Falling Down Heights, my daily life

[fluffycrow]

So today I had *enough*. The young rooster my broody had hatched out last year was becoming a pain, harassing the hens while inside the coop. Every morning and every evening I'd hear the kerfuffle in there and it had to stop.

I was going to keep him for another few weeks until the auction on April 20th, but his antics have been getting worse. During the day, he's spend his time on top of the coop to get away from my main roo, Big Red. I'd give him food and water there, too.

So, today he was culled.

While I was at it, I figured I should do one of the extra drakes I had, too.

Babies all seem to be doing well. Everybody else also looks well.

View attachment 3787382

Adorable!

Now you've got more food to put on the table

 

[Canadian Wind]

I had to shuffle some eggs around today because I have lockdown on some of them, so took the opportunity to look at the goose and ducks eggs I'd set a few days ago.

Good news: all are developing!!!
Bad news: one of the goose eggs has a nasty crack and the air cell shifted there.

I sealed the crack with wax and will place the egg in a more upright position so the air cell can move up towards the blunt end as much as possible. And keep my fingers and toes crossed, no matter how much they cramp.

 

[fluffycrow]

Hoping they all hatch fine!

 

[Canadian Wind]

How the heck did I miscount how many chicks hatched??!

As I was cleaning out the brooder, I counted them as I put them in a box. 19. I did a double-take, and counted them again when I put them back in. 19.

Guess I'm keeping four instead of three!

So, keeping the golden chipmunk, the tiny black one out of the blue egg, the feather-legged one, AND one with a huge black spot on its thigh (already named Spot).

 

[fluffycrow]

That's a rather positive...surprise. April fool's but in a good way

 

[Canadian Wind]

Alrighty, second batch of eggs is in lockdown, due on Friday. But they're banty eggs so maybe hatch before?

I had to leave one row of eggs in the incubator with them, as there was no room in the other. Hopefully the higher humidity isn't going to hurt them.

 

[TwoCrows]

Alrighty, second batch of eggs is in lockdown, due on Friday. But they're banty eggs so maybe hatch before?

I had to leave one row of eggs in the incubator with them, as there was no room in the other. Hopefully the higher humidity isn't going to hurt them.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Where to start? Well, my plans are in complete chaos. After three days without power, I'm hoping *some* of the eggs are still alive. If not, I have a few dozen of the Silkie mix eggs I could toss in, but I've been refrigerating the duck eggs...

Chickens were NOT pleased with the massive snow dump. Old Man Winter teamed up with Mother Nature to give us a big middle finger. Temps are now going back into normal for Spring, with highs in the mid teens Celsius next week. Ticks me off that I had to shovel all that white crap when it will all be gone again in a few days!

Myself, I kept busy by reading and re-reading the same book, doing some half-hearted attempts at creating a logo for Falling Down Heights, and trying to convince myself that I was not, in fact, going crazy. This was my theme song:

Someone said they would take all 15 chicks I had for sale, then tells me the day they were going to pick them up that they changed their mind. Thankfully, someone else inquired about them and purchased five of them. Still have 10 left to sell.

Speaking of chicks, between a combination of an insulated box (the kind they ship tropical in) and a hot water bottle, they survived better than I did!

Then had someone say they would take the three banty hens I had for sale, to also cancel the day of the pick up. What is wrong with people?!? When you commit to something like this, you follow through!!!

And today, I culled one of my older Muscovy drakes... I didn't really want to, but he had bumbles the size of golf balls which my daughter (technically her bird) didn't take care of. He got them LAST winter. I have too much to do with my own birds, and I'll feed and look after hers but only to a point. I have too many drakes, and wouldn't have been able to sell him with those feet. It broke my heart, but it was the only thing I could do.

Wish more positive things had happened, but maybe I'll have good news tomorrow.

 

[TwoCrows]

Where to start? Well, my plans are in complete chaos. After three days without power, I'm hoping *some* of the eggs are still alive. If not, I have a few dozen of the Silkie mix eggs I could toss in, but I've been refrigerating the duck eggs...

Chickens were NOT pleased with the massive snow dump. Old Man Winter teamed up with Mother Nature to give us a big middle finger. Temps are now going back into normal for Spring, with highs in the mid teens Celsius next week. Ticks me off that I had to shovel all that white crap when it will all be gone again in a few days!

Myself, I kept busy by reading and re-reading the same book, doing some half-hearted attempts at creating a logo for Falling Down Heights, and trying to convince myself that I was not, in fact, going crazy. This was my theme song:

Someone said they would take all 15 chicks I had for sale, then tells me the day they were going to pick them up that they changed their mind. Thankfully, someone else inquired about them and purchased five of them. Still have 10 left to sell.

Speaking of chicks, between a combination of an insulated box (the kind they ship tropical in) and a hot water bottle, they survived better than I did!

Then had someone say they would take the three banty hens I had for sale, to also cancel the day of the pick up. What is wrong with people?!? When you commit to something like this, you follow through!!!

And today, I culled one of my older Muscovy drakes... I didn't really want to, but he had bumbles the size of golf balls which my daughter (technically her bird) didn't take care of. He got them LAST winter. I have too much to do with my own birds, and I'll feed and look after hers but only to a point. I have too many drakes, and wouldn't have been able to sell him with those feet. It broke my heart, but it was the only thing I could do.

Wish more positive things had happened, but maybe I'll have good news tomorrow.

Massive bear hugs headed your way Wind.

 

[fluffycrow]

Sorry to hear about all the trouble. Hope you've got some positive surprises waiting for you