I Built A Bridge!

[tommysgirl]

When we last left the coop we had nothing but questions...Will Julie and Gracie go for round two of co-brooding? Will Willa remain on the nest and will her comb impact her mothering ability once her chicks hatch?? Will Gracie continue blow herself up like a fluffy grey soccer ball and abuse every other hen on the property??? The answers revealed over the next 10 or so days but in the meantime here is a teaser...


How bout hatching with THREE broodies! L to R Julie who has 5 eggs are due to hatch a week from Thursday. Gracie Belle whose 2 chicks should be saying hello a week from Sunday and Willa..getta load o my comb... the super hero broody hopeful who has taken on 2 EE eggs of undetermined gestation.

 

[Teila]

Like grain through the auto-feeder, so are the Days of our Coop!

Hey, there is a thought, a chicken soap opera! Between us we could write one!

TG wow, that is one impressive comb Willa has there. I am not sure about it impacting on her mothering abilities but it sure will give those little ones something to swing off!

I am not so sure about Willa being the super hero in this episode, I believe that title should go to you and Liz and anyone else with multiple broodies; especially all arriving at different times .. I am in awe!

Love the picture .. too cute!

 

[MistyMountain]

Whew, ya'll drew me out of the corner with all this suspense and action!!

First off, Teila, congrats on the egg a few days (er weeks?) back!! Go Lulu!

Liz, I am so sorry to hear that your broodies are giving you such a hard time. I let my chicks out to integrate with the flock at one week, and that did not go over well as I lost the one Chica baby to an unknown attacker. In my case, I could only assume it was one of the hormonal cockerels. I hope things get better for you soon!

Hey Ark! Glad to hear things are good over there!!

TG, Willa… what a flop she's got going on there!! Is that a new style that has not yet made it out east? You got my attention! I have my DVR set to record the Coop Opera. You said a while back that you have a thing for the black and white chickens…. can I ship some of these littles off to you for safe keeping?? The hawk migration has started.

Work has been super busy here, and it seems like we have something going on every weekend and week night. I almost look forward to the monotony of winter. As always, I read more than I respond (something I can do while having lunch and shoveling food into my mouth). Rest assured, I am always watching (insert creepy laugh here)

I was wrapping up a design yesterday and about to head out the door to pick up my Jakey Beans from preschool when the dog started barking. She barks for a handful of reasons, mostly when people come up the driveway or if she sees a squirrel. This bark was her more aggressive bark and was nonstop. I went out to see her on the edge of her wireless fence barking toward the coop. There is was. The mean hawk again. It's a small one, a cooper's hawk, and it was diving back and forth at the chickens. I go out in my flip flops and the chickens see me and rush out from cover…. not a good idea. I ran back in and got some scratch and headed back down. As I was almost there it swooped again, sights locked on Lucky (hawk attack survivor) She returned the attack and the hawk flew off. I managed to get everyone in the runs, although a bit mixed up.

I thought I would have another month or two before lockdown. I know the little ones are targets for sure, and although lucky was even bigger than this hawk I have no doubt that it would take her if it hit her just right. Frustrating that I can not do anything about it but lock my chickens up. I wonder if a super soaker is against the law? Of course these are just passing though headed south, so it wouldn't leave a lasting impression.

That's what's going on here, on the Barred and the Featherful.

(already out of time to proof read, please excuse my rambling)

 

[MistyMountain]

So… someone posted on my local swap on FB looking for a 10-12 week old pullet. Though I don't HAVE to get rid of any of MJ's hatch (pullets at least) I thought oh, I can help them out. They wanted one to help their pullet of the same age during flock integration. So I try the PM route… keeping things private. She doesn't get PM on her phone. Ugh. So I post what I have…. and get bombarded by others wanting it. UGH. One person I know swaps birds left and right. I don't want that for her. If I am going to let her go, I want her to have some stability. All this work for an 8 dollar chicken. Now I feel like I am getting toyed around with. Will it be bad if I go into Mom mode with an adult and ask them plainly YES or NO?

I don't do the swap thing because I don't want to bring home germs and honestly… no one around here has anything I want.

TG, what do you do when you rehome?

 

[lizgarf]

Aw, y'all are funny! How about To Have Chicks and To Molt.
Good luck with the three broodies, TG! May it go more smoothly for you than it has here! Something tells me you'll be a bit more prepared than I, once things go awry. Oh, and I bet the huge comb will help parenting. I read that big, red, combs help roosters attract ladies because it makes their "tidbitting" more effective when they are basically waving a big red flag to show the food they found. I think it was in this article, which kind of cracked me up that the scientists were discovering the amazing communication skills, which basically all chicken-raisers know about:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-startling-intelligence-of-the-common-chicken/

Teila, I keep forgetting to mention that the liquid bandage isn't a veterinary product, as far as I know. It's for people, and I bought it at the drugstore. Lu's wound looked good today.
Good to hear from you, MM! I think a super-soaker on a hawk would be fine - put your boys right on that. Sorry about your lost chick. Yeah, I've understood all along that chicks are vulnerable and subject to losses, and that's why I started out with so many eggs. But, then I've refused to accept their vulnerability at each stage, by intervening and getting upset when anything goes wrong. The losses are hard, but they're also part of what we've signed onto in getting chickens. I just get very emotional about it.
16P, glad I could give you a chuckle. I never thought I'd spank anyone, let alone a chicken! I have a bit of a temper, apparently.

So far, things are going relatively smoothly today. Everyone but the main broody squad is hiding out in the run, unless they need to lay an egg or think I'm bringing treats. As long as Rousseau's chicks manage to stay with her, they seem to be safe - it's just the staying with her part that seems challenging to them!

 

[tommysgirl]

Like grain through the auto-feeder, so are the Days of our Coop!

Hey, there is a thought, a chicken soap opera! Between us we could write one!

TG wow, that is one impressive comb Willa has there. I am not sure about it impacting on her mothering abilities but it sure will give those little ones something to swing off!

I am not so sure about Willa being the super hero in this episode, I believe that title should go to you and Liz and anyone else with multiple broodies; especially all arriving at different times .. I am in awe!

Love the picture .. too cute!

Thank you mam! I for sure agree that team Liz/Rousseau is the super hero partnership on the thread...standing guard, protecting the small, mothering the motherless

TG, Willa… what a flop she's got going on there!! Is that a new style that has not yet made it out east? You got my attention! I have my DVR set to record the Coop Opera. You said a while back that you have a thing for the black and white chickens…. can I ship some of these littles off to you for safe keeping?? The hawk migration has started.

Work has been super busy here, and it seems like we have something going on every weekend and week night. I almost look forward to the monotony of winter. As always, I read more than I respond (something I can do while having lunch and shoveling food into my mouth). Rest assured, I am always watching (insert creepy laugh here)

I was wrapping up a design yesterday and about to head out the door to pick up my Jakey Beans from preschool when the dog started barking. She barks for a handful of reasons, mostly when people come up the driveway or if she sees a squirrel. This bark was her more aggressive bark and was nonstop. I went out to see her on the edge of her wireless fence barking toward the coop. There is was. The mean hawk again. It's a small one, a cooper's hawk, and it was diving back and forth at the chickens. I go out in my flip flops and the chickens see me and rush out from cover…. not a good idea. I ran back in and got some scratch and headed back down. As I was almost there it swooped again, sights locked on Lucky (hawk attack survivor) She returned the attack and the hawk flew off. I managed to get everyone in the runs, although a bit mixed up.

I thought I would have another month or two before lockdown. I know the little ones are targets for sure, and although lucky was even bigger than this hawk I have no doubt that it would take her if it hit her just right. Frustrating that I can not do anything about it but lock my chickens up. I wonder if a super soaker is against the law? Of course these are just passing though headed south, so it wouldn't leave a lasting impression.

That's what's going on here, on the Barred and the Featherful.

(already out of time to proof read, please excuse my rambling)

Tom calls Willa "Ol Flop Comb" She doesn't seem impaired but it must be harder for her to see out of her right eye. Maybe that is part of what makes her skittish but I think more likely it is that she is half Penedesenca and they are a flighty bunch.

Sorry about the hawks..If we lived closer or I had the super power of being able to transport things through time and space using only my mind I would for sure babysit your little beautes

TG, what do you do when you rehome?

I am a work in progress but I would communicate via email after the initial contact and I would tell the swapper no thanks and let the other know that you needed them to come by by x date and x time because you had someone else interested...you.

Aw, y'all are funny! How about To Have Chicks and To Molt.
Good luck with the three broodies, TG! May it go more smoothly for you than it has here! Something tells me you'll be a bit more prepared than I, once things go awry. Oh, and I bet the huge comb will help parenting. I read that big, red, combs help roosters attract ladies because it makes their "tidbitting" more effective when they are basically waving a big red flag to show the food they found. I think it was in this article, which kind of cracked me up that the scientists were discovering the amazing communication skills, which basically all chicken-raisers know about:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-startling-intelligence-of-the-common-chicken/

So far, things are going relatively smoothly today. Everyone but the main broody squad is hiding out in the run, unless they need to lay an egg or think I'm bringing treats. As long as Rousseau's chicks manage to stay with her, they seem to be safe - it's just the staying with her part that seems challenging to them!

Looking forward to reading that article. Thanks for sharing it. Hope the chicklets learn that it is safer to stay with mama and that the lesson sticks!

 

[lizgarf]

Thank you mam! I for sure agree tht team Liz/Rousseau is the super hero partnership on the thread...standing guard, protecting the small, mothering the motherless

Aw shucks!
I'm scared to jinx it, but things really are going better today. Everyone is together in the coop right now, with no signficant tension. Team Rousseau is eating from the main feeder with Auntie Bettina, Grace and Frida are at one end, trying to teach their chicks how to dig to China, the other Aunties are having a siesta on the other side, occasionally interrupted by Desi. It feels promising enough that I can start worrying about who might be boys! (Top contenders at this moment are the two marans, which should be easy to find homes for, and the two Bettinas, which would break my heart. Still too soon to tell anyone though, and with all the different moms, it's hard to compare.)

 

[tommysgirl]

I broke one of the EE eggs

I have had other girls lay in the nest with the broodies and when checking that out I dropped one on an EE egg and it broke. I brought it in and put it in the bator but don't have much hope. I think it is about 5 days from hatching The crack has a spider in the middle then a thin line that extends about half way around. Poor little chick.

 

[tommysgirl]

Aw shucks!
I'm scared to jinx it, but things really are going better today. Everyone is together in the coop right now, with no signficant tension. Team Rousseau is eating from the main feeder with Auntie Bettina, Grace and Frida are at one end, trying to teach their chicks how to dig to China, the other Aunties are having a siesta on the other side, occasionally interrupted by Desi. It feels promising enough that I can start worrying about who might be boys! (Top contenders at this moment are the two marans, which should be easy to find homes for, and the two Bettinas, which would break my heart. Still too soon to tell anyone though, and with all the different moms, it's hard to compare.)

I am so happy that your patient vigilance is paying off Huzzah!!!! I wish you nothing but pullets!

 

[lizgarf]

I broke one of the EE eggs

I have had other girls lay in the nest with the broodies and when checking that out I dropped one on an EE egg and it broke. I brought it in and put it in the bator but don't have much hope. I think it is about 5 days from hatching The crack has a spider in the middle then a thin line that extends about half way around. Poor little chick.

Oh, I'm so sorry! That's a horrible feeling, I know.