HorseGirlAbby's flock thread!

[HorseGirlAbby]

We got some bad news yesterday. We weren't at home, and a neighbor who was checking on the chickens texted my mom. Sue died of heatstroke. He found her in a nesting box, and it got up to a hundred degrees. Poor Suey. She wasn't my favorite hen, as she was mean and rude, but she was my chicken, and I got attached to her as much as to everyone else. You were loved, little hen.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Some random photos I've taken the past week or so:
Ivy. I can't get over how cute her little face is! She just looks so sweet and huggable.

Sprinkles, who was cold this morning. Poor chickie is molting right now.

And Bukky, because no post is complete without Miss Grumpypants.

 

[Bakbuk]

Lovely, fluffy birds! Thank you for starting this! I was waiting

Following!

 

[arwoon]

Figured I'd tag a few people, in case they want to check it out.
@The-White-Elephant, @Lovely Lettie, @catloverlu, @arwoon, @Chikyboy, @Everose, @Blue Raptor.

Thanks! I will be stalking this thread now ☺

 

[arwoon]

That's scary.

Spoiler

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

And now, another update, if I don't get interrupted by my Mom telling me to get off the computer.
The chickens got new shavings last week, which they love! They promptly started to eat them and scratch them out the door. The six inches is now compacted to about three, which is barely enough. The heavy hens make a loud thump every time they land on the floor, which isn't good for their feet. I should probably put more shavings in there.

I had a big scare with Delaware on Tuesday. I went in there in the morning, and her comb was covered in blood!! I blame Gidget and Mr. Beard. They're mean to her and chase her around a lot. Anyway, I cleaned it off as best I could, and put her back in the coop. When I went out later, the scabs had all come off and she was bleeding again, even worse. I decided to separate her, and put her in the entryway, which I use as kind of a sickroom. She was a lot happier in there! I put her on the roost with them in the evening, as she'd climbed over everything trying to get on it. She really made a mess, knocking over her water bowl and the scratch container. The next morning, back in she went, because her wing was bleeding this time! Man, those chickens are ruthless. I had to put her back in the coop to lay her egg, every day of the week. She may be four, but she still pumps them out regularly! She is now mostly back in the coop, though she's taken to hiding in the nesting boxes again.

Nothing much else to report! We're getting 6 to 10 eggs a day from 15 hens, 13 of which are laying. I don't think Gidget will ever lay another egg, and I'm kind of getting worried about Nancy, the other one who isn't laying. She hasn't laid for an entire year, and I think she's laying internally. She's still happily running around, eating scratch, and can get on the roost at night, so she'll be with us for a while yet, hopefully!

Surprisingly, all of the other five-year-olds are all laying! Peeper and Baroness are going to go broody soon, though. Baroness is screaming at everything, and Peeper's starting to make her broody cluck. We're not planning on hatching any more eggs this year; the rooster fiasco was enough for a while.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Another update! Mo, Ivy, Sue, and Holly turned a year old yesterday! We didn't throw them a party, but they did get lots of leftover oatmeal, which they gorged themselves on. Mo is the shy one. She doesn't like people, but if you move slowly, she'll let you pet her. Holly and Ivy are the exact opposite. If you crouch down and talk to them, they'll run over to you and want a hug. It's so cute! Sue is the least friendly chicken we have. If you flinch, she gallops across the coop and is out in the run before you can blink. If she's in a nest box, you can just forget about getting any eggs out from under her! She'll try to kill you.

Anyway, some old, funny pictures of the chickens. Enjoy!
Dover, wondering if it's the best idea to step into the snow:

Are you sure about this? I don't think so.

Colleen, caught mid-shake.

Another photo of Colleen, jumping out of the coop.

Ridiculous Mr. Beard.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

I'm so sorry Abby. I'm sure you gave her a wonderful life.

Poor Sue! She was such a beautiful bird. I will pray for you in this time of grieving.
R.I.P. Sue

Thanks so much, guys. Here are some pics of her as a chick. She was so cute! She laid the biggest green eggs imaginable.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

Nessy's so cute when she's broody.

Silhouettes of Mo and Mr. Beard:

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

It's been almost a month since I've updated this thread! Sorry, guys. Anyway, the chickens are doing well, despite the intense heat wave we've had this last week. It got up to 109 on Saturday, and they were not happy. They have a fan and a window AC unit in the entryway, which makes it pretty tough to get in there!

They like it, though, which is all that matters. Delaware has been having trouble with the heat. She stays on the waterer much of the time, because she's scared of Gidget and Holly. So, she doesn't end up getting the benefits of either the fan or the AC. Mo and Ivy are the dumb ones. They keep laying eggs, which is fine, but they think they have to sit on them after they lay them. They'll just sit there until I take them out and dunk them in the water bowl, which, by the way, they love! (not). Silver is the smart one. She's the only hen who'll go in the bowl without me putting her in there. When I look in, she's sitting in there, cool as a cucumber, while everyone else is panting as hard as they can.

They've been getting plenty of treats, as we have an apricot tree that gave us boxes and boxes of apricots this year, and a peach tree that the birds love. We give the fruit that's too pecked for us to eat to the chickens. They love it!

This heat has made me think of a dear hen we lost last year, when it got up to 116 for a few days running. Her name was Jumpy, and she was a sweet little Easter Egger. I like to say I don't have favorites, but that's not true. She was my favorite. She loved to snuggle, and would get jealous if I was hugging somebody other than her. On June 28, she and Nancy, another Easter Egger, came down with heatstroke. Nancy survived, and Jumpy did not. I still miss her quirky little self.