Chickies, Chickies, Chickies!! Meet the new additions! (Pic heavy!)

[Chickenfan4life]

Aw, I'm sorry about your Silkies!

Do you know what happened to them?

No, I had them in their winter coop, the insulated one with the really good pen, and I found one dead. They had food and water, and the pen was predator proof, and the coop was warm. Then the other died, I'm not sure why. Chickens can break your heart...

 

[fishnet1971]

awww fan I am sorry to hear that. I hope you figure out why!

 

[itspebbl]

I love this thread!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well, Thanksgiving break turned into Thanksgiving "break" all too easily, if you know what I mean, and I've been super busy. So here's what's been up since my last post!

The Po report! Dear Po thought it would be fun to chase Roha round and round the chicken yard, so he has unfortunately been separated again. I haven't given up on him just yet, though! He had been doing so well that I think he's earned one last chance next spring. Hopefully he'll be less hormonal by then!

Speaking of next spring, my May babies are ordered! If all goes according to plan, I will be picking up 2 Black Copper Marans pullets, 1 Welsummer pullet, and 1 Silver Gray Dorking pullet from Meyer Hatchery on May 19!! Around the same time, I'll hopefully be acquiring 2 Cream Legbar pullets from the same fellow that I got Margie from. I can't wait for May!!

Names, names, names! I thought about keeping them quiet until closer to time, but I figure I'll change my mind a million times and by posting here, I can look back and see what I was thinking! As of right now, one of the Marans is named Phoebe and the other is possibly Donna; the Dorking is named Chickory or maybe Chickadee, but I had a Budgie by that name so I'm not sure if I want to reuse it; the Welly is named Mabel, which is what I picked out for her from the start, so it's the least likely to change. I have very tentatively called the Legbars June and Faith, but I don't think I'm going to keep those names at this point.


If this post hasn't thus far made me seem like the crazy chicken lady, here's a picture of one of the older hens, Cricket, in a crocheted sweater.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Happy final day for me! I've finished my final exams for my classes this semester, and now I have a month of vacation before next semester begins! e


Some bad news in regards to my last post: Cricket, the hen in the sweater, has since passed away. It just got too cold too fast for a hen with no feathers. Luckily, everyone else is thriving, and though no one likes the snow, I have gotten pictures of the babies today because they are now 7 months old!! (With the exception of Marge, of course, because she's closer to 8 months old. )



So here we are! Snow day!!

Here is Huka--look closely at this picture because I've got a zoomed in version of it I'll post in a moment that made me giggle.

Ihi, looking beautiful:

Marama:

Rangi trying to follow me through the snow:

The lovely Whiri:

And finally Roha, who would not come out of the dogloo for me to get a better picture than this:

ETA: Oh! And we mustn't forget Marge!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

The zoomed in version of Huka's picture. This is Cressida (at the center of the picture), who butted in on Huka's other picture, too.

Huka huddled on the perches with Cressy peeking in.

Ihi coming in for a close up!

My Rangi, shortly before spending a good five minutes trying to get to my shoulder.

Ihi made the mistake of following me into the snow, thinking it was free-range time.

And some silly faces from Ihi and Rangi, who seemed to hog the camera today.

 

[fishnet1971]

oh they are soooo Pretty. They grew up so nice Pipd. And now we are both on the track for next spring already. I have been thinking names for my 4 already too. lol (2 more Sultans, 1 Barnevelder, and 1 EE). Remember how bad we were this time last year already freaking out about our spring chicks??????lololololol

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I remember putting the brooder up for these babies in February! I'm trying not to be too excited for these babies as it's a long, long wait I have before I get them, but, well... e



Miss Margaret has decided to start laying again today after her first try brooding at 7 months old! Only took her a month. I'm still waiting for Huka to lay, but she seems content to wait until next spring. Or perhaps she's on strike until I turn the outside thermostat up--clearly it's my fault that it got cold out there.

Meanwhile, I'm getting about 3 eggs a day from the other five, such good girls. Ihi has been laying double yolkers for a while, but yesterday she laid a single-yolk 'torpedo egg' that was the same length as her double yolkers, but thin. Wish I had pictures--these eggs are being used as fast as I bring them in! Oh, well.

 

[fishnet1971]

here is 'Toria a month or so when she went broody at 7 months too. I was trying to break her the hard way. By brining her inside with me everyday for a few hours....

 

[fishnet1971]

And Izzy