Eva’s Friends

Evadig · Mar 12, 2024

After two days of wind and rain, the sun was shining into the Muddy Run this morning. I knew it was going to be a beautiful day!

Everyone was really happy to get out - they were inside all that time.

There is a pile of fifteen eggs in one of the nest boxes... :th

We have two new egg-layers: Dolores and Helen. Now all fourteen female birds are laying.

Dolores’s egg

Helen’s egg (in case y'all forgot, Helen is the Bourbon Red turkey)

Nothing really exciting happened today, but I did take lots of pictures. Enjoy

!

Who knew geese could climb steps?

Henry can change into another beast when water's involved...

Another picture of Henry, much more calm though!

Hilda sittin' pretty for once :love

Stan knows he's handsome - and he's also the top rooster right now!

Minna preparing to lay an egg

Lucy was sunbathing in some dark dirt she found under a log.

Jenny finally posed for a second after about fifteen tries!

Viv is growing into a calm young lady.

The newest egg-layer! Dolores accepts your congratulations! :highfive:

N F C · Mar 12, 2024

Nice for everyone to get some sunshine!

Evadig · Mar 18, 2024

@Mantisquailman
@CloneFly
@N F C
@Callender Girl
@BantyChooks
And anyone else who's interested...come see what I got! :wee

Three Mottled Javas and a Buff Brahma!

Evadig · Mar 18, 2024

Eva loves her new friends. She would spend all day watching them if she could. Annie Beth likes them too, but her attention span is much more limited (she also would prefer to taste them!).
The heat lamp is a very low wattage reptile lamp that is farther from the shavings than it appears (my regular heat lamp broke as soon as I got them home). I keep them in the bathroom with the heat turned up and they've been doing fine; they are hardly ever under the lamp despite the low heat emitted. Eva did burn her nose on the shade, but that was because she was too excited to realize she was pressing her nose against it.
All the Javas have got pasty butt, and they are all very skittish. I want to put them up on a table so I'm not towering over them but it just wouldn't be feasible. Maybe when it gets warmer out, and I don't have to keep them in the bathroom...
I also brought Viv into see them because it's too cold for them to go out, and I read somewhere on here that it is important that they come into contact with the ground so that they build up immunity to the soil. So I figured Viv would be the next best thing (she doesn't have any lice or mites and she's gentle). She ate their food, drank their water, and pecked lightly at one. Mostly she spent her time wondering how to get out of there. They didn't seem to be scared of her. I wish one of the hens would adopt them as I would really like them to grow up in the flock, but that probably won't happen - Viv is still just a baby herself, compared to my four big hens (who will be two this year).

N F C · Mar 18, 2024

Evadig said:
@Mantisquailman
@CloneFly
@N F C
@Callender Girl
@BantyChooks
And anyone else who's interested...come see what I got!
Three Mottled Javas and a Buff Brahma!

View attachment 3775452

View attachment 3775453

They're beautiful! Love the photo where they are all lined up

CloneFly · Mar 18, 2024

Evadig said:
@Mantisquailman
@CloneFly
@N F C
@Callender Girl
@BantyChooks
And anyone else who's interested...come see what I got!
Three Mottled Javas and a Buff Brahma!

View attachment 3775452

View attachment 3775453

AWWWWWW

Callender Girl · Mar 19, 2024

Cute, cute, cute and cute! The photo of them all lined up really is adorable!

I attended an Iowa State University Extension seminar last night, and the presenter -- a small farms specialist -- said sprinkling a little instant oatmeal on the chicks' feed will help them get over pasty butt. I don't know if she's right, but it might be worth a try? If it works, it would be more pleasant than what I've always done -- picking poop off their butts

Best wishes with your new babies, and thanks for sharing!

Evadig · Mar 19, 2024

Callender Girl said:
Cute, cute, cute and cute! The photo of them all lined up really is adorable!

I attended an Iowa State University Extension seminar last night, and the presenter -- a small farms specialist -- said sprinkling a little instant oatmeal on the chicks' feed will help them get over pasty butt. I don't know if she's right, but it might be worth a try? If it works, it would be more pleasant than what I've always done -- picking poop off their butts

Best wishes with your new babies, and thanks for sharing!

I'll try that and report back here! One in particular has it pretty bad, and she hates being picked up the most :rolleyes:

.

Evadig · Mar 27, 2024

The chicks are two weeks old...I think. I can't even remember anymore. And they're more skittish than any bird I've yet owned besides Lily (who is the worst) so I can't get any good pictures of them. It doesn't matter that I move them to a new location, or keep the brooder up higher. They're just flighty. Hopefully they calm down as they get older because I don't have the patience for flighty chickens. The Brahma is the best of the lot.

The three Javas are named Faith, Hope, and Charity. These are traditional girls' names for triplets and since we have three sisters here, it seemed appropriate. The Brahma is named Patience.

I've been digging a ditch/pond/waterfall for my ducks. The work came to a halt because my knee started to swell. It hasn't fully healed since I fell on it on the concrete floor of the basement. Enough of the pond system has been dug out though where the ducks are happy. The clay soil is so frustrating. It is impossible to dig unless wet, and then it sticks to your shoes and the shovel and to itself. Worse, it doesn't even hold water. I am going to have to line it and hope the ducks don't tear a hole in the liner with their sharp little claws.

I put Minna in with the Biddies and she's top hen in that sector. She won't let them roost at night, though she's come to accept them during the day, so I put up another roost. Incidentally, in the Chicken Run (big hens), Prudence is now top hen and sleeps in solitary dignity on her perch. Lyd and Rose cuddle next to Winston, even though they hate him.

There was something I wanted to share but of course I forgot it. I've been really tired as of late and since college started haven't been outside as much. Actually, I've been outside a great deal, helping clear the woods in the back. Just haven't been sitting with the chickens. It's getting warmer here at least. This sounds like an entry from my diary. I am trying to keep this as a journal of sorts for my birds...I hope y'all don't mind the rambling. Good night!

Front: Patience, Charity
Back: Faith, Hope