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

Some perfectly clean butts. You could stick your face in those things! None of my girls have that anymore.

I didn't happen to get a picture of Tedi's! A not-perfectly clean one...

 

[ChicoryBlue]

That's the typical poo from not eating enough.
If it's possible for you, since you said she does eat scrambled eggs, you could try to bring her an extra small bowl with a choice of support confort food daily, ideally before roosting, for a few days to make sure she gets enough energy . Either as a choice, or you can make a mash with their usual food and add stuff in. Some ideas on top of scrambled egg, of things you may have in your cupboards : sardines, tuna or mackerel, crushed walnuts or almonds, cooked whole grain rice or wheat or small pasta, a tiny amount of peanut butter, tiny amount of shredded hard cheese, small pieces of apples or bananas. Everything needs to be smaller pieces than a healthy chicken could eat.
White rice isn't very healthy, but it's something most sick chickens will eat.
And if you have bread that isn't loaded with sugar and additives a small amount can also do the job.
Of course it's best that they eat their usual food...but it's better to eat something than nothing.

If you can catch her easily, I would also weigh her, and do it again in a few days. It's more useful if you know what her healthy weight is, but it will allow to see if she is loosing too much.

I hope the fecal float helps you find out what's going on. It happened to me to find a sick chicken when I came home from vacation and the house sitter hadn't even noticed .

And tiny Chipie...it's a long story ! She has ruling ambitions that are far too ambitious considering her size, and this tends to backfire against her as soon as the younger chickens realise it's all a bluff.

@BeastBaby the bright green is bile, she is producing that whether she is eating or not and when there's no food the green is concentrated. If you can afford an X-ray that may show the reason. Frankly I suspect internal laying or cancer or both, a blockage of some kind unfortunately, because she was laying and then suddenly stopped, right? Which doesn't make any sense at eight months old and the days getting longer. Feed her whatever she'll eat, but low-bulk foods like the scrambled eggs are best, and see if she improves. You can try baby bird formula also, that's very low bulk and full of good nutrition. Sending good thoughts your way

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I didn't happen to get a picture of Tedi's! A not-perfectly clean one...

Early Mugs Monday
Tedi's other end

That's Hazel behind her.

 

[featherhead007]

Toads migrating, what you're seeing? They go to meet up each Spring, but I don't know if they go back to their hatching water or find new water.

That’s interesting. I thought that I was in Egypt during the plagues !

 

[featherhead007]

Last weekend I gave most of my gals a Brazilian trim

Made a huge difference in the cleanliness of my eggs.

Elaborate on this please?

 

[featherhead007]

Your birds aren’t eating them?

It was nighttime, dark, rainy and the birds were already in bed.