MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

They are certainly full of energy!

They had to do their morning exercises

 

[Shadrach]

What are the other slow cookers you read? I'd like to take a look at them.

I don't know if I should.
I follow threads for various reasons. I follow one because I got to know the OP and the posters they've attracted from another thread.
I follow another because I became interested in how they went about starting chicken keeping and found other posters on the thread who I have respect for.
I've found that it is more rewarding to work out the people who post quality comment and whose views one generally agrees with, and track where they post.

 

[MaryJanet]

I don't know if I should.
I follow threads for various reasons. I follow one because I got to know the OP and the posters they've attracted from another thread.
I follow another because I became interested in how they went about starting chicken keeping and found other posters on the thread who I have respect for.
I've found that it is more rewarding to work out the people who post quality comment and whose views one generally agrees with, and track where they post.

Fair enough.

 

[LozzyR]

Thanks MJ - I had remembered that.
Unfortunately I don't have access to a Dr. Mark equivalent.
There has been a lot of drama since I posted the situation. In a nutshell, when I went in for the evening crop massage I was puzzled to find that Bernie was wet. I switched from red light to normal headlamp and found that she and I were covered in blood.
I tried to find where it was coming from but couldn't identify an obvious wound.
She survived the night - which was not an obvious outcome given the blood - and I managed to get a slot with the vet today. Just a vey who is willing to see a chicken - but definitely not a chicken expert.
The outcome of this is the following:
- Blood seems to be coming from a toe that she has ripped off the nail and maybe the final segment of toe itself.
- Vet agrees with my view that the crop is the result of slow digestion not an obstruction
- She has lost weight over the last 6 months which was the last time I weighed her. Note to self: I need to weigh my flock more often
- Vet thinks she can feel a small lump - possibly a tumor deep in her abdomen

The lump and the weight loss suggest she has something nasty going on beyond her molt.
Poor Bernie. Not giving up on her yet, but I feel terrible that I did not notice the weight loss. Not that I could do anything different.
She did deliver a big glob of liquid poop at the vet and she is tucking in to raw egg right now, so something is working its way through.

I’m sorry to hear about Bernie.

 

[ManueB]

No. The vet care I can get for a chicken is very basic.
She would never be able to do surgery and so there isn’t much call for advanced diagnostics either.
She is a good basic vet and as I am on my own, and expensive spare set of hands. I just have to hope that Bernie can have a decent quality for as long as possible.
Right now she is happy enough though a bit annoyed to be confined to the hospital ward. I have only done so because of the blood - I don’t want anyone pecking at her. I will let her out tomorrow or the day after once the scab looks a bit more stable.

The blood must have been really worrying. I've had several rip out nails and it really bleeds a lot.
The lump is definitely not good news, but before jumping to conclusions, would it be possible that the weight loss is from the moult ? Have you seen her eating normally for the last week's or has she gone a bit off food ?
Remember Bernie is a brave as a bear. She surprised you before and she could suprise you again.

 

[RoyalChick]

The blood must have been really worrying. I've had several rip out nails and it really bleeds a lot.
The lump is definitely not good news, but before jumping to conclusions, would it be possible that the weight loss is from the moult ? Have you seen her eating normally for the last week's or has she gone a bit off food ?
Remember Bernie is a brave as a bear. She surprised you before and she could suprise you again.

Oh yes - both the vet and I remember how I came in thinking the vet would euthanize her and Bernie jumped up on the desk and clearly had a different view.
So I am banking on her surprising us again.
Her appetite is pretty good.
She just ate a scrambled egg with some chicken food mixed in.
I will give her more at lunchtime.
Her poop is pretty liquid so I am not confident that it isn’t all backing up inside her, but time will tell.
I am keeping her in my hospital ward until the toe stops oozing. She can scratch in shavings in there - but if I let her out I worry the others will go for her scab and that she will break it open scratching in the rock-hard soil (rock hard because of the drought).
The hospital ward has a perch and plenty of room for her to move around. Also she can see into the rest of the coop and chat to the others while they are in there.

 

[MaryJanet]

The hospital ward has a perch and plenty of room for her to move around. Also she can see into the rest of the coop and chat to the others while they are in there.

I recognise these thoughts. I have had a similar narrative many times.

My guess is that she's making you feel guilty with her longing to be out and about. She will be OK in your hospital for as along as it takes. She might disagree with that statement, but it's true.

 

[MaryJanet]

The little ones have had their first expedition around the funrun.

They were roaming about for a couple of hours and it mostly went well, except it seems they forgot their way back home. Luckily they followed me and now they're back in the kindergarten, wetting their whistles and chowing down.

 

[LozzyR]

The little ones have had their first expedition around the funrun.

They were roaming about for a couple of hours and it mostly went well, except it seems they forgot their way back home. Luckily they followed me and now they're back in the kindergarten, wetting their whistles and chowing down.

Where were the big girls?

 

[MaryJanet]

Where were the big girls?

They were under the shady tree beside the driveway