Colorado

[AlivianAcres]

Wanted to drop in and say Merry Christmas a bit late. My deployed son in the Navy popped in on the 23rd so We've been non stop GO GO GO ever since! I'm exhasted and furious with my step son. On Christmas Eve, he got tore up drunk (he's 21, all of a week too), and would NOT leave my chickens alone! He kept taking them out of the coop and holding them by the feet. I never hold my girls like that, they are more like pets. The worst part was it was snowing, my girls have their wing feathers trimmed because we live directly in the city they don't need to fly (and I encourage them NOT to hop the fence) so they can't fly. HE THREW ONE UP ON THE ROOF! I was livid! It was snowing, cold and who is gonna go up there and rescue her? Well, he climbed up, and almost slid off, but I came unstitched and really ******. She is fine, but he kicked her off the roof (not hard enough to hurt her but hard enough to send her sliding down the roof) and the other step son (equally as drunk, just not as obnoxious) caught her. Surprise, we have had NO eggs from the traumatized girl. The Colonel. I'm still fuming mad and am thinking of putting a lock on the coop door next time they come over. It's just not right.

Anyway, hope everyone's holiday was without incident and happy!

I am SO sad for you and your ladies! what a horrible experience!!! I think they need some extra treats

and

 

[AlivianAcres]

went out and did some more tracking and found evidence of the other 3 ducks demise maybe I should have chased them around to lock them up last night! It was all of 5 degrees and they did NOT want to go in

...after 15 minutes I gave up.

 

[coloradogal]

went out and did some more tracking and found evidence of the other 3 ducks demise maybe I should have chased them around to lock them up last night! It was all of 5 degrees and they did NOT want to go in

...after 15 minutes I gave up.

Sadly, for many of us, we learn about security through the loss of our flocks. I'm sorry that that happened but try not to beat yourself up too hard over it. I have learned with my ducks that they are the first out in the morning and the last in. Last night, with the snow coming down, they were the only ones outside enjoying the snow. Ducks are weird that way. One of the things I always ask myself now is how can I make the run safer for them. They are big, fat, can't fly and they move slow so they will be the first eaten, the first with feet problems and the first that's targeted as a tastey morsel.

My ducks are so darn gentle that I suspect they'd just lay there even if a predator came.

 

[coloradogal]

New baby chicks. They look all alike even though I hatched both green and marans eggs. Some have feathered feet, the rest are clean. But they are all that black/white. I suspect this means my other roos are not getting lucky. These guys will most likely grow up and have the black/white barred coloring their prior hatch mates have. I'm really regretting giving away my phoenix roo to my brother Jason now. This is the second batch I've hatched for my brother Troy. He was hoping for more pretty babies like the couple he got last hatch. Not that these aren't pretty but in the last batch, he got some gorgeous multicolored chicks, which I'm assuming came from the phoenix roo.

 

[suncatcher]

I can't believe how great the weather has been, and now that it's time to go pick up our puppy the roads are icy. We've been here exactly a year, and there is no way I'm driving on even a little ice. How long does it take to get used to driving on snow/ice? I'm just really lucky my in-laws live right here and are going to take me. It doesn't help that I grew up in the hottest city in Arizona, and hate the cold.

Can you take a few driving in snow classes? I think once you have some confidence you will be less scared to drive when it is snowy, so you just have to do it. Not all snow is icy, dry snow is easy to drive in. Maybe your husband can take you to a big parking lot on a snowy day, so you could learn how to manuver in snow. Main thing is to not panic once you start to slide, and learn to steer into whichever way the car is sliding, you will realize that in most cases you can straighten it out. I think anyone who lives here should have at least one car with either four wheel drive, or front wheel drive, as it does help,but that is just me. And as Judi stated, good tires in winter are a must! That is my two cents worth!!! I know once you drive in snow, you will be asking yourself, why was I so afraid to drive on snow?!

 

[suncatcher]

Brrrr. The girls never left the coop yesterday and its not looking good for today. We got an egg already this morning. That makes six in a row. This one was laid in a different box and earlier in the day so.... maybe someone is starting to lay.

Cool!

 

[coloradogal]

More baby chick shots. The last one that hatched may be a keeper for my flock. It hatched out of a very, very light green with white speckled spots and so far, it looks to have silvery grey fuzz. I'll take a picture once its out of the incubator and into the brooder. So far, I have had 8 of 12 hatch. It's not a great hatch rate for me but it is the middle of winter so suspect that has something to do with it.

 

[Ashdoes]

I can't believe how great the weather has been, and now that it's time to go pick up our puppy the roads are icy. We've been here exactly a year, and there is no way I'm driving on even a little ice. How long does it take to get used to driving on snow/ice? I'm just really lucky my in-laws live right here and are going to take me. It doesn't help that I grew up in the hottest city in Arizona, and hate the cold.

Some people never get used to it, Ashley, and my philosophy as I've gotten older is, if it isn't a life-critical trip and you are afraid to drive, you wait.  I grew up in Upstate NY where you have to drive in ice, snow, sleet, slush in varying stages of rigidity, you name it   If you are driving in less than ideal conditions, you go slowly, and leave ten times as much room for stopping as you think you need.  Yes, other drivers will become impatient, and sometimes create a hazard by passing you, but you can't let them push you into driving faster than you think is safe.

Have good tires and front wheel drive, and if you have 4 wheel drive don't make the mistake of believing it means you have 4 wheel stop.  It's good for getting unstuck, but doesn't help you stop any faster.

My 2 minute lecture on winter driving   We want you here and safe.

I completely agree. Im not sure if I'll ever get used to it, and nothing makes me happier then melted snow. Hubby grew up here, so he's fine in it, and his parents are really great about me not driving in it. They brought the whole Christmas dinner to my house, because I wasn't able to drive to Fountain.
The puppy is great! She's a harlequin Great Dane, and at 8 weeks she weighs 22lbs. It was actually a really pretty drive to Penrose, going up around Fort Carson.

 

[suncatcher]

Wanted to drop in and say Merry Christmas a bit late. My deployed son in the Navy popped in on the 23rd so We've been non stop GO GO GO ever since! I'm exhasted and furious with my step son. On Christmas Eve, he got tore up drunk (he's 21, all of a week too), and would NOT leave my chickens alone! He kept taking them out of the coop and holding them by the feet. I never hold my girls like that, they are more like pets. The worst part was it was snowing, my girls have their wing feathers trimmed because we live directly in the city they don't need to fly (and I encourage them NOT to hop the fence) so they can't fly. HE THREW ONE UP ON THE ROOF! I was livid! It was snowing, cold and who is gonna go up there and rescue her? Well, he climbed up, and almost slid off, but I came unstitched and really ******. She is fine, but he kicked her off the roof (not hard enough to hurt her but hard enough to send her sliding down the roof) and the other step son (equally as drunk, just not as obnoxious) caught her. Surprise, we have had NO eggs from the traumatized girl. The Colonel. I'm still fuming mad and am thinking of putting a lock on the coop door next time they come over. It's just not right.

Anyway, hope everyone's holiday was without incident and happy!

Wow, hope your little girl is going to be OK? I say lay some ground rules next time he comes visiting. If he doesn;t want to respect your rules, he should meet his father somewhere else, or lock those girls up next time he is over........ that is just plain scary!!

 

[suncatcher]

More baby chick shots. The last one that hatched may be a keeper for my flock. It hatched out of a very, very light green with white speckled spots and so far, it looks to have silvery grey fuzz. I'll take a picture once its out of the incubator and into the brooder. So far, I have had 8 of 12 hatch. It's not a great hatch rate for me but it is the middle of winter so suspect that has something to do with it.

Great job! They are adorable!!!