ELeVan ~ Honaker Farm Journal

[SmallFarmGirl]

Miss Flufferbottom is not right today When I opened the human door of the coop I got the usual stampede of chickens, guineas and ducks then went in to open the window that they use as a "pop" door. Fluffer was laying beneath the roosts in an odd fashion and all "poufed" up. I picked her up and check her over and didn't find any sign of injury. :/ She refuses to leave the coop. Last I saw she crawled into a nest box and is standing in it still all poufed up looking like she has no neck. She still hasn't regained her weight from brooding her chicks and feels so very light. Yesterday she was acting normal. I'll keep you all updated. But I hope she snaps out of whatever is going on

Ohhh ... nooo ...

 

[redtailgal]

Miss Flufferbottom is not right today When I opened the human door of the coop I got the usual stampede of chickens, guineas and ducks then went in to open the window that they use as a "pop" door. Fluffer was laying beneath the roosts in an odd fashion and all "poufed" up. I picked her up and check her over and didn't find any sign of injury. :/ She refuses to leave the coop. Last I saw she crawled into a nest box and is standing in it still all poufed up looking like she has no neck. She still hasn't regained her weight from brooding her chicks and feels so very light. Yesterday she was acting normal. I'll keep you all updated. But I hope she snaps out of whatever is going on

Ya snuck that one in one me.

Will she eat?
Have you got a sunny spot? I'd lay a puny hen in a sunny spot.......sometimes it seemed to help.

 

[elevan]

Sunny? Today? Hah! Yeah right. I'm in Ohio in late November, remember. I could aim a brooder light with a 75watt bulb on the box she decided to stand in.

They free range unless there is snow on the ground, so since she's refusing to go outside, she's not eating. I'll check on her in a bit and if she's not outside holding her own by then I'll isolate her and get her some feed.

 

[jodief100]

Sometimes on this board I feel like the perception is that ALL predators are the devil and I'm their lone defender.

'Cept for 'possums.

KILL 'EM ALL!

Of course predators are not evil. They keep the evil possum population in check. DUH!

 

[daisychick]

Sorry to hear about MFB. Make her a nice batch of scrambled eggs and put a little honey on it. It gives them some protein and a little zap of sugar energy. You don't think she is trying to "go broody" again do you??? I have one hen that is just hormonal and she tries to sit on empty nests all puffed up and I swear she never eats because she is always worried about "sitting on air" :/

 

[elevan]

Sorry to hear about MFB. Make her a nice batch of scrambled eggs and put a little honey on it. It gives them some protein and a little zap of sugar energy. You don't think she is trying to "go broody" again do you??? I have one hen that is just hormonal and she tries to sit on empty nests all puffed up and I swear she never eats because she is always worried about "sitting on air" :/

I thought about that possibility. I really hope not. Poor girl is just skin and bones right now. And she's very difficult to force off of a nest which is why we have given her eggs before. No way could she survive another 3 weeks of that! Crazy chickens.

I hope she's just having a rough morning. Maybe she got bounced off the roost or something :/

 

[elevan]

DH is insisting on Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving

I have freshly frozen green beans and I'll use fresh mushrooms and make a cream sauce. So we'll be doing a fresh GBC and see how it turns out.

 

[daisychick]

Well if she is trying to go broody again just keep picking her up and sticking her outside with the other chickens. Mine finally "give up " after about a week of me making them go outside. But I seriously have one that tries to get all fluffed up and broody like every other day!!! It drives me crazy because they won't eat and there is NO WAY I am going to let them raise more babies when they just did a batch. Being persistent with removing them seems to work eventually. I hope that is all that is going on with her and she isn't getting sick.

 

[Roll farms]

I use wire cages to break up a broody. Apparently it's uncomfortable and helps to convince them they didn't wanna sit, after all. Plus, you could give her feed / water while she's in it. Good luck w/ her.

Has she been dewormed / deloused (or does she need it?) lately...?
If parasites can take down a goat who's just kidded, it'd stand to reason they'd do the same to a chook.

 

[redtailgal]

HOw is Mrs Flufferbottom?