I have been posting about Derperella in my personal journal since the day she hatched, and have received a lot of comments on her, so I thought I would share here!
Even though I present these in a story format, and embellish with the "thoughts" of the chicken (which we cannot truly know of course!), these are all true stories! They actually happened.
Derperella, the Weird Salmon Faverolles
(All content copyright
2011 - 2012 Jennifer Miller)
The tiny Salmon Faverolles chick doesn't remember much of those first days. Truly, it's hard to say if she remembers much of any days, but lets not discredit her too much yet. Let's get to know her first.
Those first days were confusing. It was May 9th, 2011 though the chick didn't have a concept of May or June or numbers or any of that. There was the whole hatching business, which was possibly the hardest thing she'd ever had to do up to that point (before that it was mostly a lot of lazy cells dividing and embryo nonsense that didn't require much effort). Then the dark box for forever....
When the chicks arrived, they were all bright, cheery and ready to eat and drink. Except one. One little Faverolles chick was squished under the other 7, and was colder than the rest. Her eye was crusted over and glued shut. The little chick was not doing well and her age and size were so tender and new that there wasn't much hope.
Still, the Big Hands scooped her up and warmed her, and gently opened her gooey eye. Food and drink were offered (while the other chicks ate until their crops were so big that they kept tumbling over) but the little chick did not want them. Hours later, after trying time and again, the person attached to the Big Hands offered sugar water in an eyedropper. The Faverolles chick drank one drop before tucking her head back and sleeping deeply. Nature is unbiased, and this little chick was not meant to make it, it seemed. It was with a heavy heart but a brain full of stubbornness that the person kept after the chick day and night for the first two days, trying everything but only able to get the chick to drink a little sugar water now and then.
The little chick's eye would crust over, regularly, every few hours. The Big Hands person cleaned it off again every few hours.
On day three, the chick decided that she'd become bored with sugar water, and much to the Big Hand person's relief, began to beg and look for food in earnest. Her eye was starting to stay open and she seemed a little more perky, if not wobbly and disjointed. Her person started offering gooey food on the tip of the eyedropper, and the chick found this to be pleasing for the first time. However, while all the other chicks were eating on their own (with great gusto!), the little Faverolles would only try to eat from the eyedropper. Her person thought she'd be clever (when will people learn?!) and move the eyedropper ever closer to the food source, but that didn't work. The Faverolles chick would have none of that food. The only food she wanted was if it was stuck to an eyedropper.
Eventually though, like most chicks, impatience got the better of the Faverolles chick. She couldn't be bothered to wait for her person and the eyedropper so many times a day! And so, even though it would please her person, the Faverolles started eating and drinking on her own after seven days.
And lo, did she immediately get a crop impaction.
The food wouldn't go down; she was hungry but couldn't eat any more. Life wasn't fair-- and so when life is not fair it is time to peep as loudly as possible. Then a little more loudly than that. This is a very special type of peep, the kind that makes your eardrums shimmer. After eight hours of waiting, the chick's person was in despair. The chick was in denial (and was hungry). There was a lot of peeping. And so, the chick got some olive oil and a lot of strange massages. The Faverolles chick was not entirely sure how she felt about this-- really, after all, the point was that she was hungry and so all this rubbing seemed very silly. But... hmm. Hands are warm, and.. and it sort of does feel good. Maybe a nap would be in order.
When she woke, she felt much better; her crop was empty and her gizzard was full. Very satisfying. Obviously, this called for another nap.
When she woke, the Faverolles chick felt wonderful, and hungry. And so she ate, and ate, and felt wonderful.
And her crop impacted again.
Hey, said Nature. Really. This chick isn't meant to make it.
Hey, said the chick's person. Much respect, but I gotta try.
And so the first three weeks of the chick's life were a struggle, nearly every day revealing a different problem. After the crop stopped impacting, the little Faverolles started spinning circles and developed Wry Neck. After a lot more intensive care and some careful supplements, that cleared up only to have several other non-contagious ailments pop up. The chick's person stubbornly worked through them, and as time wore on it was clear that either the chick's genetics, bad development in the egg, poor nutrition the first days of life, or a combo thereof had addled the brain of the poor little chick. She was.. well, frankly, she was... derpy . Once it became clear that she actually might survive, her humans named her Derperella.
Thus begins Derperella's story.
More to come shortly!
Partridge Rock Chick "Whoa. What's wrong with your cheeks?"
Derperella: "Derrrr!"
EDIT:
This thread has grown far beyond what I ever would have expected! Thank you all!
For your reading and reference, pipdzipdnreadytogo has assembled a list of the "Derpiest" posts! Thanks, pipzip!
Table of Contents list updated through 7/17/2012:
Page 1, Post 1 - Derperella's First Days
Page 1, Post 4 - Derp Growing Up / Derp and the Q-Tip
Page 1, Post 7 - Derp the 'Defective' Pullet
Page 2, Post 12 - Hurrrr??
Page 4, Post 32 - Derp's Interactions with Friends (Honk-honka-cluck!)
Page 6, Post 52 - Derperella Growing into a Real Chicken
Page 8, Post 77 - Derp Learns to Dustbathe / Derp in Another Universe
Page 11, Post 102 - Derperella and Friends Begin Supervised Free-Range
Page 14, Post 133 - A Mini-Update About Cranky Pullets
Page 15, Post 142 - The Finished Graphic for Derp Shirts!
Page 16, Post 160 - Derp Shirt Info
Page 17, Post 169 - Derperella's Glamor Photos / Link to buy Derp shirts
Page 18, Post 179 - Other link to buy Derp shirts
Page 20, Post 191 - Derp's Thoughts on Chairs
Page 21, Post 208 - Where Did Derp Come From?
Page 23, Post 225 - Life Is Good
Page 25, Post 249 - Derp on the ATV
Page 27, Post 264 - Derp's Strange Display
Page 32, Post 317 - Coho
Page 34, Post 334 - Derp's Many Exciting Quirks
Page 37, Post 368 - Derp's First Egg!!
Page 38, Post 371 - Derp's First Egg--The Story!
Page 40, Post 394 - Grill Goes Missing! / I FOUND IT!
Page 41, Post 406 - A Painting of Coho
Page 44, Post 431 - A Post About Chickadee
Page 50, Post 497 - A Mini-Update About the First Snow
Page 51, Post 508 - A Lot About Snowy Weather / Derp Broke a Nail
Page 53, Post 526 - A Mini-Update About Derp Perching Outside One Night
Page 56, Post 551 - Coho Playing Angry Birds
Page 60, Post 591 - Some Videos to Tide Over the Fans
Page 62, Post 617 - Time to Re-home Gullincambe...
Page 64, Post 638 - Goin' Round The Rooster
Page 66, Post 652 - Derp and Friends get BOSS
Page 66, Post 653 - Gullincambe Spots a Hawk
Page 67, Post 669 - Derp and Coho on the Outdoor Roost
Page 70, Post 691 - Just Derpin' Along
Page 73, Post 722 - A Mini-Update About Gullincambe and a Planned Chicken Garden
Page 78, Post 773 - A Mini-Update About Derp's Beard
Page 80, Post 791 - A Derpy Easter Post
Page 83, Post 823 - Derperella, Ham Dispenser
Page 92, Post 914 - The Fud Lady has a Grumpy Day
Page 96, Post 957 - BYC Masterpiece Classics Presents: Derperella and Juliet (Courtesy of ChirpyChick)
Page 98, Post 971 - BYC Classical Masterpieces! (Courtesy of Pele)
Page 100, Post 999 - A Mini-Update About Derp Regrowing Feathers and New Easter-Egger Chicks
Page 110, Post 1095 - The Fud Lady's Art Show Gallery
Page 111-121 - That Awful Time when The Fud Lady was Too Busy to be On Much
Page 122, Post 1214 - A Picture of Easter-Egger Chicks--With Derp in the Background!
Page 123, Post 1225 - An Update About Gardens, Panic Pants, Paintings, and Slow-Cooking in the Heat
Page 123, Post 1227 - A Painting of Lorp
Page 124, Post 1231 - Derp and her Invisible Chickies
Even though I present these in a story format, and embellish with the "thoughts" of the chicken (which we cannot truly know of course!), these are all true stories! They actually happened.
Derperella, the Weird Salmon Faverolles
(All content copyright
The tiny Salmon Faverolles chick doesn't remember much of those first days. Truly, it's hard to say if she remembers much of any days, but lets not discredit her too much yet. Let's get to know her first.
Those first days were confusing. It was May 9th, 2011 though the chick didn't have a concept of May or June or numbers or any of that. There was the whole hatching business, which was possibly the hardest thing she'd ever had to do up to that point (before that it was mostly a lot of lazy cells dividing and embryo nonsense that didn't require much effort). Then the dark box for forever....
When the chicks arrived, they were all bright, cheery and ready to eat and drink. Except one. One little Faverolles chick was squished under the other 7, and was colder than the rest. Her eye was crusted over and glued shut. The little chick was not doing well and her age and size were so tender and new that there wasn't much hope.
Still, the Big Hands scooped her up and warmed her, and gently opened her gooey eye. Food and drink were offered (while the other chicks ate until their crops were so big that they kept tumbling over) but the little chick did not want them. Hours later, after trying time and again, the person attached to the Big Hands offered sugar water in an eyedropper. The Faverolles chick drank one drop before tucking her head back and sleeping deeply. Nature is unbiased, and this little chick was not meant to make it, it seemed. It was with a heavy heart but a brain full of stubbornness that the person kept after the chick day and night for the first two days, trying everything but only able to get the chick to drink a little sugar water now and then.
The little chick's eye would crust over, regularly, every few hours. The Big Hands person cleaned it off again every few hours.
On day three, the chick decided that she'd become bored with sugar water, and much to the Big Hand person's relief, began to beg and look for food in earnest. Her eye was starting to stay open and she seemed a little more perky, if not wobbly and disjointed. Her person started offering gooey food on the tip of the eyedropper, and the chick found this to be pleasing for the first time. However, while all the other chicks were eating on their own (with great gusto!), the little Faverolles would only try to eat from the eyedropper. Her person thought she'd be clever (when will people learn?!) and move the eyedropper ever closer to the food source, but that didn't work. The Faverolles chick would have none of that food. The only food she wanted was if it was stuck to an eyedropper.
Eventually though, like most chicks, impatience got the better of the Faverolles chick. She couldn't be bothered to wait for her person and the eyedropper so many times a day! And so, even though it would please her person, the Faverolles started eating and drinking on her own after seven days.
And lo, did she immediately get a crop impaction.
The food wouldn't go down; she was hungry but couldn't eat any more. Life wasn't fair-- and so when life is not fair it is time to peep as loudly as possible. Then a little more loudly than that. This is a very special type of peep, the kind that makes your eardrums shimmer. After eight hours of waiting, the chick's person was in despair. The chick was in denial (and was hungry). There was a lot of peeping. And so, the chick got some olive oil and a lot of strange massages. The Faverolles chick was not entirely sure how she felt about this-- really, after all, the point was that she was hungry and so all this rubbing seemed very silly. But... hmm. Hands are warm, and.. and it sort of does feel good. Maybe a nap would be in order.
When she woke, she felt much better; her crop was empty and her gizzard was full. Very satisfying. Obviously, this called for another nap.
When she woke, the Faverolles chick felt wonderful, and hungry. And so she ate, and ate, and felt wonderful.
And her crop impacted again.
Hey, said Nature. Really. This chick isn't meant to make it.
Hey, said the chick's person. Much respect, but I gotta try.
And so the first three weeks of the chick's life were a struggle, nearly every day revealing a different problem. After the crop stopped impacting, the little Faverolles started spinning circles and developed Wry Neck. After a lot more intensive care and some careful supplements, that cleared up only to have several other non-contagious ailments pop up. The chick's person stubbornly worked through them, and as time wore on it was clear that either the chick's genetics, bad development in the egg, poor nutrition the first days of life, or a combo thereof had addled the brain of the poor little chick. She was.. well, frankly, she was... derpy . Once it became clear that she actually might survive, her humans named her Derperella.
Thus begins Derperella's story.
More to come shortly!
Partridge Rock Chick "Whoa. What's wrong with your cheeks?"
Derperella: "Derrrr!"
EDIT:
This thread has grown far beyond what I ever would have expected! Thank you all!
For your reading and reference, pipdzipdnreadytogo has assembled a list of the "Derpiest" posts! Thanks, pipzip!
Table of Contents list updated through 7/17/2012:
Page 1, Post 1 - Derperella's First Days
Page 1, Post 4 - Derp Growing Up / Derp and the Q-Tip
Page 1, Post 7 - Derp the 'Defective' Pullet
Page 2, Post 12 - Hurrrr??
Page 4, Post 32 - Derp's Interactions with Friends (Honk-honka-cluck!)
Page 6, Post 52 - Derperella Growing into a Real Chicken
Page 8, Post 77 - Derp Learns to Dustbathe / Derp in Another Universe
Page 11, Post 102 - Derperella and Friends Begin Supervised Free-Range
Page 14, Post 133 - A Mini-Update About Cranky Pullets
Page 15, Post 142 - The Finished Graphic for Derp Shirts!
Page 16, Post 160 - Derp Shirt Info
Page 17, Post 169 - Derperella's Glamor Photos / Link to buy Derp shirts
Page 18, Post 179 - Other link to buy Derp shirts
Page 20, Post 191 - Derp's Thoughts on Chairs
Page 21, Post 208 - Where Did Derp Come From?
Page 23, Post 225 - Life Is Good
Page 25, Post 249 - Derp on the ATV
Page 27, Post 264 - Derp's Strange Display
Page 32, Post 317 - Coho
Page 34, Post 334 - Derp's Many Exciting Quirks
Page 37, Post 368 - Derp's First Egg!!
Page 38, Post 371 - Derp's First Egg--The Story!
Page 40, Post 394 - Grill Goes Missing! / I FOUND IT!
Page 41, Post 406 - A Painting of Coho
Page 44, Post 431 - A Post About Chickadee
Page 50, Post 497 - A Mini-Update About the First Snow
Page 51, Post 508 - A Lot About Snowy Weather / Derp Broke a Nail
Page 53, Post 526 - A Mini-Update About Derp Perching Outside One Night
Page 56, Post 551 - Coho Playing Angry Birds
Page 60, Post 591 - Some Videos to Tide Over the Fans
Page 62, Post 617 - Time to Re-home Gullincambe...
Page 64, Post 638 - Goin' Round The Rooster
Page 66, Post 652 - Derp and Friends get BOSS
Page 66, Post 653 - Gullincambe Spots a Hawk
Page 67, Post 669 - Derp and Coho on the Outdoor Roost
Page 70, Post 691 - Just Derpin' Along
Page 73, Post 722 - A Mini-Update About Gullincambe and a Planned Chicken Garden
Page 78, Post 773 - A Mini-Update About Derp's Beard
Page 80, Post 791 - A Derpy Easter Post
Page 83, Post 823 - Derperella, Ham Dispenser
Page 92, Post 914 - The Fud Lady has a Grumpy Day
Page 96, Post 957 - BYC Masterpiece Classics Presents: Derperella and Juliet (Courtesy of ChirpyChick)
Page 98, Post 971 - BYC Classical Masterpieces! (Courtesy of Pele)
Page 100, Post 999 - A Mini-Update About Derp Regrowing Feathers and New Easter-Egger Chicks
Page 110, Post 1095 - The Fud Lady's Art Show Gallery
Page 111-121 - That Awful Time when The Fud Lady was Too Busy to be On Much
Page 122, Post 1214 - A Picture of Easter-Egger Chicks--With Derp in the Background!
Page 123, Post 1225 - An Update About Gardens, Panic Pants, Paintings, and Slow-Cooking in the Heat
Page 123, Post 1227 - A Painting of Lorp
Page 124, Post 1231 - Derp and her Invisible Chickies
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