What did you do with your flock today?

[TropicalBabies]

This guy showed up next door today. Poor guy ♡

 

[Shetland lover]

I have a lot of catching up to do…. I hope everyone is doing well. I still have my rooster inside and he is still favoring the one foot. I can see more damage but there is still what looks like so far, a lot of healthy leg still. I took him out yesterday to mingle with the girls. A couple of them challenged him but I’m pretty sure he worked himself back into the rankings, though I’m sure it isn’t over yet either. I just think being with them and getting so fresh air and sunshine is good for him. I kept him out until I noticed him not even using it and just wanting to lay down somewhere. I knew he was on edge and wasn’t going to just be able to do that. But we are back out here today for a little. No one has really challenged him so I may leave him out here for a little and just check on him. I’m more worried about his foot and what I should do. The swelling is going down but I see more and more black. I took these pictures last night, I used a flash so maybe they could be seen better. I believe he may end up with a lost toe though, but so far only looks like maybe one.

I think you can only wait and see now. I'd be keeping him off it as much as possible though. You can always keep him interacting with the rest of the flock by putting him out with them but keeping him in a crate or cat basket.

 

[PopoMyers]

I spent two hours today digging out my quail pens from the mud The rats have tunneled enough that the ground is loose and saturated much lower than I expected when building their setups and pavers. I discovered after our last round of rains that the coops were almost level to the ground and their living area was a semi cemented 4” thick mixture of feed, poop, pine shavings and muddy water. It was a disgusting massively stinky mess. So since the weather is supposed to stay wet and nasty for at least the next 10 days…I knew I had to fix it. After all the cleaning, crawling in mud, and moving pens around…I’m hoping they will stay put and safe. They’re now up on cinder blocks and wrapped in tarps.

AND those bloody rats dug a hole into my coop and chewed through the mat I used to keep critters out So I also had to add that to the day before the winds and rain started up again. By the time we are through I will have used pavers and metal plates everywhere and the coop will be Fort Knox

Let me know if the buckets work on larger rat sized rodents! I’ve been eying them for awhile now!

I bought a large walk the plank and a large garbage can for the larger rodents. YouTube video showed that the 5 gallon bucket flip trap won't work for the big ones. Bloody buggers!

 

[PopoMyers]

It was raining heavily off and on, so not much done. One dozen eggs laid in the same box over 2 days. It supposed to be clear and sunny tomorrow. Hope to finish covering the run and rototilling the muck so it will drain. If not, may just remove a thick layer to the garden and replace with the sandy fill dirt from another area of the property. Feed replenishment as well. Time to set up the rat trap, and mole trap. It was cute to see the two roos guarding the door to keep the girls in while it rained. I had let them out earlier when the sun peeked out.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Time to set up the rat trap, and mole trap. I

Oh best of luck! Looking forward to a successful report!! Gotta be some reprieve from those little nasties.

 

[Shetland lover]

Hey guys, today I found out Molly has a pretty nasty ear infection. I’ve been using hydrogen peroxide and qtips to clean it out, but is there anything else I should be doing? Packing it with neosporin or something similar after it’s all cleared out, starting her on Baytril, etc.?

It’s probably not the reason she’s swollen, but it would be amazing if she gets better after I get a handle on the infection.

Oh no! Poor Molly! As if she hasn't got enough going on. What are her symptoms? Just wondering as, aside from serious antibiotic resistance, inner ear infections are often viral rather than bacterial so even harder to treat.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

I think you can only wait and see now. I'd be keeping him off it as much as possible though. You can always keep him interacting with the rest of the flock by putting him out with them but keeping him in a crate or cat basket.

It is all or nothing with him. When I take him out he squirms to get out of my arms and will RUN across the yard to them. If I put him in a kennel out there it will be the same thing. He will stand the whole time, pass back and fourth, just wanting to get out. That is why I’m giving him a couple hours a day out there. If he is going to loose a toe or all or even his whole leg, I want him to enjoy what he can. I want him to heal but also be happy. Especially not knowing how much damage there is.

 

[FrankieDoodle]

Oh no! Poor Molly! As if she hasn't got enough going on. What are her symptoms? Just wondering as, aside from serious antibiotic resistance, inner ear infections are often viral rather than bacterial so even harder to treat.

Yawning, shaking her head, itching at her face, and yesterday there was visible (yellow) pus in one ear. She hasn’t been doing it suuuper frequently, but it has definitely been frequent enough to notice.
*Edit: also smell. A really bad smell, I’m not sure how to describe it.

Do you think the infection could be contagious? It’s supposed to be raining all day today so I don’t think I can thoroughly check everyone out, but I will as soon as the rain clears up a bit. No one else has been showing symptoms, but it probably won’t hurt to check.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

O poor baby. I'm so glad you caught it fast and sounds like your taking great care of him. Hoping the worst is already past. Is there any chance of gangerene with the toe?

I don’t believe it is gangerene. It isn’t hot and not an abnormal smell. I don’t know how much good it did to catch it early but I’m hoping it did do him good.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I don’t believe it is gangerene. It isn’t hot and not an abnormal smell. I don’t know how much good it did to catch it early but I’m hoping it did do him good.

It is so difficult to treat em! Much less figure out what they really need!
I noticed quite a few more sneezes at bedtime...really praying they aren't getting sick!
I've been putting Oregano and thyme in their mash as well as poultry cell and they are all eating and drinking well and acting normal.
Things are definitely changing with the pecking order since rehoming Coco and China. My d'uccles have gone crazy, bloody and taking over the roost bars!
Idk what else to try for em regarding the sneezing.
My nose was running so not sure if I clear dripped on my hand or one of them had clear drip from nose or eyes...very difficult to tell with silkies and all that hair!