I Built A Bridge!

[Teila]

Hey Strangers, how nice to hear from you both … sadly, no news from Tommysgirl

MM oooh, how exciting for you, a new puppy! And, a very cute puppy at that! Hopefully you will not have to wait too long.

16 congratulations on your good news also! Granny

I got nothing! No news .. cruising along nicely. Still got the 6 little gals; can you believe that Crystal and KiKi are 7 months old?!

Blondie & KiKi decided they would be broody at the same time but I managed to break them ….

“Let Us In!”

 

[drumstick diva]

Great news, future grandma

 

[drumstick diva]

Teila, you are so much stronger than I am, I could never lock those sweeties out. If I were out there, I would wait for you to leave, and then run and let the girls back in.

 

[MistyMountain]

Lulu is FAMOUS! I saw the pic before I saw your name, and I instantly knew she was one of yours!!! Congrats!

Hope you all are well. Busy times here, looking forward to sitting around the wood stove while snow is falling outside. Things slow down then!

I am still overrun by cockerels here. No interest in my ad. Two that I had planned on keeping started roosting 15 feet up in a pine tree. Marshall and Piney. Sadly, last Sunday morning a fox, coyote or bobcat was waiting for them when they came down. When I went to let the flock out, they did not meet me on the hill. I followed the feathers to Marshall. It seems like our dog scared the predator away when I let her out that morning. Piney is gone without a trace. I guess Willie Two will need to be my second in command. The other 4 younger cockerels are just mean. I need to move them into the broody coop as a bachelor pad.

Pretty Penny is due to start laying any day now, but the shorter days probably won't help out. The other two pullets from this summer are about 4 weeks younger. We had company over and their little girl named the black and white (very SLW looking) girl Harper. Everyone else is doing well, although they are angry at me for locking them up. I had hoped to get through November before closing the gate. Sigh.

New coop is still a work in progress. We hope to get some hours in on it this weekend and maybe finish it up, mostly.

Hope you all are well and staying warm (or cool )

 

[MistyMountain]

A few new pics


Check out the comb on this leghorn mix cockerel!! Willie Two in the background. I have my doubts as to whether Willie was his dad, though. Willie was silver, and this guy has some gold in his saddle and hackle feathers, like Cielo.

Pretty Harper Girl

Pretty Penny Girl. I think she is welsummer x EE mix, maybe Olive egger!! Wish I had more of her! Her coloring is beautiful and she blends right in. No big old comb to worry about in winter, either!

 

[Teila]

Hey Misty thank you … I am stoked!

I am sorry to read about your young boys

Beautiful pics and yep, that is definitely an impressive comb

 

[MistyMountain]

Too bad he is mean. He can be quite majestic. I compare him to the dilophosaurus in Jurassic Park. He flares those neck feathers out and lets out the most awful growl if you go near him on the roost. I have not seen a rose comb like that since Willie Roo!

I am so sad that they need to be locked up already. Once the new coop is complete they will be on solid lock down indoors to get used to it. It will be nice, with the windows and so much more room to move around. Then, once the new run is done, they will really be happy. They will have 300 sq feet to move around outdoors, with the 10' x 20' run plus 10' x 10' under coop area in addition to the 100 sq feet indoors. I am considering putting in a swing for them, lol!

 

[MistyMountain]

Hi All. I miss hearing from everyone on the bridge!!

Quick update. Pretty Penny is laying!! Little green eggs. Harper should be due any time soon. Esmerelda doesn't look close at all.

DH started back on the coop again! Hoping for Christmas!! Problem is, once his work is done, mine begins!! I need to paint the floor with my rubber stuff before everyone can move in.

Hope you all well!

 

[Teila]

Hey there

I miss catching up with everyone also ... I have holidays next week and on my list of things to do is update in here.

 

[Teila]

MM the coop is coming along nicely and looks great

Just popped in to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Be it huge or quiet, I hope your Christmas Day is everything you want it to be and more

So, being early Christmas morning and with no little ones opening presents etc, I thought this morning was a good time to catch up with things. It is very quiet in our street; there is an Ibis munching on grubs on the front lawn following last night's rain; hopefully he stays out the front and well away from the fish ponds. Cilla will let me know if he gets close to the ponds; she always lets me know if something or someone should not be in the garden. I just heard one of the neighbour's children and she was very excited that Santa had visited; brings a smile to my face.

Having two cats we do not have a tree .. I believe this picture sums it up nicely

Yesterday I baked a Cherry Pie, a Pumpkin Pie and also threw together a Trifle:








Today, the girls will be getting a vol-au-vent each filled with yogurt and topped with live meal worms.

Since my last real post back in October when Blondie and KiKi were broody, Cilla has been broody twice and KiKi and Blondie have been broody again once each since then.

With the onset of Spring, we had some mites but I was on to those pretty quickly and averted an infestation.

Everyone is doing really well … Someone, I believe KiKi, managed to get a good peck on Blondie’s comb and while it looked nasty, it is healing nicely with no need for separation; it was lower towards her head and luckily does not draw the attention of others and subsequent pecking.

The pecking order is a little mixed up and has been for months. Cilla is still matriarch, Dusty 2IC and poor ole Crystal is bottom. However, in the middle we have Blondie, LuLu and KiKi.

It should be Blondie #3, LuLu #4 and KiKi #5 but, #3 picks on #4; #4 picks on #5 but #5 while submitting to #4, picks on #3 … Yes, Princess Blondie has met her match.

If you get a chance, I shared a funny story a couple of weeks ago: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1060029/beware-of-the-compost-bin-evil-lurks

Cilla and Dusty are nearing 3 years old, Blondie is nearing 2, LuLu just turned 2 and believe it or not, Crystal and KiKi are now just over 9 months old.

Some days, yesterday for example, we get 5 eggs which is pretty good going from 6 bantams .. still waiting for the day when they all lay and we get 6/6, that will be a first.

Work has been busy but working from home is a good way to have a healthy work/home life balance. As I mentioned, I am week 1 into a 2 week break which is very nice.

I am not sure how the girls are going to cope when I go back to work and supervised free range is back to 4pm. Currently they are getting let out much earlier and KiKi, who is definitely the noisiest of the flock, is currently demanding to be let out and it is not even 7:00AM!

KiKi may be a cutie but she is a bit of a problem child .. very noisy and demanding. I have nicknamed her Chuckles because when she sings the egg song it sounds more like she is chuckling or giggling but she semi-crows when she wants something. I do believe it is the Silkie in her .. Tina used to make some strange, loud noises and both KiKi and Crystal are the same .. Joel reckons Crystal sounds like a duck! Lol

So, while I have not posted for a couple of months, things here are pretty good and plodding along nicely as I hope they are for all of you