Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ChicoryBlue]

So far so good, I have been hitting them hard with everything, Tylosin, Tylenol and if they are really wheezing some prednisone.


I am almost 100% sure it’s Mycoplasmosis - and this means that I can never bring any other chooks in here, or rehome anyone as it’s likely the flock is now carriers of this. Of course a Lab test would be required to say whatnot is, but because I have been dosing everyone with Tylosin it would likely skew the test results. Not to mention the cost of getting it done here as all Labs here require a Veterinary requisition to do Lab work. Even though Mycoplasmosis is not a reported infection (apparently it seems to be so prevalent that they just call it endemic now), but they still need a Vet req.

I may discuss with my horse Vet when he gets home (at a horse show all week) and see what he says, but it’s still the Tylosin thing, I am not willing to take a risk of waiting to do a swab and not giving the antibiotics. I’ll discuss with the Vet though. And get an exact cost.

I also suspect MG in the group here due to Hazel's bubbly eyes and Annie & Tedi's illness, but haven't been able to verify it either way. Annie swabbed negative for anything, but that was after antibiotic treatment.

You may recall I've had Hazel's eyes swabbed twice, before any treatment, and come up with negative results both times, though the last one detected e. coli (because of the run dust collected in her eye, we think). $700 for that last visit with all the panels, highest ever.

If MG is as endemic as everyone says, then why not treat it as an unavoidable thing? Thought through this and decided I didn't want to wait until everybody aged out and I certainly wasn't going to cull. I brought in the new Buckeye chicks, and gave them a round of Tylosin when they began sniffling and having clear nasal discharge, and it cleared up quickly. They have been fine since then. A vet online suggested IB as possible but had no problem with the Tylosin saying the antibiotics would be good to help with any secondary infections.

 

[knoturavggrl]

Weekly synopsis
10/04 - 10/11 2025

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Condolences ~ Simple Jenn - NiNi, micstrachan - Minnie Minnie Featherhead007 - Nachos baby

Feel better ~ Most of Ponypoor’s flock is down with something they picked up from the newcomers —- They seem to almost recover now thanks to some quick TLC and meds from Ponypoor.
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BY Bob: Tilly finds the roost and Niamh finds the coop … eventually.
Barbershop visit for Ms. Tilly, she actually didn’t seem to mind much thanks to Mrs. BYBobs singing to her.
Cabbage treat for everyone, it’s big enough to feed everyone for a bit!
Quarantine breech, Aster of course!
Tilly and kitty seek equilibrium.
A sign has been posted but will Aster heed the warning??
Find the incorrigible hen.
Hattie is roosting in the same coop as Aurora.
The first, through the fence meeting!
Joy ended up on the ground instead of on the roost.
Intro continue to go well, more to come.
Hattie helping herself to some chick food.
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Ponypoor: Mr. LC may be small but he sure is gorgeous.
A update on the illness in her flock and some gorgeous photos of Petra and Leah
Flopsys first big moult, a video.
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Sylvester017: Fall fashion show and ramps vs steps or maybe both.
Not quite what they mean by bird brain but close!
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Rural Mouse: Release the Krakens … I mean chickens.
Another release the horde of Raptors video, love these!
Jax is looking handsome.
An in-depth look at using a mama heating pad set up to raise chicks in the coop with the flock without a hen.
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Chicory Blue: A run build update and some photos of the supervisors.
Hazel and Diane update.
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Ikslo: Tree nests for chickens??? Yup!
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Kattabelly: Shetland chicken and haircuts.
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CC’s Garden: Brahms and Cypriano photos .
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Featherhead: adorable photo of mama and her babies.
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Royal Chick: Cookie takes a spill by tipping a bucket, she is still fabulously gorgeous though so alls well!
The littles and a suspicious mama.
Mama supervising nap time and some photos of sweet little Cookie.
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Sylvester017: Names explained and a lovely photo of her silkies.
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SimpleJenn: adorable pic of mama and some babies under wing.

Picture days (^V^)

Caturday- Ponypoor, kattabelly, BYBob, Marie2020, Ikslo, Grandma The Chicken,

Pony Sunday - Ponypoor, x2, Dr.stratton,

Mugs Monday - Ponypoor, SimpleJenn,
Knoturavggrl, BYBob, notabtail,

Twofer Tuesday- Marie2020, SimpleJenn, Kattabelly, Ponypoor, BYBob, notabtail,

Thirsty Thursday - BYBob, SimpleJenn, RoyalChick,

Fluffy Butt Friday - notabtail, RoyalChick, BYBob, kattabelly,

 

[Sylvester017]

Given none of the others have this issue I assume Piglet just grows her nails that way. I don’t see how it would be the roost.
Anyway, so far she seems fine with her trim. I feel I could have been braver and taken more off.

An article I read on toenail trims is to cut at an angle while facing the cutter towards the toenail end rather than cutting the nail straight across the nail grain/blood vessels. I've also trimmed a little at a time daily rather than take a lot of nail off all at once.

Anyone else have experience?

This was my toenail girl Mini ~ she had so many health issues & we realized at her 6-1/2 yrs upon her vet euthanization it was all due to her reproductive issues over her lifetime. Her health issues were mainly due to low immunity & she ultimately had to be put down for a bleeding ovarian tumor otherwise she would have bled to death anyway. A hysterectomy early in her lifetime would have prolonged quality life if I had any idea such operations were possible. Every egg she layed agitated her since her 1st pullet egg but I never knew why. Here she is w/ one toe missing on one foot & half a toe missing on the other foot from her scratching so violently in a wooden nestbox that she tore off toes/toenails she was so agitated whenever laying eggs. We switched to plexiglass liners so she wouldn't splinter the wood & tear off toes/toenails. This girl's health issues caused us more vet visits than all our other chicken vet visits combined!

 

[Ponypoor]

I also suspect MG in the group here due to Hazel's bubbly eyes and Annie & Tedi's illness, but haven't been able to verify it either way. Annie swabbed negative for anything, but that was after antibiotic treatment.

You may recall I've had Hazel's eyes swabbed twice, before any treatment, and come up with negative results both times, though the last one detected e. coli (because of the run dust collected in her eye, we think). $700 for that last visit with all the panels, highest ever.

If MG is as endemic as everyone says, then why not treat it as an unavoidable thing? Thought through this and decided I didn't want to wait until everybody aged out and I certainly wasn't going to cull. I brought in the new Buckeye chicks, and gave them a round of Tylosin when they began sniffling and having clear nasal discharge, and it cleared up quickly. They have been fine since then. A vet online suggested IB as possible but had no problem with the Tylosin saying the antibiotics would be good to help with any secondary infections.

I would think infectious bronchitis would have a high mortality rate (though don’t know I’ll have to look at that one), and I suspect that it would not clear as fast as the MG would with the Tylosin; if I am not mistaken it’s a virus correct? So the Tylosin would have no bearing and it would not clear up within a day or so.

I hear ya with regards to the bringing birds in. And I may hang my mind down the road as my oldsters pass along.

My huge issue is now with the silkie chicks - what if they are all cockerels?!

I’ll have to put up a Roo hotel for them to live their lives out. Likely live to be 15 hahaha.

And who knows about those Polish? They could both be boys!

Hi Leah!

 

[Ponypoor]

Poor little Flopsy!

I hope she loses those ratty old tail feathers. Twister finally grew hers in and it was resplendent

 

[Ponypoor]

An article I read on toenail trims is to cut at an angle while facing the cutter towards the toenail end rather than cutting the nail straight across the nail grain/blood vessels. I've also trimmed a little at a time daily rather than take a lot of nail off all at once.

Anyone else have experience?

This was my toenail girl Mini ~ she had so many health issues & we realized at her 6-1/2 yrs upon her vet euthanization it was all due to her reproductive issues over her lifetime. Her health issues were mainly due to low immunity & she ultimately had to be put down for a bleeding ovarian tumor otherwise she would have bled to death anyway. A hysterectomy early in her lifetime would have prolonged quality life if I had any idea such operations were possible. Every egg she layed agitated her since her 1st pullet egg but I never knew why. Here she is w/ one toe missing on one foot & half a toe missing on the other foot from her scratching so violently in a wooden nestbox that she tore off toes/toenails she was so agitated whenever laying eggs. We switched to plexiglass liners so she wouldn't splinter the wood & tear off toes/toenails. This girl's health issues caused us more vet visits than all our other chicken vet visits combined!
View attachment 4230811

You can also put them on hormones. I think Manue has one of her hens on some.

 

[Sylvester017]

Yes, I have ones that do cats/small dogs nails. I shine a flashlight through the nail so I can see where the blood vessel is, I also do this with Mr P’s spurs.

His spurs are incredibly hard, I score the spur where I want to cut it back, using the nail clippers - they are not strong enough to actually cut the spur.

Then I use the horses’ hoof nippers to cut through the spur, then I file it down. I try to get someone to help me with Mr P when I cut back the spur, but last time I did it myself.

Oddly, when we were wrapping one bumblefoot on Dana her spur would melt off a little at a time in the daily Epsom salts soaks. Because we wrapped her feet using triple antibiotic ointment it would soften the spur to the point that whenever we unwrapped the bandage a little bit more of the spur skin came off too. We never knew that was possible & now she has one short spur & one longer

Dana ~ we've always kept bumblefoot birds in-house to recuperate.

The bumblefoot core removed & healing & no spur on this foot.

 

[Sylvester017]

They have different spots they can shelter in. The whole plot is a work in progress as I'm slowly fixing and rebuilding and changing things. Summer weather here is changeable and not all that warm by most people's standards, and chicks got through that ok. It's not a question of whether they'd be ok so much as if I want to create the extra work for myself.

The more birds... the more work... & more poop!

 

[featherhead007]

I would think infectious bronchitis would have a high mortality rate (though don’t know I’ll have to look at that one), and I suspect that it would not clear as fast as the MG would with the Tylosin; if I am not mistaken it’s a virus correct? So the Tylosin would have no bearing and it would not clear up within a day or so.

I hear ya with regards to the bringing birds in. And I may hang my mind down the road as my oldsters pass along.

My huge issue is now with the silkie chicks - what if they are all cockerels?!

I’ll have to put up a Roo hotel for them to live their lives out. Likely live to be 15 hahaha.

And who knows about those Polish? They could both be boys!

Hi Leah!
View attachment 4230823

Too many Roos

 

[Sylvester017]

Another duck….
View attachment 4230672

She's so beautiful

Naughty, naughty! Where's your goggles?!