Dharma's Drama and Ponder's Problem update...

[wegotchickens]

You should bring the trouble makers here
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=102828

I'd like to meet them

 

[Bandana]

Dharma rocks. I wanna see a video of him/her.

 

[walkswithdog]

Keep it up you people and if he's a roo I'll be given him to ya. He can hear you encouraging him, I swear.

You can love him at YOUR house.... un


And I'll get some pics when he's out in the yard...

 

[Bandana]

OK. I guess yard pics of the yard-bird will have to do.

 

[walkswithdog]

Well, the laptop died an ugly death, so my time online is limited until the new one gets here.

Dharma is busy busy with the new coop and the small yard. I first added three black AO pullets, who weren't thrilled with the munchkin horde and there's been some putting in their places going on. It helps keep Dharma out of trouble.

The Black Orps thought they were the Queens of ALL when I brought in the three almost six month old Bourbon Reds. Oddly the pullets suddenly learned that THEY were small. However, the turkeys are quite tolerant of the wee horde, except the bl. AOs.

So everybody is somebody's pecking post. Since the turkeys are SURE I'm in charge it's going quite well.

The indoor midgets, Ponder, Bishop and Snark the BOs, Markham the SLW and Runs Like Nutcase, aren't doing as well as I'd like. The two BO's developed sneezes and snuffles then got over them. Markham and Ponder then got them.

Markham is about over them but Ponder lost appetite and did the whole failure to thrive thing. Hardly growing at all over 10 days/two weeks, I'd about given up on him, when resting he was obviously breathing hard, sneezing and wheezing and snuffles. No snot, no crusts, no abcesses.

I decided to try him on sulfa anti-biotics. About ten hours later he'd perked up, gained some appetite, ate a ton of the warm mash I'd made and seemed generally improved. I added a humidifier to their area. And this morning he was again improved. Eating much better, sleeping more comfortably. So I may have dodged a bullet there. He may be pulling through with a little help.

This morning I dumped a ton of anti-oxidants into morning mash. We'll have to see but it looks a bit more hopeful for him. With some luck he might just pull out of it.

Oh - as to the others - the Partridge Rock main flock are doing very very well on the turkey/game started. At five weeks most of them are mostly feathered out.

The slow feathering among them (mostly male) still have downy butts, and the males still have some back down but a few actually have combs pinking up and one has a dinky set of wattles and hardly any tail - he's a hoot.

Starbuck is HUGE but still looks pulletish, she's losing vulture face quickly. Puddle and Hiney are my lapbirds, though Starbuck climbed on for petting and a nap yesterday so miracles do happen. Dharma has lost his Dot, but since he swears he belongs on my shoulder he's pretty easy to pick out. Right shoulder = Dharma.

The wee ones quickly learned they could hide from the black girls on and under and behind me. Which means I can be surrounded and covered in chickens in nano seconds once I'm in the coop.

This batch is completely and utterly different from the first. So never judge a breed by just one hatchery's birds. Different hatcheries have totally different birds and outcomes.

We're nearly settled in for winter, with everyone growing and getting used to the housing arrangements. The house midgets will remain indoors until they grow and feather much more. RLN is still the smallest and least feathered of the PRs, the Buffs are about half way, and Markham and Ponder are still mostly down. Though this week Ponder is finally growing a tail to go with some very pretty, very dark wing feathers.

The turkeys are adapting, they just got here Tuesday. They're shy but not mean, they're about six months but I got the Trio for sixty - with which I'm THRILLED. They spent the first two nights in the coop while I finished the turkey coop. My it was crowded in there!

They don't know how to perch so it's kind of sad. I'm going to build them a low one today. That's where we're at, I gotta get off this killer office chair. But hugs from TN.

Cher

 

[walkswithdog]

Starbuck is a boy!!! OMG!

Yesterday he hefted himself up to full stretch and WARNED the flock! Then mock battled every other cockeral into submission. Nobody messes with Starbuck

Okay new lesson I learned yesterday. Once the munchkin horde knows what is outside the front door of the coop, keeping 25 PR's from running out into the front yard is NOT

POSSIBLE.

I felt like a pitcher for a chicken softball league - flinging handfuls back into the coop only to have more poor out!

Finally I get everyone else in and who manages to slip out and run?

Dharma... His dark self slid past me and out behind me in half a blink. Not that I'm surprised, he's done that since the first week. Now that he's grown ear lobes he loves to be cuddled and rubbed there.

It's surprising how much they've all relaxed over the last 10 days.

I'm sorting out which are Roos and deciding slowly on representatives from each group to keep and grow out. Starbuck, probably Jack Sparrow from the Red Browns, And one or two of the splendidly colored, black browns. They're very melanistic.

The rest can go to the meat pen with the turkeys once they're more heavily feathered.

Dharma - at this point, may actually be a pullet but that only counts once I'm SURE he has laid an egg.

Hiney has become Tucus (sp) and is a gem but a Roo so he's headed for the meat pen. He's still small. Smallish I don't need.

Pullets are funny creatures, more focused on food and dirt baths than the cockerals are right now. Everytime the group is let out the cocks all have to fly and leap and posture. Their alarm sounds are a hoot.

I'm really surprised with the quick development of the group. I did just get them last month. They're already comfortable outside in damp cool weather. They've feathered really fast, and for the most part grown quickly.

I think I'm always using turkey starter. There is no more mess or smell than the other and wow fast feathers.

I need feeders and waterers that won't tip soon. These guys are bginning to knock stuff over. Time for hanging or homemade feeders. But one thing at a time on my budget.

I am really enjoying this whole thing.

 

[Bandana]

Quote:
So am I.

You rock.

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

WalksWithDog, you are the Erma Bombeck of BYC. I expect as Dharma enters adolesence we'll read about him ironing his feathers, demanding a 3-armed (winged?) sweater, and floating a cherry in his waterer.

Perhaps someday we'll see the complete edition of Dharma: Survivor Chickencoop on sale in the BYC store!