The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[holm25]

Hope he gets better!!!

 

[1muttsfan]

If he injured his leg but is still able to use it now, it will probably heal without long term issues. That is really a nasty looking wound, glad you found it and got it opened up. Come on Deacon you goober!

I think I would take some feed sacks, cut them open, and "sew" them to the lower two or three feet of the fence line between the two pens. A lot of times as long as they don't see each other, male animals will leave each other alone.

 

[speckledhen]

Hope he gets better!!!

Thanks, me too.

If he injured his leg but is still able to use it now, it will probably heal without long term issues. That is really a nasty looking wound, glad you found it and got it opened up. Come on Deacon you goober!

I think I would take some feed sacks, cut them open, and "sew" them to the lower two or three feet of the fence line between the two pens. A lot of times as long as they don't see each other, male animals will leave each other alone.

He can't really use it now, it slides behind him, but we'll see after a few days rest, extra protein and antibioitics.

In the new barn, whenever we get it finished, if Deacon is still with us, he and Atlas will be on opposite sides of the aisle. And they won't be outside at the same time, either. So, less chance of even seeing each other except at a distance. Until now, the plastic garden fencing lining each side of the 2x4 welded wire has been adequate. Isaac would spar a little with Atlas, too, but he was not as determined to kill Atlas as Deacon apparently was.

 

[holm25]

Nothing like feeding hay in the dark!!

 

[speckledhen]

Nothing like feeding hay in the dark!!

That is dark! I can't see a thing!



Been thinking about this floor in the new barn. We've gone back and forth and I think this paver base may let too much dampness wick up through it or heave during winter. What we are currently planning to do is put down a vapor barrier (we have the heavy plastic here) and let them put the barn on top of it. I guess we'll then have to put treated 2x4s laid out and plywood on top, adding to the expense of course, but not sure what else to do. When the barn is up, will take pictures and all suggestions will be welcome!

We leveled out the perimeter "footings", using string to make sure it was on target. The company sent out a letter asking that we put stakes on the corners so that they put the building exactly where we wanted it so done and done. Finn helped, or his form of it. It's a full time job sweeping leaves off the pad until they're all off the big oaks over it.

 

[getaclue]

I forgot to mention that I'm sorry Deacon got hurt, but I am. When I first had the problem, I had a couple 6 x 6 plastic tarps. I cut them in half, so they were 3 foot tall, and put them on one side of the divider fence. No more problem. I live in Florida, and it gets very hot here during the summer. The tarps restricted air circulation which is critical when it's 95 degrees out, so that is when I switched to the plastic hardware cloth. Yes, at first they would try attacking through it, but it didn't take them long to realize that the plastic hardware cloth restricted them, so they quit trying to attack through it. Had they continued trying to fight through the plastic hardware cloth, I would have put the plastic tarps back up.

 

[speckledhen]

I forgot to mention that I'm sorry Deacon got hurt, but I am. When I first had the problem, I had a couple 6 x 6 plastic tarps. I cut them in half, so they were 3 foot tall, and put them on one side of the divider fence. No more problem. I live in Florida, and it gets very hot here during the summer. The tarps restricted air circulation which is critical when it's 95 degrees out, so that is when I switched to the plastic hardware cloth. Yes, at first they would try attacking through it, but it didn't take them long to realize that the plastic hardware cloth restricted them, so they quit trying to attack through it. Had they continued trying to fight through the plastic hardware cloth, I would have put the plastic tarps back up.

I know you are and I appreciate the suggestion. The green fencing had worked for every situation for years but this was just different. I think my allowing Deacon to keep that super long spur was maybe a mistake. I did it because he has only the one and was on range occasionally, so I did not want to remove his only defense. It may have been the reason he hurt his leg, but that's just speculation. He was a real hardhead about Atlas and it may have just been his undoing.

We rebandaged the wound, which is just a big, hard, flattened area. His toes on that leg will curl around my finger and he doesn't seem to be in pain when I manipulate it so maybe it's just that the infection has traveled down his body and has affected his hock joint. All we can do is continue medicating, giving him protein and making him rest and pray it will work itself out eventually. If not, he'll either leave us on his own or we'll have to make the decision. That will be especially difficult in this case. He's a complete pet.

 

[getaclue]

I got one of the Dremmel Pet Nail Grooming tools awhile back. It does a good job keeping the spurs, and toenails ground down, and blunt without splintering them. It does make the nails, and/or spurs hot if you do too much at a time, and will burn the quick. I fill a small bucket with cool water, and dunk their foot in it for a bit to cool it off, then proceed.

 

[speckledhen]

We always use the regular Dremel tool to cut spurs unless I'm just blunting a sharp tip, then I use dog clippers. The whirring blade spins the blood like cotton candy, very weird, LOL, but it cauterizes it as it cuts. Deacon's spur is half the length it was now and shouldn't get in his way or, if he recovers, get caught on the fence. I'm not sure he'll be back in that coop anytime soon, though. DH said he was up on both legs eating. I was skeptical so I said, "Actually standing?". He said he was but when I went out there, he was laying on his left side again, taking pressure off his bad side.

 

[speckledhen]

Deacon isn't better. The "wound" may not be an actual wound, per se. It's odd. It's about the diameter of a silver dollar, raised about 1/4" and very hard. I wonder if it's a feather follicle infection turned into a cyst. Could be the scab we removed at the beginning was infection coming out of the head of the "pocket" at some point in time. Could be he did get hit by Atlas right in that same area and got a scrape, but I'm flying blind on this one.

What I'm not sure of is why his entire right side down into his leg is affected. He seems to have generalized weakness but especially on his right side where this thing is. He cannot stand, doesn't even seem to want to try even with his good leg. He lays there on his left side in my lap with his head over my arm while we mess with the wound/cyst thing. I plucked several feathers out of it today to clear the area. They leave empty pocks, some drain a tiny bit, one bled some watery blood for a few seconds. We packed it with the ointment and wrapped him again. When I manipulate his leg, it doesn't seem to hurt him at all. But, this area on his chest, covering so much of that side (he's not a huge bodied rooster, more lean like his mom) and his leg becoming weak cannot be a coincidence. If he had a massive infection in his blood stream coming from that wound area, that would explain the weakness and his lack of trying to stand up; now that we've removed his responsibility for his hens and he can relax, he isn't trying to be on guard all the time.

He's had three days of very heavy penicillin doses and I know nothing else to do but keep treating that huge raised wound/cyst with the antibiotic ointment and wait a little while to see if something changes.

Meanwhile, Lizzie, who turns 35 weeks old today, has not given us that first egg. She was investigating nests last night. I was watching her and saw how huge she's getting. That gal is a wide load.