Sit'n on the porch

[micstrachan]

So, on Saturday:
>>>This morning I noticed one of my hens had a swollen wattle, she is acting fine.
Just one, no I dont think it is Fowl Cholera, but she has something going on, I put some Benadryl cream on it to start, later I'll see if that did much


9:30am::
I just went out , she was in the nesting box, I didnt bother her, but it looked like it went down a slight bit...
On an irritating note, I noticed some beginnings of mold is a few places on the walls,,
after my shower, and then getting the dishes done, I will go out and was walls
its 35 out and very windy , our humidity is 100% nothings dry

>>I got ever side wall wiped down and then sprayed with the Clorox cleaner and wiped again.
(an older pic)


even though it wasn't much it was mold. I did bring a warm wash cloth out and wiped her wattle off and rubbed it a bit, then I put bag balm on it. I scrubbed the water jug and refilled it. I added Rooster Booster electrolytes and probiotics to the water.

OH!! and its SNOWING, started about 10:30/11

3:45 So checked on the hen, its not draining just very swollen,
Sat. 8:30pm,
Well I got aggressive with this problem, I went out to the coop with Qtips and peroxide, - I cleaned the ear lobe wattle- and the black spot ,
it was what I suspected, dried blood, I was able to get it all loosened, and the red spot was actually a skin flap that was over an access-- so in the house we went- I had Gary put the dogs in our room- and get me the silver water and sliver cream- I examined the whole area - I couldn't see the front of her neck but right below the lobe and about 1/4inch down was blush/green looking.

From what i have red blue means lack of blood flow,?? fever

I peroxided the abscess until all the black was gone and I got all I could of a scab off- nothing came out, no blood or puss, I rubbed and squeezed the lobe but nothing came out, I massaged her neck thinking it would help circulation?? after I did all I could, I used a qtip to rub silver water in the access,, after I felt it had been drenched good I also put some on her neck to clean it, then I I worked silver cream into the access well and put it all into the feathers in her neck and lobe,

yes the lobe felt very warm,,

Well thats all I can do, I didnt see any infection, but we'll see what the silver , if anything draws out over night.

other than the swollen lob and access she is fine
Sunday,,,
I went out first thing when I got up, 4:30, scooped all of the poop, looked at the hen before she jumped down from the roost, the opening had closed the blugreen color was gone from her neck but was still there at the base of the bulge, I put more silver cream all over the bulge and at the base of it where the discoloring was.

after all the flock ate I kicked all but the one hen out of the coop so I could see her eat and drink,,, it took her a while but she ate a small bit , she didnt drink,

the bulge was slightly smaller, but I will watcher her all day



I am just now sitting down, I have the tea pot heating up,
so, when we got home at 12:45 from church the first thing I did was go check on her-- it has a dried blood spot and was bigger, so, I took her into my bathroom, set her on a towel, and got a hot wash rag and washed her face and neck and bulge, then I poured peroxide on it and qtiped the dried blood off, then I got aggressive with it,,, I held a paper towel under it with I squoz it hard, and at firse just watery stuff but then, boom,, I got several blood clots out , I kept at it until I thought it was clear of them, I packed the hole with Neosporin, and let her rest,,, then I checked it for more blood clots and reapplied the Neosporin.
I got her to eat a scrambled egg and get a few drinks,
she is now out in the run ,
I'll relook at it before I close the coop up, I hope it doesnt fill back up, it felt like there was ??? I dont know, something lumpy in the lobe but it could be a vain, scar tissue???

I think at this point I dont know what else I can do for her-- If she doesnt improve, I'll cull her,,,
I ordered 16 hens and ONE rooster,, I got 14 hens and 3 roosters,
1 hen at 10 weeks acted like ,, even though they were vaccinated, like she had meraks,, she, went lames -1
then as soon as I knew which rooster I was keeping, -2
so 13 hens and one rooster,


>>And now Monday5am,,, , I looked at her , the lobe is filled up again, she has some dried blood so no drainage,
I brought her in at 9am and used warm water to clean the area. Using to much peroxide isnt good. Than I squeezed it and relived some of the pressure, there wasn't any blood clots coming out, then I packed the hole with triple antibiotic cream. ,
I think them main issue now is inflammation, the wattles are looking pale and turning grayish,
so 4pm .....
Well, when I got back from getting the mail I went out and got the hen,, the wattles were very hot, the ear lobe was still big, the discoloration / pale/bruised/ look in the wattles tells me she has a fever , an infection, I cant risk the rest of the flock, sweet hen is no more,

Awww… sorry about your hen.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

Awww… sorry about your hen.

Thank you, I am just sad to loos a hen,
I tell ya, haha I told DH yesterday,, you kept asking- why so many?why do you need that many? [he asked cuz he wanted to build a smaller coop]
I said to him---this is why I ordered 16 F-chicks and 1-rooster you have to factor in , of the 17 you may [and I did get 3] get more than one rooster, some chicks may not survive the shipping, some may die later, and so now I am at the minimum I want 12 hens.

Even though I have read Welsummers are not likely but can get broody I so hope one of mine will. I have been watching them and there is one hen that loves to sit on all of the eggs laid for the day. When I go out to the coop I put any eggs that are in a different nest spot under her hoping she will get the idea that this is her job, hahahaha

 

[Grandmas Coop]

 

[Grandmas Coop]

good morning, I did build a fire this morning, boy was the house cold last night having no fire all day, but thats what more blankets are for

Good hot coffee, dogs are out in the 5am darkness, I got the coop open .
I felt good being out in the garden yesterday, working with the soil, the comfrey is sprouting.
I moved the green bean trellis, pulled all weeds I could find, respread out the chicken poop, and then gave the bed a plowing,

I am trying to map out where I will plant the squash. I may put carboard down at the east end where the grass meets the bed
/ where I had the green bean trellis/ when the squash starts growing vines.

 

[Sally PB]

Soooo ready for spring... Love the pictures, and I'll enjoy spring vicariously through them.

I keep telling myself, if it actually looked like that ^^ out my window, I'd be WAY behind on what has to be done!

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Maybe I should hibernate and come back in a few months... This is my view as I make my coffee this morning

That tiny bit of grey wood on the right is a planter, the top is 4ft off the ground, the snow is about 18" on top of the left planter, 2' on top of the right side planter. Yes,. That means from the ground to the top of the right most planter is 6' of snow

 

[Grandmas Coop]

I am going to start watching my hens eggs for fertilization, I want to shoot for incubating and getting a hatch in June,,, I dont know if these hens will go broody or not but I want 6 more hens.

@Mother-Hen-Michele , I take it as it comes,
like this weekend we are to get a cold snap due to very clear skies, so, I am going to do the house chores I said I would do last week and didnt I truly need to dust and mop,,, I have taken advantage of the fact the floors in this house dont show the dog foot prints & slobber as well as the floors in the cabin. I mopped every week in the cabin, but here,,, I vacuumed every day but I am embarrassed to say in a years time I have only moped 5 times

 

[Grandmas Coop]

7am,,, time to get on with is day,

​

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

in the cabin. I mopped every week in the cabin, but here,,, I vacuumed every day but I am embarrassed to say in a years time I have only moped 5 times

I believe (and feel free to quote me), that we are born with a list of how many times we must do certain tasks during our lifetime, things like washing the floor are on that list.

If, in the past, you washed the floor A LOT, you have likely already knocked off most of those "required" floor washings for your lifetime, and can now slow down to a more reasonable pace. It makes sense that you are now slowing down, if you did not, you might have the last 20yrs of your life with no floor washing credits to your name, and that would be uncomfortable for you.

I vote the current rate seems perfectly reasonable. Carry on as you are!

And honestly, does not most of the dirt dry and get swept up, especially with a vacuum. Our grandmothers had to wash because no one had invented the vacuum. Vacuums pick up loads more than mops.

Need any more of my rationalizations? I am happy to provide, anytime.

 

[Grandmas Coop]

No, I mostly know how many times due to being so extremely busy doing other things that were a higher priority and knowing how dirty they were even though it could not be seen,