Horsegirlabi's flock thread!

HorseGirlAbby · Jul 4, 2022

Colleen (Bukky) has passed the broody torch on to Baroness. Her majesty is now sulking in the tractor with Delaware, and I hope they're getting along. I should probably go check on them pretty soon. I set up a sprinkler near their run a few days ago, when it was really hot, but they refused to go near it. Honestly, they can be so dumb sometimes! When I turned it off, they all went wading in the puddles, which did help them cool off.

Chicken Quest · Jul 4, 2022

You've had soooo many broodies! I would consider a hatch-a-long but you have to ask your parents about incubating eggs.

HorseGirlAbby · Jul 4, 2022

Chicken Quest said:
You've had soooo many broodies! I would consider a hatch-a-long but you have to ask your parents about incubating eggs.

Peeper hatched some eggs last year! It was really fun. Unfortunately, we don't need any more chickens right now. Besides, we got four cockerels last time.

Chicken Quest · Jul 4, 2022

HorseGirlAbby said:
Peeper hatched some eggs last year! It was really fun. Unfortunately, we don't need any more chickens right now. Besides, we got four cockerels last time.

Chicken math. What can you do about it?

HorseGirlAbby · Jul 4, 2022

Chicken Quest said:
Chicken math. What can you do about it?

Well, I could probably sneak some eggs under Nessy...

HorseGirlAbby · Jul 4, 2022

HorseGirlAbby said:
Well, I could probably sneak some eggs under Nessy...

Kidding, kidding. Don't worry, I wouldn't do that.

Chicken Quest · Jul 4, 2022

HorseGirlAbby said:
Kidding, kidding. Don't worry, I wouldn't do that.

Hah, you almost got me there!

HorseGirlAbby · Jul 4, 2022

Chicken Quest said:
Hah, you almost got me there!

I think she might be a better mom than Peeper, who kept tripping over her chicks.

HorseGirlAbby · Jul 6, 2022

Nessy's so cute when she's broody.

Silhouettes of Mo and Mr. Beard:

HorseGirlAbby · Aug 1, 2022

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.