Update From The Chookery!

[SouthernStorm]

Can I just take a second to say WOW at how much has changed in our little backyard flock since I joined the BYC last spring?

Upon reading my original introduction I was absolutely floored at how many things, and by things I mean chickens, have changed in just 2 short years since we started our little backyard adventure. We have navigated the waters of chicken math, predator attacks, a broody hen, hatching chicks, losing some of our favorite girls, another roo, a run expansion, illness, running a blog on chicken keeping, and now a 3rd year of peeps. As I said... A LOT!!! We now have 13 laying hens and 7 peeps in the brooder bringing our count to an even 20. For a neighborhood flock that's about 17 too many, but hey, who's counting anyway?

Our second year peeps proved to be an interesting lot. We thought we had 2 Copper Marans, only to discover that one was a Cuckoo Marans, which at least makes them easy to tell apart. There was the addition of an Olive Egger roo by accident (thought he was a she), but had to remove him at 6 months due to noise control and the inability to find him a home. We then started suffering losses to hawk attack, including our favorite Speckled Sussex Adele, and our month old Silver Olive Egger baby Thistle. Our lamed hen Cherry is still with us, but has never recovered the full use of her leg that was mysteriously dislocated over a year ago. We also lost Cherry's sister Syrah, but have no idea why as she was super healthy prior to her death. Our first year Lemon Orp went broody for over a month, so we gave her a few eggs, and she hatched 2 beautiful little Olive Eggers, but as I said earlier we lost the silver roo to a hawk. Her other pip Clover is alive and well, but is a lonely only child having no real place in the flock. We had to expand our run this spring with the addition of the new peeps, so now our girls have a lovely amount of space to play and stay cool. I started my own chicken blog on Facebook called My Blueberry Life, and surprisingly am nearing a following of 800 people. Makes me feel like a mini celebrity in my own backyard! We are also dealing with our first real illness that I am assuming came in on one of the new chicks. It has already claimed one of our baby roos, and now we have our first sick hen. I am hoping that the meds I am giving them will fix it or else we may face the dreadful end of an awfully big part of our hearts.

So now our little flock consists of.....

1st years
Godiva - Speckled Sussex
Blueberry - Blue Ameraucana
Chiffon - Lemon Orpington
Cherry - Production Red
Ping - Jersey Giant
Nonnie & Tottie - Wheaton Marans

2nd Years
Alice - White Ameraucana
Bella - Buff Brahma
Cappy - Copper Marans
Daisy - Cuckoo Marans
Fancy - Salmon Faverolle
Clover - Olive Egger

3rd Years
Cypress Grey - Cuckoo Marans Roo
Aspen - Light Brahma
Juniper - Easter Egger
Maple - Red Star
- Silver Laced Wyandotte
- Blue Laced Red Wyandotte
- Blue Wheaton Ameraucana

And those are the girls of The Southern Sun Chookery! Hens Hens Hens...and one little roo. Hope everyone else enjoys their pips as much as we do. <3 <3 <3

 

[N F C]

It was interesting reading your post...it made me stop and think of our own journey into chickens for the past 18+ months.

You have some lovely birds and it sounds as though you are really enjoying them.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Pretty chickens. I'm sorry about the loss, were you referring to a sexed male chick who died or a member of your existing flock? I hope you have some idea of what the illness is so the treatment helps.

 

[SouthernStorm]

Thanks! The pip that died was a new baby roo (another accidental poultry swap grab) and we actually had to put him down because he wasn't recovering from whatever illness a different pip brought in. He was an absolute love and I am so sad that he is gone. We are fairly sure it is Mycoplasma because of the incubation period. Our first sick chick came in 3-4 weeks ago, and just since I posted this a few days ago we have since developed 6 sick hens, and had to put down 2 due to the severity of their symptoms. The Tylovet is not helping at all, and I fear we may loose even more of our precious girls or new peeps before this ugly disaster plays itself out.