The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Hey...
Help me figure out "plan b".

I opened up the juvies side of the pen this evening as I was going to see how things went letting them out to run with the others. They're 17 weeks old and have never run together with the olders yet - just been on the other side where they all see each other. I've kept them in way long as we've had a lot of hawks and they'd be easy pickin's.

This is an older photo and they're larger now. But you can see my fence (metal bars) that the juvies can go through but the adults can't. I planned on rolling the green netting away and just leaving the metal bars so they could come and go but the others can't get in.



But....
Two of them are too large to get through!!!!! Now I need a plan B that the elders can't get through. They're still way more narrow than the elders, I just need something about 1/2" wider.

I seriously don't want to build something. I'd prefer to go get something that will work.....

Any ideas short of building something?

 

[BlueMouse]

so. My turken girl carrying her tail so funny? Finally managed to nab her at feeding time today for a good look over. Good news, she's not egg bound. Bad news, looks like something got a hold of her, because she has a puncture wound, nicely scabbed, right above her tail. BAD news, under that puncture wound is a hardl lump of swelling the size of an egg. I'm assuming is abcessed. Now.... do I peel off the scab to drain it or lance it with large sterile needle? My plan was to drain, clean with Hydrogen Peroxide, and then pack with nustock.....

things I'm not looking forward to. Either way I plan on applying a hot compress to it for maybe fifteen minutes before I do anything to soften everything up.

 

[Scott H]

I think the hot compress is a great idea....then a gentle sqeeze and aim it away from you. Epsom salt, lots of it on the compress works well.

 

[BlueMouse]

OH I might be able to avoid having to lance the darned thing?? that would be AMAZING.

eta: (I mean, I know I have to get the gook out, I just am afraid if I lance that I will do it wrong and cause more harm than good.....)

 

[Leahs Mom]

Well...I'm thinking if that scab doesn't loosen up enough for it to open after the compress you will have to open it. What about an epsom salt soak in the warmest water that is comfortable for her rather than just a compress?

 

[Leahs Mom]

(This gives a whole new meaning to a bucket of chicken. Where's the biscuits?)

 

[Scott H]

Worth a try.....least invasive. Just get it good and soft. Epsom salt is touted to draw out infection.

 

[BlueMouse]

I think a really wet compress might work better than bucket, because it's right on top of her tail? it'd have to be really deep water..... I've got her in the hopsital pen at the moment. I'll deal with her after the kids have gone to bed..... Of course she's one of my hardiest, thriftiest, most reliable layers.....

 

[armorfirelady]

LM I guess my idea,of building something with wood slats you could move as needed won't wrk when you don't want to build anything. Lol. Is where that metal fence is not so wide you could take 2 2x4s across it and use scrap wood as bars that you could adjust as needed so the littles can get in and out and not the elders?

I know when my little peepers were left on their own they learned to find places away from the big girls. As for hawks......there must of been one around last evening. Hens were in the coop and the babies were nowhere to be found. I found one hiding under the lilies and the other 3 under pumpkin leaves. They have learned to take cover. I wouldn't of known where they were unless I called for them. (I keep calling them the little peepers.......the name kind of sticks for them except for miss grey. They have to be over 14 weeks old and grey still hasn't let out a crow. I'm hoping its a good sign)

 

[BlueMouse]

ok... so. Soaked for 20 minutes with hot as I could bear strong epsom salt solution. managed to get edges of scab up, but no puss. She violently protested having the area squeezed (and who can blame her) so. lanced with large gauge sterile needle. Nothing. Tought maybe everything is so hard that I have to cut through the scab, so incised through scab with scalpel as deep as I was comfortable with. still nothing. Not even a whole lot of bleeding. So.... irrigated, disinfected, packed with nustock, and put her in the hospital pen with food and water with nutridrench. Any ideas folks? If she starts acting sick I will cull her. but want to give her a fighting chance. obviously the infection is not yet sytemic.