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[joletabey]

You all are brave with this bumblefoot stuff- I will just bring any I get up to Cetawin for surgery. Wuss that I am!

 

[ChksontheRun]

I haven't posted for a long time, but thought you all would appreciate this. I currently have 15 birds in a mixed flock--6 months old, and 2 in a mini flock... that I hatched from eggs that Kathyinmo sent me. The two are a Del pullet, and what I believe is a Jersey giant cockerel. So far, they only mix with the others when they are out in the yard. I have tried to move the 2 with the adults, but the 2 little ones end up tucked in a corner being picked on so I just leave them separated. Yesterday, after feeding and watering goats and chickens, I left them in the yard, and went to run a couple of errands. I got home after dark, checked on everyone, and tucked them in for the night, only little Del girl was no where to be found. I searched high and low. In trees, in corners where only she could fit, in the coop with the adults.... everywhere. I figured that she was either gone as in eaten by preditor, or she would show up in the morning when the sun came up, but I could not sleep last night. I kept waking up thinking about how she must be cold, or lonely for her brother (jersey giant) and just did not rest well.

This morning, I went out to feed before daylight, and there, in the pen by herself (before I let the others out for the day) eating and enjoying life........Del girl(aka Speckle). I just cannot imagine where she was hiding. All of that sleeplessness for naught....... Today, she is back with her brother, and all is right with the world. Honestly, I was going to post last night, but I could not admit to Kathyinmo that I lost the one Del girl that hatched from her eggs....HAHAHA

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
thanks for the info, I would have had no idea where to get the med and needle stuff.

BTW: Caption for the last pic, "does this bandage make my foot look big?" Poor thing don't forget to show when she gets' better.

 

[NellaBean]

Poor thing. She was happily roosting on the 4 inch high roost in the brooder this morning. LOL. it is right next to the heat lamp, with the waterer on one side and a little bowl of scratch on the other. The bowl was empty this morning, but I think she actually dumped it. I refilled with layer pellets. She was standing 1 legged this morning. I may actually pull the bandage tonight to get a better look and to rewrap it better.

She was so quiet this morning I went into the garage and refilled the big feeder for the big coop and filled a pitcher with scratch for the outside birds...........and then when I was all done remembered she was in the garage and had to go back in to make sure she was still alive

She never made a peep while I was in there. She is such a wild hen that I think she is just trying to keep a low profile......

I was tempted to throw her out to the wolves, er, I mean, into the big yard, so she could spend the day outside....but she would be at a definite hawk disadvantage being "slow" to run.

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
Nella, here's your one good chance to tame that wild girl down!

There's nothing quite like a loss of independence to give a wake up call to these wild birds that we're not going to hurt them! That we can be trusted to help them and that we're not just bringers of food and water. Take full advantage of her dependency and disability while you can! You might just end up with a completely different bird at the end of the week.

Thanks for the shopping list by the way, and where it can all be found! I'm heading out this afternoon to get it all.

Hopefully DH will be willing to help me tonight to do the surgery. I'm going to soak her foot well before we get completely started on this. One, because her foot is filthy and two, because I'm hoping it will help soften up the sole of her foot and thereby make it easier to do the cutting part. Does anyone have any thoughts on this idea before I implement it? If it's a bad idea, for the love of little green apples people, stop me before I do this!!!

I think my biggest dilemma is going to be where to put her during her rehabilitation. I have absolutely NO quarantine/hospital area at the moment. And I've already taken up so much of DH's time with the renovations and remodeling of the coop, I feel reluctant to impose on him further. He is, after all, just one man and doing his level headed best to assure that we're fully into the new house before winter truly settles in. We need about four more of each of us, just to get the most critical projects completed!

Maybe I can convince a few of my Pump House Princesses to step down for a couple of weeks and go back to living in the coop for the duration of Evie's rehab time.

 

[Cetawin]

LMAO Beth...take em to Tom and Cynthia. They are closey know and they know what they are doing...I have never done bumblefoot surgery before.


Amy soaking it should be fine, just rinse it real well so there is nothing on her foot.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I'm so happy for you that she wasn't lost! I wonder where she was all night. Silly birds! Whenever I can't find someone, it usually ends up that they are broody somewhere. The other day my daughter was cleaning out the storage garage. There is a doggie door into it. She found a nest of 32 eggs in there. No broody, just a nest of eggs.

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
That my dear friend Kathy, is evidence of a conspiracy of several of your hens!!

My girls did that about 3 years ago in the month of August. What those silly women were thinking of, I have NO idea, but I'm sure that Gimpy and FussyButt were at the core of it! They being my only "broody" girls at that time.

Somehow they had convinced the rest of the girls to put in at least two each into that nest. We found 27 eggs total, tucked snugly away in a dark and cluttered corner of the toy shed. And since we had no idea of how long the eggs had been back there, we ended up tossing all of them.

Oh what a waste of such beautiful eggs!

Boy oh boy! Did that sure teach us a lesson. If the numbers drop inexplicably, start watching your girls. Are they being secretive? Are they looking over their shoulder a lot when they're trying to act casual? Have they gone real quiet on ya and aren't announcing the arrival of an egg like they usually do? If yes to any of that, then chances are good you've got a hatching conspiracy on your hands. Thank heavens we didn't have a rooster during that time.

I could just see Gimpy come trotting out of the Toy Shed some morning with 27 little ones scrambling to keep up with her!

 

[NellaBean]

Alright Cetawin, I have been trying to get a picture of "your girl".....the bantam cochin hen that matches the rooster you like. But just hadn't gotten around to it......

Today I noticed her in the garage nest boxes.


Aw, look how cute she is.

A little closer......

Attack of the broody! LOL....she is a hateful little thing too. attacking my hand when I reached under to fish out the single bantam egg she was sitting on, ha ha ha.


She is an adorable little ball of fluff normally, so being puffed up and broody she is just like a round ball of feathers. SO CUTE.



Okay I have a new one for you guys. I noticed a string hanging off the roost tonight. Gave it a tug and my white silkie hen squawked......So I looked closer.

WHAT THE HECK

How do these things even happen? It took about 10 minute, even with scissors, to get it off her foot. It was wrapped around and around and looped through each other and really quite ridiculous. I think it is a string from a feed bag.....crazy hen.

 

[Serrin]

Oh crap Nella!! I'm sure glad that wasn't wrapped around her tongue and half way down her throat! *Shudder* That's kind of how I lost one of my girls back in the beginning. And yes, it was from a feed bag....still attached on one end to the feed bag in fact. The other end was tied around my hens tongue. I don't know how she did it, or what she was even thinking of, but it cost her her life.

Oh great googly moogly! I don't even wanna think about that again! But I learned a very important lesson that day. Don't place feed bags with string still attached anywhere the birds might gain access to it. And never, ever, EVER store a bag on the top shelf in the coop. Tragedy will be just waiting to strike!

Looks like you caught this incident in time though. Did she show any signs that the circulation to her toes was compromised at all? Might want to keep a close eye on her foot for a few days just in case. I hope she'll be ok and has learned to avoid stray string for good!