4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

SHORT STORY CONTEST ENTRY (1,068 word count)

The Love-child Egg; a chicken romance

While you’re all waiting to see who makes it out, I’m gonna tell you about how Egg W came to be, because I’m the proud Papa of that there hatchin egg, at it saved my life!





I hatched a couple years ago in a giant box filled with hundreds of other chicks, then before I even knew what was what I was in a small dark place tumbling along with a couple dozen other boys and girls. Then there was this bright light and my first Thumb, pulled me out and clued me in to food and water, which was quite a relief. Well that first Thumb, he was an Urban Guy so he couldn’t even tell us cockerels from the little ladies and on account of that those Urban turf wars got pretty rough. See my eye, that's the good one, the other eye it only opens half way since the big fight with LeeRoy, and that is when first Thumb started calling me Popeye. I’ve been told chicks dig scars but after LeeRoy busted my chop none of them little ladies ever asked me the time of day. LeeRoy they’d ask, and oh he’d Crow about it practically 24/7, and that is when the trouble started for my Thumb the Urban Guy. Long story short we was all in violation, so again with the box and next thing we know we are all in some way wild place not at all like the city.


At the new place there were some new laws, and a 3 strikes rule, the new Thumb she made it real clear. But that LeeRoy he just couldn’t help himself, next thing we know he’s all over that tiny little Thumb and she’s pulling some mixed martial arts moves just to get away. That's how my bud Cogburn came to be top Roo in the coop, and that was good for a while until it went to his head and I ended up having to roost ruff. I’m not whining, I’m bragging – see none of them silly hens paid me any never mind anyway and half of them feed themselves to the predators in broad daylight. If they’d had the smarts they’d of stuck with me, Popeye, I’d have watched out for ‘em with my one good eye. Ah well life wasn’t so bad, the small Thumb gave me feed every day and I just minded my own business free-ranging all around the barnyard; I was cool.




When summer came a new coop went up and next I know it’s all filled with Spring Chickens and the Bourbon Gals. Them Bourbon Gals was the biggest ugliest birds I’d ever seen but they told me to watch out for Bob, the new cockerel on the block cause he was way protective over his 4 stepsisters. So me, I just minded my own business a little further over in the pasture. It was a pretty good summer but then Cogburn disappeared and rumors started flying about big changes in the barnyard. I need to know more about this freezer camp and them Spring Chickens had grown up down by the Thumb’s coop so I figured I’d cozy up to one of them gals and see what she could tell me.





Well that is how I met Her, Olive Oil, wow was she the perky pullet! She kept asking me for the time, you know, real flirty like an all. We’d sneak out behind the barn for a little grub scratchin but next thing I know Bob would show up and feather would fly. That would get our little Thumb real upset, and I warned Olive Oil, cause she was young and me I’d been around the block and knew about these things. So me, I says Olive Oil, you’re a real pretty pullet, and I’d be mighty happy to keep you company but your step-brother Bob he don’t approve a none of me, and if he keeps upsetting our Thumb the ax is gonna fall if you know what I mean little lady. And that is when it happened, she looked at me with her beautiful eyes and said, “but Popeye your such a swell guy, I’m in love with you and we are gonna have to elope!”. So we made plans and that night she didn’t show for the coop closing and we hid out all night in the barn with Donkey HoeDee and Geni the Jenny, and they didn’t say a word to nobody, which is real cool for equines.





Well the next evening Olive Oil got rounded up by the Thumb at dusk, but she and I managed to slip out a few nights over the fall. Meanwhile I had my ear to the ground and found out from the goats that all us mutt Roos our days were numbered. Bob, and some gals got shipped out in the late fall and the Thumb invited me into the coop with Olive Oil and the Bourbon sisters. Olive Oil was beside herself with joy so I had to break it to her gently that any day now was likely the last meal for this here old bird. And that is when she surprised me again, she is such a smart gal my Olive Oil. She looked me dead in my good eye and she says Popeye, it’s gonna be ok, ‘cause I got a plan to show that Thumb what a great Roo you are. I heard from FarmDog that she is setting some eggs and has come up short so you and me we’re gonna make her an egg and save your life. So we got busy and first thing on the morning of Dec 11, 2012 that Olive Oil love of my life she gave our Thumb an egg. That thumb she was a dancing and singing holding that egg telling Olive Oil how happy she was to have an egg that day. Sure enough not long after she packed Olive Oil and I up in a box and sent us on a honeymoon. We never have heard if our little Love-child has hatched, but we’ve moved into our new place in Alabama where I’m king of the Roost and our new Thumb says me and Olive Oil we get to make lots more chicks to fill up the coop, so isn’t that grand!


 
Five coturnix, one duckling. Looks like I won't be participating in the first chick after midnight, as we'll be going out tonight. Kids left at three and it's so lonely here that even the cat is down here begging for affection.
I almost forgot about new years eve, lol. Too busy with the eggs and snow today. :) Have fun and be safe, with the crappy weather here we'll be staying in.
Here's my first chick from a home grown egg. Roo is part silkie, it looks like this little one has black skin.

Cute little one! My favorite chicken is a little silkie mix mutt hen. Sweet girl, great broody, and a pretty good layer. She's a sweetheart and even tolerates my toddlers.
Phewy! I finally caught up with you crazy people! I think I had to read 80 or 90 pages....
lau.gif


Well looks like I have either a Serama or a Self Blue Cochin egg pipped. I'm sure I have other pips I just don't know it. The way my hatching system is set up it's very hard to check on the eggs.

Anywho, I have three trays in the Sportsmans...one has all the brown chicken eggs, Bantams and Button Quail, one has all the Duck eggs, and the last has all the EE/OE eggs. I'm hoping for an excellent hatch rate! I think I already have several of the babies sold and we may end up going to town later on this week so might be able to sell a few then. fingers crossed!


Now I'll catch you all up on what's been going on while I was MIA: I had my only three Violet Guinea keets die
hit.gif
, a Coronation Sussex go broody on chicken and duck eggs, freezer cold weather, some much needed rain, and now a PIP!
wee.gif


~ Aspen
Sorry about the keets. Congrats on the pip!
4 hatched so far, the ones that were fluffy got pulled to the brooder already :)


The new chicks in with my LONELY Christmas solo chick

These two are my sole NYDH Swap survivors. Must be tough little birdies! Their air sacs were horrendous.

One has a spikey comb, the other's is flat but they appear to be the same/similar breeds?
What kind are they? Cute, and such neat coloring.
 
SHORT STORY CONTEST ENTRY (1,068 word count) The Love-child Egg; a chicken romance While you’re all waiting to see who makes it out, I’m gonna tell you about how Egg W came to be, because I’m the proud Papa of that there hatchin egg, at it saved my life! I hatched a couple years ago in a giant box filled with hundreds of other chicks, then before I even knew what was what I was in a small dark place tumbling along with a couple dozen other boys and girls. Then there was this bright light and my first Thumb, pulled me out and clued me in to food and water, which was quite a relief. Well that first Thumb, he was an Urban Guy so he couldn’t even tell us cockerels from the little ladies and on account of that those Urban turf wars got pretty rough. See my eye, that's the good one, the other eye it only opens half way since the big fight with LeeRoy, and that is when first Thumb started calling me Popeye. I’ve been told chicks dig scars but after LeeRoy busted my chop none of them little ladies ever asked me the time of day. LeeRoy they’d ask, and oh he’d Crow about it practically 24/7, and that is when the trouble started for my Thumb the Urban Guy. Long story short we was all in violation, so again with the box and next thing we know we are all in some way wild place not at all like the city. At the new place there were some new laws, and a 3 strikes rule, the new Thumb she made it real clear. But that LeeRoy he just couldn’t help himself, next thing we know he’s all over that tiny little Thumb and she’s pulling some mixed martial arts moves just to get away. That's how my bud Cogburn came to be top Roo in the coop, and that was good for a while until it went to his head and I ended up having to roost ruff. I’m not whining, I’m bragging – see none of them silly hens paid me any never mind anyway and half of them feed themselves to the predators in broad daylight. If they’d had the smarts they’d of stuck with me, Popeye, I’d have watched out for ‘em with my one good eye. Ah well life wasn’t so bad, the small Thumb gave me feed every day and I just minded my own business free-ranging all around the barnyard; I was cool. When summer came a new coop went up and next I know it’s all filled with Spring Chickens and the Bourbon Gals. Them Bourbon Gals was the biggest ugliest birds I’d ever seen but they told me to watch out for Bob, the new cockerel on the block cause he was way protective over his 4 stepsisters. So me, I just minded my own business a little further over in the pasture. It was a pretty good summer but then Cogburn disappeared and rumors started flying about big changes in the barnyard. I need to know more about this freezer camp and them Spring Chickens had grown up down by the Thumb’s coop so I figured I’d cozy up to one of them gals and see what she could tell me. Well that is how I met Her, Olive Oil, wow was she the perky pullet! She kept asking me for the time, you know, real flirty like an all. We’d sneak out behind the barn for a little grub scratchin but next thing I know Bob would show up and feather would fly. That would get our little Thumb real upset, and I warned Olive Oil, cause she was young and me I’d been around the block and knew about these things. So me, I says Olive Oil, you’re a real pretty pullet, and I’d be mighty happy to keep you company but your step-brother Bob he don’t approve a none of me, and if he keeps upsetting our Thumb the ax is gonna fall if you know what I mean little lady. And that is when it happened, she looked at me with her beautiful eyes and said, “but Popeye your such a swell guy, I’m in love with you and we are gonna have to elope!”. So we made plans and that night she didn’t show for the coop closing and we hid out all night in the barn with Donkey HoeDee and Geni the Jenny, and they didn’t say a word to nobody, which is real cool for equines. Well the next evening Olive Oil got rounded up by the Thumb at dusk, but she and I managed to slip out a few nights over the fall. Meanwhile I had my ear to the ground and found out from the goats that all us mutt Roos our days were numbered. Bob, and some gals got shipped out in the late fall and the Thumb invited me into the coop with Olive Oil and the Bourbon sisters. Olive Oil was beside herself with joy so I had to break it to her gently that any day now was likely the last meal for this here old bird. And that is when she surprised me again, she is such a smart gal my Olive Oil. She looked me dead in my good eye and she says Popeye, it’s gonna be ok, ‘cause I got a plan to show that Thumb what a great Roo you are. I heard from FarmDog that she is setting some eggs and has come up short so you and me we’re gonna make her an egg and save your life. So we got busy and first thing on the morning of Dec 11, 2012 that Olive Oil love of my life she gave our Thumb an egg. That thumb she was a dancing and singing holding that egg telling Olive Oil how happy she was to have an egg that day. Sure enough not long after she packed Olive Oil and I up in a box and sent us on a honeymoon. We never have heard if our little Love-child has hatched, but we’ve moved into our new place in Alabama where I’m king of the Roost and our new Thumb says me and Olive Oil we get to make lots more chicks to fill up the coop, so isn’t that grand! I like it nicely done
 
thats sad :'( i have two male violet guineas, guineas are so weird had a light lavender disappear without a trace once was my favorite one :'(
I have 10 Slate Guineas, 6 are grown or almost grown, and the other four are just a couple months old.
thumbsup.gif

Crazypetlady, You+ do realize all the Serama chick pictures I have posted are from your eggs!
How do you like Toy Boy?
What a cute boy!
4 hatched so far, the ones that were fluffy got pulled to the brooder already :)


The new chicks in with my LONELY Christmas solo chick

These two are my sole NYDH Swap survivors. Must be tough little birdies! Their air sacs were horrendous.

One has a spikey comb, the other's is flat but they appear to be the same/similar breeds?
Cute Chickies!
I almost forgot about new years eve, lol. Too busy with the eggs and snow today. :) Have fun and be safe, with the crappy weather here we'll be staying in.
Cute little one! My favorite chicken is a little silkie mix mutt hen. Sweet girl, great broody, and a pretty good layer. She's a sweetheart and even tolerates my toddlers.
Sorry about the keets. Congrats on the pip!
What kind are they? Cute, and such neat coloring.
Thanks

~ Aspen
 

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