fuzzi's Chicken Journal

[fuzzi]

 

[Wyorp Rock]

2 More!

So sweet!

 

[NanaK]

View attachment 3798756

Martha on a mission!
So precious! Love it!

 

[fuzzi]

The smallest chick is not faring well.

I found it on its side in the run, eyes closed but breathing. It also had been pecked in the head. I put it under my shirt against my chest to comfort it as it passed.

Spoiler: Injured chick

But within about 15 minutes it was cheeping, eyes open!

I put it back in the nest with Martha, and have seen it come out with the others, but it's still not quite right. It cheeps a lot. I fed it some scrambled eggs and am hoping it will do better.

 

[fuzzi]

Martha on a mission!
So precious! Love it!

I was sitting on the chair in the run while Martha was out with her chicks. She came over to me and pecked my feet. I ignored her. Then she started pecking my skirt and staring at me. I said "Do you want some food?" I reached over to the coffee can that holds spare crumbles, took out a handful and put it on the ground by my feet. Martha clucked and her chicks came over and started eating.

Smart girl!

 

[Wormhunter]

A planning and doing thread...

Once upon a time about 30 years ago I went to a flea market with a friend who was planning on purchasing some bantam chickens for her mini farm. She found a trio of hens plus a rooster, very fluffy...I think they were Silkies. I impulsively bought a trio of black rosecomb hens plus rooster. My children named them Eenie, Meenie, Miney, and Moe (the rooster). Miney went broody almost immediately, so we put her in an old fashioned wire chicken cage we'd been given, and so she sat on top of about a dozen eggs while the other chickens had the run of a yard we'd thrown together. Miney was the lucky one, as something killed the other three one night, and I learned about predators very quickly. I then created a chicken coop and run that kept my chickens safe for several years.

The chicks Miney brooded until shortly before hatching became the basis of years of fun with our little feathered friends, and now, for about three years, I've been mentally planning to have bantams again.

I've been there, done that, not technically a complete newbie, but I'm not 30 anymore, I have physical limitations plus my husband is disabled and will not be able to assist in anything but in a superficial way.

I'm creating this thread as a type of journal of my journey back, I hope, to having chickens again. Do feel free to chirp your insights and thoughts along the way.

Hiya, love your name choices for the girls!
I married 20 years ago and moved to the country here in the uk
During COVID lockdown we acquired 7 little Rhodesia Island Red girlies
No Moe to spice things up for us
We now have just one remaining lady but wow we’ve had, and still have, so much fun and laugh so much at the antics a chicky can get up to
If they were not plotting there escape, particularly uptrees! They were harassing the daughters pet rabbit but running scared when the rabbit strikes back and chases them
They have pushed each other in the pond trying to eat duckweed and they’ve invaded our downstairs orangery to commune with my pet budgies, now we have just one lovely chicky remaining, she’s more like a pet dog really
Oh well, I need to stop reminiscing and go out to give her her tea .

 

[fuzzi]

Hiya, love your name choices for the girls!
I married 20 years ago and moved to the country here in the uk
During COVID lockdown we acquired 7 little Rhodesia Island Red girlies
No Moe to spice things up for us
We now have just one remaining lady but wow we’ve had, and still have, so much fun and laugh so much at the antics a chicky can get up to
If they were not plotting there escape, particularly uptrees! They were harassing the daughters pet rabbit but running scared when the rabbit strikes back and chases them
They have pushed each other in the pond trying to eat duckweed and they’ve invaded our downstairs orangery to commune with my pet budgies, now we have just one lovely chicky remaining, she’s more like a pet dog really
Oh well, I need to stop reminiscing and go out to give her her tea .

Thank you for stopping by and leaving your own chicken memories.

They do scratch out a special little place in our hearts, don't they?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hope the chick is o.k.!

 

[NanaK]

I hope the little one is OK.
Maybe it stayed out from Mama a bit long and got chilled?

 

[fuzzi]

@Wyorp Rock @NanaK

I don't recall Little Chick acting this way before I found it unconscious. I'm hoping it will recover.

I checked after dark and all the chicks were quiet.

This morning it's cold and windy. Martha came out of the box when I arrived at the run with some food. Four of the chicks followed her including Little Chick's hatchmate. Little Chick remained in the box, cheeping, but eventually followed the others. Martha didn't keep them out long, but went back into the box within 5 minutes.