I thought about that but haven’t worked with it to know how tough it is. I have an old roll of it that’s unopened. I wondered if I made the litter so deep could they still reach it, and am afraid the answer is probably yes! And then, cleaning out the litter I myself would have to be careful of it too.
Havoc and Enigma are not related you think?
Great job! Nicely done.
18 weeks, with the storm clouds being 10 weeks. Based upon Chia's development, she's 2-4 weeks away. Havoc probably a week after that, and Enigma and Shan.....some time after that.Oh wow they sure have grown into lovely chooks - so pretty, and Shan - she is gorgeous. How old are they now? Because I have to say I am not seeing any eggs from Tippy or the School Chicks. They are well over 20 weeks, I am here in the barn and I have been very careful with checking to see who is laying what eggs. The brown one I thought was Tippy is an guessing turned out to be Sophia (her egg mum).
Your pullets look as mature as mine but gosh I don't see any action with mine other than a couple of the School Chicks have squatted this past week....
We discovered it buried under the driveway and flower beds. They do dig deep enough and it shreds easily once it's buried.
Havoc is from the in-laws birds and is likely half sib to Pippa and Maizie. That makes Enigma from my eggs (only 2 of their eggs had hatched, and the other we very carefully made sure stayed there). If Enigma is....say....a Whiskey x Maizie, I suppose they are related.... genetically, she would have missed the beard (dominate, I think) and Maizie is a pea comb, but I think rrPp and Whiskey is straight, so rrpp and Enigma is straight comb, and the lack of markings..... seems a long stretch for it, but
. The name truly fits. She is an Enigma.
Oh no. I am just heading back home and landed at Newark and now I am crying and my fellow passengers think I am a nut.Butters is failing today. I'm not sure she'll live through the night. Yesterday she was eating and drinking and fairly active, but today mostly resting, not wanting to move much. It seemed she wasn't steady on her feet, especially one side, and I wondered if she hurt something. Her comb and face is normal red. Later when I gave her some walnut bits, she wanted them, but it seemed her beak was pretty dry and ate some then stopped eating. She went over to the feeder and tried to eat but the crumbles were very dry in her beak too. So she got herself over to a sunny protected spot and rested. When the sun moved she moved too, but not very well. I felt her crop and decided to tube-feed her some baby bird mix thinking it would give her nutrition and fluid, and I syringe-fed her 3ml of water & electrolytes too, all right there in the sun. She stayed where she was for a couple of hours.
So at 6pm I got her and sat with her by the coop and said my goodbyes and just hung out with her on my lap for half an hour. She slept and looked around a bit. I put her in the nestbox, because that's where she puts herself to bed and it feels safe, and the others would soon be in, and she would have her usual company. I fluffed the hemp so it would be soft.
Farewell Butters. You were a lovely and much loved chicken. Be at peace now.Butters has passed. She was still breathing when I checked her on camera at 5:40 this morning. Her body is stiff but still warm. No big spasm, her head and feet look like she was sleeping though she had moved forward from before. Rest In Peace dear Butters
It is a mystery what ailed her, her molt had been progressing with the tube feeding and then her own eating, but seemed to slow, and on Monday her weight was down again.
Good to know, I am sure these guys will eat most things I give them, I just want it to be healthy haha!
Don’t they call that beer 
? 
