I Built A Bridge!

[MistyMountain]

Now if you stay there and do happen to have more than six and someone finds out you can just refer to the chicken math teacher here, isnt it MistyMountain?, and tell them banties only count as half a chicken so get your counting straight! The chicken police havent busted me yet so maybe they are not that strict. I say give her some eggs and everything will work out. Life is short, have more chickens.....

Marie

I failed chicken math… and regular math…. so I married a Mathematician

Our resident Chicken Math 101 teacher is TG, I can't take the credit for that one!

I kinda count the chickens by color and breed... 4 red stars, check... 4 black cochins, check... etc. Of course even that method is going to get confusing once the current babies grow...

I'm totally with you, I never do any photo editing for myself, I think I'm also a bit reluctant to because that would make free time feel like work, lol. Though I will make things like birthday cards etc. rather than buying them.

You probably don't really need InDesign for what you do... I do a lot of layout - anything from books/ebooks to business cards/letterheads/brochures etc., and InDesign is perfect for all that - but the placed images are usually Photoshop or Illustrator. Still, it's definitely worth a look, as it's light years ahead of Quark. I had started with that too, and never liked it. Moved to InDesign pretty soon after it came out. I thiiiink Quark still exists, and they even tried to bring it up to date, but Adobe id a far better job.

LOL too funny. I used to count them that way too! In addition to color!
Ah, makes sense. I may do business card layouts now and then, but get by well enough in Illustrator for that. The company I work for used Typestyler for their artwork development before I started there, and until the computer went kaput and we upgraded everything. I am a big fan of Illustrator. Funny thing is, I used to despise it in college.

Love this. I did this!! I was born in the city, but when I turned 12 I started taking riding lessons out on a farm. That turned into owning my own horse (who is still alive and kicking it at 23 years old!). That turned into summer jobs of putting up hay and barn chores. My DH was born a country boy. Once he was done "learning" and we quit bouncing around state to state, we settled down in the city. We thought that was enough for us. We had our camper to escape on weekends and a boat for when we didn't have the whole weekend. Great neighbors, great schools. Great city, really. Ah but the country called to us still, and a year and a month ago we bought this place… and I bought chickens.

OK ... I have two apologies to make .....

1. Apologies in advance for all the photos I will be posting; no doubt there will be many!
2. Apologies for the wire in these shots but I just had to share!

Oh yeah and one additional apology to work .. I am getting nothing done!! lol

Tina teaching the bubbies how to dust bath ...... See, Tina is not always white!

If you look closely at this one, little bubby has it's wing out and was just about to roll

No apologies necessary, Teila! Loooooovely pics!! I love it when the mommas and babies dust bathe!

Frankie's suspicious comb and wattles (maybe not so bad, right?):


And, a sticky bun:

Suspicious comb and wattles indeed. I can photoshop them out of that pic if it will help!

Oh liz, that sticky bun looks fantastic! I just had breakfast and now I'm hungry! Life is short, and I also find myself eating ice-cream for breakfast on some days. Jakey Beans and I are going to make some super duper chocolate cupcakes today for Daddy. He has a long work day so we are going to surprise him when he gets home. I'm not a big cupcake fan, but Jake is set on putting the frosting them. A 4 year old in charge of frosting… this could be fun!!

Well, 9am has come and gone. My mug is empty. TIme to get to work! Have a great day everyone!!

 

[tommysgirl]

liz: I am no help with sexing unless it is totally obvious and for every clear cut example there is at least 1 that could go either way. I am currently struggling with these two. They are a project bird and have no standard. They have been bred to have tiny/almost non existent combs so that isn't much help. I thought they were both cockerels but now I am not so sure. Do you all have thoughts? They are 13 weeks old today and I took these shots yesterday p.m.















Misty Mountain I love your little story. So happy for you to be living your country girl dream. Good luck with the frosting. Hope your DH loves the outcome. You are a sweet wife to surprise him. Horses are the gateway drug to country living for lots of city girls. My daughters were both barn managers in New Jersey this time last year. They spent 9 mos out there before they came home in May.

16 Paws: great meme. yep I am the chicken mathmatician.

Teila: hope all continues to go well with your little flock. I enjoy your descriptions of how much you enjoy them!

 

[lizgarf]

liz: I am no help with sexing unless it is totally obvious and for every clear cut example there is at least 1 that could go either way. I am currently struggling with these two. They are a project bird and have no standard. They have been bred to have tiny/almost non existent combs so that isn't much help. I thought they were both cockerels but now I am not so sure. Do you all have thoughts? They are 13 weeks old today and I took these shots yesterday p.m.

I think it's really hard to sex from pictures, but that aside, from those pictures, I don't see anything that would make me think cockerel except maybe the big legs on #1. Why do you think they are? Wouldn't they be getting hackles and saddles by now? Thanks for reminding me to not be so determinative about mine - yikes, 13 weeks!
Oh, and they're very pretty regardless!

 

[tommysgirl]

I think it's really hard to sex from pictures, but that aside, from those pictures, I don't see anything that would make me think cockerel except maybe the big legs on #1. Why do you think they are? Wouldn't they be getting hackles and saddles by now? Thanks for reminding me to not be so determinative about mine - yikes, 13 weeks!
Oh, and they're very pretty regardless!

Magnus was an enormous chick and has continued to out grow her/his hatchmates. I just assumed cockerel based on size. Reese had a headspot at hatch. I thought that only cockerels have them but now it seems that pullets can as well. Plus they were shipped eggs and the only two of 18 to hatch. I had heard that male embryos hatch better than female so that went into my assumption as well

Then I got suspicious. I have older cockerels and younger cockerels and they all act and look more like boys than these two do. There are no saddle feathers on either. Just rounded soft pullet shaped feathers. There should be saddles by this age. I am going to try to get some better shots today. I can get my daughters to hold them.

If even one is a pullet I will keep them both if both are, then I will also keep my Marans boy. That is what I am currently hoping for.

They are pretty! Thanks for agreeing with me.

I have a pipeline through BYC to get more eggs next year. There are several of us who want to work with them. I don't know how much I want to work with them but I would like to give them a go.

Hope your cockerel predictions are greatly overestimated. You should know much sooner than 13 weeks.

 

[lizgarf]

Hope your cockerel predictions are greatly overestimated. You should know much sooner than 13 weeks.

Haha- my current cockerel predictions would actually be pretty ideal, assuming I can find homes. 5 pullets would be perfect - especially if it's the 5 I've picked out, so I have one of each mix. My main reason for wanting to keep Lu is so I won't have to explain what happened to her toe!

 

[16 paws]

liz: I am no help with sexing unless it is totally obvious and for every clear cut example there is at least 1 that could go either way. I am currently struggling with these two. They are a project bird and have no standard. They have been bred to have tiny/almost non existent combs so that isn't much help. I thought they were both cockerels but now I am not so sure. Do you all have thoughts? They are 13 weeks old today and I took these shots yesterday p.m.















Misty Mountain I love your little story. So happy for you to be living your country girl dream. Good luck with the frosting. Hope your DH loves the outcome. You are a sweet wife to surprise him. Horses are the gateway drug to country living for lots of city girls. My daughters were both barn managers in New Jersey this time last year. They spent 9 mos out there before they came home in May.

16 Paws: great meme. yep I am the chicken mathmatician.

Teila: hope all continues to go well with your little flock. I enjoy your descriptions of how much you enjoy them!

Tommysgirl,

Miss Tommysgirl, how could I forget, you are my favorite math teacher! Sorry about that.

I say pullets.....
Marie

 

[16 paws]

Lizgarf,

What time are you taking the sticky buns out of the oven? I am trying to get a flight out of here right now. Please save me some!!!!!!!! I will be there soon.....

Marie

 

[Teila]

Good morning Bridge Club

Liz Madeline Khan?
Tee hee at “Norma’s fluffy, egg-bearing hips” .. I hope so too.

I know you are not making any decisions just yet and only speculating at the boys or girls but I agree that it is hard to tell from pictures and you are probably the best one to make the call at this stage. Having said that, I have everything crossed that Frankie is a pullet!

YUM!! I want a sticky bun!

MM I enjoyed reading your post and learning more about you!

TG I agree with Liz they sure are pretty! I also agree that, in my extremely limited experience, nothing screams rooster on those two either, except the legs.

Tina and bubbies are doing well. Tina tried to coach them up the ramp to bed last night and while she was in the nest calling to them and they were down below peeping their little heads off because mumma had disappeared; somehow, they magically air-lifted up to the nest

Blondie’s eggs arrived this morning and are now ‘settling’ from their journey. Wow, talk about well packed! These eggs arrived in a large, round package bigger than a bed pillow which was full of shredded paper. Inside this was a shoe box full of more shredded paper. Inside that was 6 x eggs wrapped in tissue and then bubble wrap. Needless to say, no breakage in transit! I reckon you could have played football with that package and the eggs would not have been cracked!

These eggs are all marked 'MB' (mixed bantam) so, once again, SURPRISE!

Blondie’s new broody coop should arrive today or tomorrow! I got a good bargain and the price included a free name-plate for which I chose ‘Beware of Broody’. Sadly, the name plate printer broke down and they have advised that it will be delayed; I am not worried, I am more interested in the coop, the name plate is just for fun!

My 30 minute lunch break is just about to start so time for me to head outside and check how everyone is doing.

 

[tommysgirl]

Because unless you all see it, it doesn't happen here are my 3 mamas and their 4 bubbies, 1 week old today.


Those are my feet. is this a felfie?


missing a chick in this pic but you see all mamas

Willa is missing her head in this one but all chickies present and accounted for. It is HARD to get 7 chickens to hold still for a picture!

Big excitement as I let them out of their pen for the first time today. They meandered over to the big pen, a peacock meandered in too. When I went in to shoo out the pea, he got nervous which made the girls nervous and the next thing Mr. Pea knew there was an angry feather duster beating him about the head and neck, she was joined in combat by Willa the flop combed menace. The two of them battered and assaulted him wildly, screaming all the while. By now all of the other chickens have taken up the cackleathon. Finally Mr. Pea found the gate and made a run for it and he was pursued for a good 50 feet by Mama Willa. Mama Gracie meanwhile had taken cover with the littles.

It was a sight and I was cheering my girls on. I wonder if Ike learned that peacock patrol is HIS job.

 

[tommysgirl]

Tommysgirl,

Miss Tommysgirl, how could I forget, you are my favorite math teacher! Sorry about that.

I say pullets.....
Marie

Heehee not a problem at all I stole the formula from chiqita here on BYC.

Thanks for saying pullets...hope you guys are right.