I Built A Bridge!

[16 paws]

Tommysgirl,
I have to say I like Lyla. She is very beautiful. She reminds me of Freckles, my bantam cochin.I will see if I have a picture of her.

Liz,
Thats cute....Bob, now I will have to decide, is it Bob or Hooper?


Ok, here is a picture of Freckles.

 

[lizgarf]

Hi all,
@tommysgirl , I think you may have a little Wynadotte on your hands there. Her feathering looks to me like the girl on the right on the cover of my Storey's Guide: http://www.amazon.com/Storeys-Guide-Raising-Chickens-Edition/dp/1603424695

Well, it was too good to last - Maryanne appears to be the first of the second-generation broodies. She was setting in the nest after dark, (after I had already taken some eggs from her earlier, but apparently left one behind) and her little feathers were all over the place. I put her back on the roost, but if she's anything like her mother, Grace, the battle has just begun. Sigh. There is no way I'm going to be able to close of the nest boxes with 9 laying hens, all determined to use that one box on the right. I guess Maryanne will be spending a lot of time outside the coop - just have to hope she's too preoccupied to dig up the new vegetable beds!

I decided to weigh Bettina today, and it was hard to get a clear weight, but it hovered around 5 lbs 14 oz. She looks enormous to me, but my quick searches suggest that isn't all that big for a Brahma. Anyone else weighed a hen before? By the way, TG, Papa's Poultry has a bunch of different colors of Brahmas I hadn't heard of before. I think he even had Partridge!

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday weekend! I had been saving the rainbow eggs, thinking maybe I'd host an Easter egg hunt, but I've been feeling under the weather all week, so no cleaning or baking for me, and it's actually forecast to rain on Sunday!!! Woohoo!! One of these years, I'll play Easter Bunny, but I guess I'm not quite ready for that responsibility!

 

[Teila]

Good morning Bridge Club

Liz and TG please take the rain!
We have had too much. Cilla and the Nuggets spent the majority of two days sitting on the balcony watching the torrent flow beneath them.

It got to the point that I was beginning to worry about all of their health; everything is so wet! Luckily the coops are dry but both runs were turning into mud pits. The ground is so water logged now even the slightest shower forms tiny swimming pools because the ground cannot soak it up.

It is not pretty (or finished) but we got started on the permanent extension on Friday which gave Cilla and the Nuggets more area to play in and I spread some straw around so that they were not walking on mud. The sun actually shone for a while so they sure did make the most of that.









I added a perch for them yesterday (not in the photo).

Yesterday I also purchased 3 x shower curtains and pegged them to the existing shade cloth in an attempt to keep some of the rain out overnight. While we can’t stop the run off at ground level, at least we reduced the amount of rain coming in by cutting off the assault from above.

Today is forecast to be sunny and only a small amount of rain … I so hope that is the case and we get a chance to dry out

Glad to hear Bettina keeps improving but sorry to hear that you have been under the weather. I have to confess that while physically I am fine, mentally my mood has not been good; the stress of constant rain and trying to keep everyone dry is taking it's toll

Tee hee at ‘Bob’ .. good one!

TG ah yes, Blondie is true Diva material!

PS. Forgot to mention; 12 days without a single egg being laid!

 

[lizgarf]

Sorry the rain has got you down, Teila! I remember back in December when we had some big storms, I did get tired of trying to keep things dry (and never did manage to use the dry period to fully clean up). We're finally forecast to get a good storm this week, and I'm taking credit for it from spending all that time on my drip system last week. Maybe this weather shift will help you out down under, as we suck the moisture back up here!

TG, I was thinking about your not having a garden this year. I know we have different micro climates and there could be lots of factors at play in your calculus, but I have found that a well-planned drip system allows me to grow lots of things with very little water. I bet you and Tommy could come up with a great system that's much more efficient than whoever grows your groceries has.

Other than the rain showers today, the news around her is that Maryanne is a pretty haphazard broody so far. She actually leaves the nest when there are no eggs in it, or if a higher status hen kicks her out. She'll puff up and cluck, but that seems to be about it. Let's hope she stays that way! Maybe part of reaching critical hen is they self-regulate well.
I also have been experimenting with the collar on Diego. His crowing has gotten louder and more frequent lately, to the point where I've been pretty annoyed by it (especially when trying to nap off my mystery bug). He doesn't seem especially bothered by it and it's helping, but it's also a work in progress. I hate doing it, but my success in rooster rehoming has made me more convinced than ever that I don't really need a man around, so may as well try to make him play along!

Happy Easter/Passover/spring/fall!

 

[16 paws]

Hi guys

Liz, I hope you feel better soon. Those mystery bugs are really annoying. Sleep really is the best thing for you so I hope the roo quiets down a little bit more.

Teila, too much rain always brings me down a bit. I cant help but love the sunshine! I love how you still keep your sense of humor thou, that is great! Things will dry up soon and you will be spending more time with your bantys and the garden. Being outdoors always makes me feel better and I bet it does you as well. Do you like to go to the movies? That is what we do around here when it rains....

Hope everyone has a blessed Easter Day!

Marie

 

[Teila]

Howdy Bridge Club

While we are still getting rain, not as much as before and we even had a couple of days of sunshine which gave us the opportunity to dry out a bit. I have the adding and removing of the run rain coats down pat now and it only takes 5mins and a bag of pegs!



It is raining as I type but Cilla and the Nuggets are still in their run and the big gals in theirs; no need to shelter.

Sounds like Diego is finding his true voice Liz; I hope it works out for him and you and he gets to stay.

Yep 16 paws, I am definitely happier when I am outside.

The Nuggets turned 3 weeks old yesterday and while it is still early, looks like I am going to get to keep two of them.

This one is nicknamed ‘Caramel’ until I know for sure that she is staying and then she will be christened with the name I already have picked. She has five toes, so probably Silkie in there somewhere … I vote pullet on this one:








The Frizzle also has a name to be given when we know for sure, but current vote on this one is pullet. Even with her Frizzle feathers she is the smallest of the bunch and also has five toes and a tiny yellow comb:




This little fella has screamed rooster from the day he hatched and while not a good picture of him, you can’t miss that red comb. He only has four toes and is the biggest of the bunch:




I am a little disappointed that it does not look like I will get to keep one of these two cuties, but at 3 weeks, the combs are a bit scary! They both have five toes and as there was apparently a bantam Light Sussex in the pen, I’m thinking that crossed with Silkie:

 

[16 paws]

Hi everyone....

Sad day here,
One of my hens that hatched here about 6 or 7 months ago died today. I went out to the coop this morning to feed everyone and I noticed she was breathing with her mouth open and she did not look right. I put her in a separate coop with food and water. When I came home from work my son checked on her and said she looked real bad. He let her out of the coop and she made her way back to the big coop and died right in front of the door. This broke my heart in two, she used her last few breaths to get back to her flock. I am sorry to share this awful story with you but just need to tell someone while I cry....

I find it very interesting that in the past three months we have lost 2 other chickens to a sudden death like this. And actually the first death happened right after my lovely neighbor threatened me. Does anyone remember what she said to me? "If you don't get rid of the rooster you are going to be very sorry. The first one to die was the roo she wanted me to get rid of. I was suspicious at first but thought, no, how could someone manage to do that? Now I am wondering if I was right to think her or her husband may of poisoned him.

I sent the body away today to UC Davis and they will do the necropsy.

 

[Teila]

OMG! Hon, I am so so sorry and your telling of the tale made me cry also

Sudden death like that always makes me think of eating something they shouldn’t have; if you remember, I lost Suzi to sudden death, fine at bed time and gone within 2 hours of sun up the next morning.

Another suspicion is bitten by something tiny and poisonous?

As you know, chickens are very good at hiding illness as they do not want to show weakness and she may have been poorly beforehand but due to sudden onset and severity of symptoms and the fact that you probably would have noticed any change in her behaviour beforehand, I am swaying towards something more sudden and not something she has been hiding.

Heavy breathing and then the exertion of getting back to the flock could indicate a heart issue?

I am glad you are getting a necropsy done as this will definitely let you know if the neighbours are to blame; maybe they have dropped something over the fence that your little gal and two others have found.

If it is poisoning, I would be calling in whatever animal protection authorities you have and throwing all possible avenues of prosecution in the direction of the neighbours. Just thinking someone could do that is making my blood boil!

While losing one of our loved featheries is always heartbreaking, to think it could be at the hands of someone else is infuriating! I would be tempted to fly over there and punch them myself!

Anyways, sending big hugs your way; thinking of you

 

[16 paws]

Thanks Teila for your thoughts, it means so much to me. I had to share this with people who really care about chickens. They are part of my family and I take it hard.

I cant wait to get the report back and find out what is going on. I should of done it with the first two but I thought it was just like you said, maybe they got bit or had a heart problem since it was sudden. With Custeau he looked puffed up in the morning and by the afternoon I found him dead in the coop. With Ethel, my RIR, I just went to the coop one afternoon and she was dead on the coop floor. I did not notice any signs of illness what so ever and everyone else is so healthy. Her body looked so healthy and no signs of illness.

I do know that we have plenty of bugs, spiders and snakes around here. I havent seen a rattler yet but I know I will soon.

Your littles are so adorable. It looks like you have a little frizzle girl there. Cant wait to find out your names for them. Hope the rain calms down a bit for you today, or tomorrow for you.

PS
How much does it cost to fly here? Maybe I can send for you even if she didnt do it. Just the thought of you punching them may be worth it to me! LOL
Thanks again,
Marie

 

[tommysgirl]

@Teila I

those babies. The last two look blue/splash to me and definitely gorgeous and I hope one is a chica for you. So happy that your frizzle looks to be a pullet! You maybe could start a run weather proofing business when you retire

@16 paws How awful for you! Good call sending her to UCD and like Teila I can imagine the wretchedness of people who would poison an animal. I would like to

them. Do you have the threat recorded anywhere? Maybe it is time to write down on the calendar any negative interactions with those fools just to give yourself a bit more credibility if it comes to legal matters.

So here is my drama: Julie Taylor and Gracie have been setting for weeks waiting for those Houdan babies. I thought the Houdan would be here this week but it turns out it could be up up to 6 weeks before they get here and definitely they won't ship before 4/20. So I have to give JT and GB chicks. I would love to find someone local who has a breed I want but that isn't working out for me either so this week I will go to a feed store and pick up chicks for them. These won't be anything I want to keep and I hate supporting the hatcheries but I don't know what else to do...I guess the bottom line is I want my girls to be happy and healthy and this seems like the best option

Meanwhile I have Norma on 11 eggs on day 9 which I plan to candle tonight.

And Beakface who is also broody...she has been on the nest for about 72 hours now. So my dilemma is this, I don't want to repeat the mistake made with JT and GB and have BF wait for chicks only to find they are NOT arriving on the date I think they are and then have it be too late to give her eggs so I have to pick up more of what I don't want from a source I don't want to support. I may just get her Cream Legbar eggs and if the Houdan chicks arrive, worry about what to do then...looking for advice I feel like since I can't plan on my Houdan chicks arriving at a certain date, that I should just not plan on them at all and focus instead on making my wanna b mamas happy and cross the Houdan bridge when I get to it.

Advice Please!

Update...found Crested Cream Legbar chicks in Santa Rosa so can drive there this weekend and pick up a couple of pullets. I will still pick up some feed store chicks...CL girls are 25.00 a pop and I want GB and JT each to have 3 or 4 chicks. Now what do I give BF or do I have her wait for the Houdan???