2018 Newbie Chat!

[llombardo]

@ChooksNQuilts heres that paint color I promised. Sorry it’s a few weeks late, my brain has been on the Frits lately! View attachment 1604919 Congrats on your beauty, keep up the positive attitude with baby’s sex. My fingers are crossed for you!

Is that the blue for the coop?

 

[Anna Ranieri]

Our little baby is doing very well.
I was a little anxious because I hadn’t seen her drink yet.
But this morning I witnessed her drinking lots and even a poop!
I’ve lost my mind officially- I’m excited about chicks pooping

I am referring to the chick as a “her” because I really think it’s a pullet.
She just seems very feminine to me.

Pippin is proving to be a fantastic Mama!
I was so tickled to see her show the baby food and break up the crumbles into smaller pieces and drop them for the baby.
The baby likes to peck little pieces off of Pippin’s mouth lol.

I also discovered that when the baby needs to get warmed up her chirping changes and she has a specific chirp for that.
Pippin responds by calling the baby to let her know where she is and she crouches so baby can get under her.
It’s all so lovely to watch!

I don’t plan to name the little one until I’m sure of the sex.
Until then she will simply be, Baby.

Baby is now 2 days old and will go out from under Mama to eat and drink by herself.
She hasn’t really shown fear of me at all.
I do know that it takes 2-3 days for newly hatched chicks to develop a sense of fear.
She looks at me curiously but is much more interested in Mama.
A couple of times I’ve had to pick her up and she hardly reacted until this morning when she screamed her head off lol.
Pippin seems to understand I mean Baby no harm and watches me but doesn’t peck or bite me.
I am very respectful of their relationship but I do want Baby to know I’m safe and nothing to fear.

Some pictures:
View attachment 1604509
View attachment 1604510
View attachment 1604511
View attachment 1604514
View attachment 1604516

Awwwwwww both are gorgeous

 

[Anna Ranieri]

My hatched chicks have grown up so fast. They turned 11 weeks old yesterday. Manchineel (Manny) is definitely a cockerel. His hackle and saddle feathers are coming in so dark. He’s going to be a beautiful rooster.View attachment 1603437 Pig is starting to change feather colors. It started as blonde highlights by his comb and now has splotchy red and blonde feathers coming in. He’s huge. Nearly the size of some of my adult chickens. He’s a cross between a Welsummer and a black Ameraucana. View attachment 1603438 View attachment 1603434

So handsome - areal pair of beauties - love that green

 

[Anna Ranieri]

I want to post a video of Pippin and her baby.

Absolutely wonderful video, so glad you posted it - I agree with you about Baby she really does look so feminine and does so in her movements too. She such a cutie and Pippin is proving herself a wonderful mum.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

So I was able to look at the damage to the run today. Of course it's 40 degrees but pouring rain.

I took these branch cutters I have and cut all the smaller stuff. Then I was able to flip it off the run. It seems to be the one section on the top only and a hole in the net. I will defintely need help redoing it but I don't think it's super bad.

The thing is that the part that needs fixing is the same exact section I was going to remove when I atrach the coop I hope to build. I'm not sure I want to go through the hassle of fixing it(there are no short cuts) just to take it apart again. Time is not my friend, I never have enough of it. I got to think about this.

To be honest the chickens and ducks have not been a problem. I got the good bedding out and I am placing stuff in the tub and and out of the tub for them to have access. I need more cardboard to put on the floor for the chickens to contain the mess in the pen area. Next weekend I'm just going to put together a large pen made of pvc with extra chicken wire I have around it. My friend is making a couple stand alone roosts to put in there.all I need is sonetjing to go around the bottom so that can't kick stuff out. Boy are they kickers. The plastic helps but they are still having a field day. We will see how the weather goes. It always seem to be horrible when I have a day off, so I end up not doing anything. Tight now I have a plan b and c.

AND

They are all still laying an egg a day.

I use tarpaulin, I sit the cage on top of an over sized cut of tarp then bring the sides up, peg the corners and peg tarp to the cage, works a treat.

 

[Anna Ranieri]

I put a step stool on the outside and I filled a empty kitty litter jug with water and laid it flat in the tub--one of the runners(Dolly) is standing on it.

View attachment 1604684 View attachment 1604685

Such darlings, they are beautiful

 

[Anna Ranieri]

I want to post a video of Pippin and her baby.

Unintentionally ended up on your YouTube through this video, so very glad I did, really enjoyed watching your vids of your flock, especially the boys crowing - wonderful birds you have and it was so lovely to be able to watch and hear them.

 

[llombardo]

I use tarpaulin, I sit the cage on top of an over sized cut of tarp then bring the sides up, peg the corners and peg tarp to the cage, works a treat.

I was orginally going to do this but I worry about them pecking at it. They sure do destroy plastic of any kind. I'll try this. I'm trying to use materials I already have on hand. I got almost everything I need. I have extra wire(2 kinds). I need to figure out what to put on the floor. I may have to buy a piece of plywood. All I know is I want to do it all at once.

The ducks seem to be pretty set up.

They have access to the tub, so I wonder if I can leave the water in the tub while I'm at work? I have saw them all get in and out. Ricky struggles but he struggled with the ramp to the pool to. They are staying in the tub for the most part, they come out to eat and go back in. So far the bedding is staying dry.

 

[PNW_Peepers]

Is that the blue for the coop?

Yes! It’s the blue I’m utterly obsessed with. Once I can afford it I’m going to paint my house this color too!

 

[llombardo]

So I cut up some small branches from the tons of tree branches I have down.

I stopped because there are a couple nice ones I can add to the run. I could make a jungle gym for chickens. I'm contemplating bringing a decent size one into the house for their temp run so they can roost on it.

I got all these ideas in my head and can't decide anything.

I'm not even sure I want to put the two older girls with the younger girls right now because it's not a lot of room to get away. They still bully them every now and then.