I Built A Bridge!

[MistyMountain]

A few pics...
Chores in the snow

Jakey... I told him to look up and smile and he puts his face in the snow..

Lilly, NO DOGS ON THE FURNITURE!! Yeah right!

 

[MistyMountain]

So, that snow that was supposed to turn to rain around lunch time today? Never. Stopped. We have over a foot of snow on top of the almost foot of snow we got Monday/Tuesday. I think it is switching to freezing rain/ice now, but the warning is in effect until 6am Sunday. We are snowed in!!

I got 5 eggs today. The chickens are a little freaked out by all the white stuff.

Lastly, for your entertainment (if I can get the video to load). Bryan forgot to tell me about the jump, to lean left after the jump, and to lean back right after leaning left. The end result was the worst face wash I have ever had. I honestly couldn't breathe. I'll be doing it all again tomorrow!!

 

[lizgarf]

Hi folks,
Love the face-plant pic, MM! Sorry your wipeout video apparently didn't upload. Reggie is very jealous of Lilly.

Teila, have you dried out yet?

Things here are good and weird. Good, because Bettina seems to be improving - not full strength yet, but she looks better and she walked around the yard a bit more today than she has recently. Lucy is back to laying, with no poop icing on top. Also good because I've been enjoying a little staycation, while I catch up on farm and music activities as I try to figure out where to go for a trip and maybe wait for a snow storm to hit somewhere. But, I should probably get back to work now, though at a more leisurely clip than before.

The weird is that two incidents happened last week, which made me wonder if someone was mad at me over the chickens or Reggie or both. First, someone had thrown two large sticky mouse traps, complete with mousey remains, over my back fence. That was sad and disturbing, but possibly just some inconsiderate jerk. Then, I think 2 mornings later, I went out to let Diego out of the mancave, and was greeted by my hens walking on the front porch!! Someone had apparently opened wide one of the coop doors! It had to be a human, as that door tends to stick, and it was left open at a 90' degree angle. There's no way that was the work of a critter. Thank goodness, everyone was accounted for, and those that were outside quickly returned inside for their morning scratch.
Well, i was pretty freaked out at that point, feeling unsafe for the first time in the almost 20 years I've lived here. I made another flier, saying what had happened and if anyone had any issues with the critters, to please contact me, and that I'd be putting up a security cam, even though I hated the idea of it. My amazing Macgyver friend who helped me build the coop (or whom I helped), is even better with electronics and immediately came over and installed something way more technical than I had imagined and which sort of works and I put up a sign, and I haven't heard/seen anything weird since. I'm thinking I really should lock the coop at night, and probably will once I give the camera back.

Anyway, that's my news. Nothing actually bad, much that is good, and some that is just weird.

Oh, Teila, your countrymen have invented the coolest thing I've heard about, maybe ever! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/flow-hive-honey-on-tap-directly-from-your-beehive
I think it'll actually get me to woman-up and keep bees myself! I can't wait until my pre-order arrives, maybe in September!

 

[MistyMountain]

Liz, weeeelllll I think I did get the video to work, and I now know how to post it. I'll do that after this.

I am happy to hear Bettina is feeling better and that you were able to enjoy your staycation, but what is up with the weird? Who does all of that? I would be speechless over the whole deal. I think you are handling it well and I hope that things get resolved quickly. Please keep us posted.

 

[MistyMountain]

Ok friends, as mentioned above, for your entertainment:

This message will self destruct in one week. LOL

 

[MistyMountain]

Welp, snow happened, again. 4-5". I love snow, and I love it more living down here vs WI. It comes, you get to play in it, it goes away. I'm kinda at that "go away" stage now and ready to see some green and growing stuff. I have my little peat pots ready to start growing things for the garden. Now if I could only narrow down my list. Going with a small garden this year since we won't have time to fence it in properly while focusing on the new coop.

Poor chickens have had it! They want to see the ground again too. I brought out some broccoli this morning and they snubbed their noses at it. What is this green stuff?

Anyhow, stay warm or cool or dry and happy!!

 

[Teila]

Howdy Bridge Club

We have finally finished the clean up and we have dried out nicely.

MM nice to see that you are taking all that snow in your stride and even having some fun.

I had a good chuckle at the chicken spanking moment; love the Jakey face plant; Lilly sure does look comfortable and that video is a classic! Hearing you two having fun and laughing put a smile on my face, you sound so happy

Liz I am pleased to read that Bettina is improving and work has eased off and given you a chance to relax a little.

Wow, those incidents would freak me out! How awful for you and if someone does have a problem, I wish they would just speak to you about it, rather than causing you worry. Talking to you would be far more productive than sneaking around! If they tell you what the issue is you could maybe fix it … as it is, neither of you are benefitting from their actions.

I hope you get it sorted out soon

So, my news …..

After a week of countless e.mails, two weather interrupted cancelled meets to pick up eggs and lots of hair pulling and near resignation to the fact that I was not going to get Cilla some fertile eggs; she is now sitting on 8 x mixed bantam eggs and is on Day 5. As I was working, Joel took a drive to pick them up so hopefully the hatch rate might be higher due to no travelling in the postal system. Apparently there is some frizzle in the mix but none of the eggs are marked so, once again, Surprise!!

Hopefully my two new gals are in this hatch

Cilla is such a wonderful broody, no screeching like a banshee; no pecking or biting (meaning the welding gloves can stay in the shed) and no peacock impersonations! You would hardly know she is there. She sits on the nest all day, nattering away to her eggs. She has always been one of those broodys who gets so much into the zone, she forgets to move. Each afternoon I make sure she has a bit of wander around, a groom, dust bath, something to eat and drink and of course, that ever so powerful poop! She wanders around, does her own thing, doesn’t pick on anyone or cause any bother. Must be one of the bonuses of being the matriarch.

Blondie thinks that because Mum is broody, she is going to be broody also .... I don't think so Princess!!!

This is hatch number 5 here and I still find myself checking the chick development sites to see what stage they are up to on any given day … does anyone else do that or is it just me? If any of these eggs are developing, I know they now have eyes, ears, a beating heart, the beginning of a nose, legs, tongue and wings and today, the reproductive organs and differentiation of sex should be happening. As you all know, no touching for me, total hands-off, a quick peek to ensure no breakages and que sera sera.

I know, crazy chicken lady, but I also know that I am in good company

 

[Teila]

"Hey, you are blocking my sun. Can't you see I am working on my tan!"

 

[lizgarf]

Good morning, all!
I'm writing this with Penelope on my lap, and the morning sun streaming through my window and good music on the radio and Reggie by my side. Can't complain!
I'm glad to hear that Cilla got her eggs, Teila! I hope you get a healthy hatch without too many boys!
Luckily, no broodies here. Occasionally Rousseau is in the nest at night, but she's not actually broody. Maybe they're finally growing out of it? Frida hasn't returned to laying yet after her last hatch - it's been 7 months! Silly chicken.
Bettina continues to improve. Yesterday she went to the backyard entirely on her own for the first time in months! So pleased.
Nothing weird has happened since last weekend. Maybe the flier did its job or maybe it was all just weird coincidence. My friend's elaborate camera set-up is still in place, but it's just a loaner, and I don't want to rely on something like that.
We finally got a little snow in the mountains, though only a few sprinkles of rain down here. I'm going to head up to the mountains later this week to play. I need to figure out the Diego solution for when I go - I might just put a collar on him, or I may ask my neighbors to put him in/out of the mancave. I am just so nervous about him getting left in there! But, I need to work this out so I can get away, and if the timing is bad because of the weirdness, what can I do? The timing will never be good if my fears are in charge.

 

[Teila]

Howdy Folks

Liz Sounds like you are having a wonderful time and I am so pleased to hear that Bettina continues to improve and that the weirdness has stopped.

So, I am posting mid week for a reason … had the most awful scare with Dusty! She is molting and Blondie is broody. So Sunday around 8pm I went out to make sure that Blondie had stayed on the roost and not mucked around trying to find somewhere to pancake. Anyways, Dusty had laid a soft shelled egg. Unfortunately, a good deal of the shell was hanging out of her vent. I removed it and cleaned her up as much as I could without causing too much angst while they roosted.

Monday morning Dusty was very unwell; moping, not moving much, very sleepy, runny poop. As I had to work I couldn’t do much for her during the day, just keep an eye on her and ensure she did not get worse.

Research indicated that they have trouble laying the soft shell eggs because they are hard to push out, nothing to grip and some oil may help.

Knocked off work spot on 4pm and dashed outside with a bowl of warm water and Epsom Salts and plonked her in it for 30 minutes gently massing. I managed to get some sardines in oil into her but had to put her up on the roost at bed time because she didn’t want to jump. She looked pretty bad and I was really concerned that I was going to loose her.

As I do, sent Joel out to check on her this morning, I was too chicken! He came back and told me she was in the run .. phew!

Overnight, probably due to either the bath or the oil in the sardines or a combination of both, she had deposited the rest of the shell which I found on the coop floor.

She is still a bit sad and sorry for herself today but the majority of that would probably be that she is a bit of a sook during a molt.

She was scratching around the garden at free range time and jumped up onto the roost by herself at bed time

I am keeping a very close eye on her!