Falling Down Heights, my daily life

[Canadian Wind]

Late last night, I candled. And much to my surprise, it appears that most of the duck eggs are good! Even saw little legs moving!

Unfortunately, I think the goose eggs didn't make it. I'll check again tonight, but I saw the start of blood rings in them. The cracked goose egg that I sealed never developed. Dog had a treat.

As for the chicken eggs, I just can't tell. I *thought* I saw movement on one of them, but that may just be wishful thinking on my part.

Oh, I moved my daughter's auction chicken out of the house yesterday. I felt so bad for her being crated up so long! Plus, I just can't trust my daughter to take care of her properly. I wasn't able to do a see-no-touch due to still having snow everywhere, so just kept an eye on them, and she's blended in just fine. She'd started laying these really small eggs while still in the crate. Cracked them open and they contained a yolk, so maybe she's just a small egg layer, or these are her first so they are smaller.

 

[fluffycrow]

Glad to hear about the duck eggs! Hoping that you'll have at least some successful hatches from the chicken eggs, and at the very very least one gosling hatch?

 

[TwoCrows]

Keep us posted on all those eggies Wind!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Keep us posted on all those eggies Wind!

Did an eggtopsy on the ones that had been in lockdown. So heartbreaking! Had some interesting colours there, and some of the chicks had inherited their papa's five toes.

 

[fluffycrow]

Did an eggtopsy on the ones that had been in lockdown. So heartbreaking! Had some interesting colours there, and some of the chicks had inherited their papa's five toes.

So sorry for your losses, Wind

 

[TwoCrows]

Did an eggtopsy on the ones that had been in lockdown. So heartbreaking! Had some interesting colours there, and some of the chicks had inherited their papa's five toes.

So sorry Wind.

 

[Canadian Wind]

I set 24 more eggs in consolation.

Plus, I took the duck eggs out of the fridge, let them get to room temperature, and tossed them in too. Well, not tossed.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Checked the eggs last night, and I think I have one more alive from the duck eggs. Saw some movement in there and veins.

I took out the ones that were obviously dead, but left a few more that still look like they had viable veins in them, even if not moving.

 

[Nero70002]

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.

Well on the bright side at least they’re going to people who’ll actually want and commit to them

 

[Canadian Wind]

Well on the bright side at least they’re going to people who’ll actually want and commit to them

Very true. I have someone supposed to come pick up some banty hens, and another who was also interested so I decided to sell the other three hens I'd kept back from last year. Will see if they're interested. I'd honestly like to sell the whole flock of bym at this point, to be able to focus on the incoming Brahma and Chantecler and OEGB.