Fife, you are clearly swimming in a fine gene pool. Congratulations to your Dad. He looks great! I bet they still card him before they give him senior citizen discounts!
Michigan
- Thread starter Grammi
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Fife, that is so wonderful that you were able to have that time with your dad. You have a nice looking family.
Nova, I love my chickens too. My sister laughed at me when I told her why I missed her call...because I was out having a beer with the chickens
Nova, I love my chickens too. My sister laughed at me when I told her why I missed her call...because I was out having a beer with the chickens
Thanks everyone....I have been blessed with a wonderful family...my dad is a retired dairy farmer. He knew how to do EVERYTHING and while there he asked me if I remembered the "outhouse" on the farm (I did but never had to use it)...he installed the bathroom in the house. He rewired the house....took down the windmill (now he regrets it...should have left it). I asked him how he knew how to do those things and he said....common sense! He did have a book to help with the electric. His sister just turned 100 a couple of months ago...she was in the Grand Rapids paper.....was a retired teacher. Another sister is 96 and lives alone in Utah and another one is 90 and lives in Lansing. He really DOES have some good genetics!!
The GRP had something on the front page about the centurian club today, is that it? I didn't read it, I just deliver it. LOL
Fife, so wonderful that you treasure those moments. I lost my dad when he was 49. Sad to think I am just about 3 years from that now.
I haven't posted in a long time, but it has been such a crazy last few days, I had to share. And sorry about your computer troubles, Opa. Tech can be a real pain in the keister.
Friday, my psycho game hen Fiona hatched out the two BBR OEGB eggs I gave her; and didn't kill one by booting out of the nest like she did with her last brood. Both littles are very cute, and seem to like their freakshow of a mom.
Saturday afternoon, I heard a commotion out in the yard. My banty roosters were raising quite the ruckus, but by the time I put on my boots and got out there, everyone was milling around like nothing had happened. So I sat down to watch them play around, and five minutes later, the two-month old banty mutts in the front yard started squawking. I looked in their direction, and saw the two little roos of the pack flanking a dark brown furry thing. I ran up to them, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up, only pausing long enough to grab a hoe out of the shed. I got up there - it was a mink. It was just laying in the grass, looking up at me, which in hindsight was very strange, but at the moment all I wanted to do was beat it to death with the hoe. I've lost two flocks of chickens to these things (and a six-week old crested duckling to a weasel two months ago; it got a face full of bird shot when it came back for the seven-week old). I wasn't in a merciful mood.
It was only after I got rid of it that I realized it's behavior was very bizarre - it should have ran as soon as it seen me, and it wouldn't have had any problem grabbing one of the little banty roos, but it didn't even react to them. Then I remembered the commotion I heard earlier, and realized what had happened. The mink had gone after the adult birds, and they knocked him silly. So he must have come up front to get away from them and try to grab one of the younger birds, but was in no shape to do so. I re-checked my adult birds, and one of my OEGB roos had a drop of blood on his beak, but it was obvious he hadn't fought with another roo. I have very good boys!
Sunday I lost my Royal Palm turkey poult. It seems like Blackhead (I lost two other turkeys last month that had similar symptoms), but this boy had shown symptoms less than six hours before dying, and was the picture of health when let out earlier that morning. I'm worming my flock ahead of schedule to try and keep my last poult from dying, but I still have doubts that this disease is the culprit. I truly believe it's something else, but will take the necessary precautions just in case I'm wrong.
Monday night (technically 4 a.m. Tuesday morning), I was awakened to the familiar shriek of my AWOL hen, and peeping. She went broody and disappeared, and I had believed she had her nest hidden somewhere in the front yard. I was wrong.
I got outside as fast as I could, and saw a stray cat I've never seen before next to my father's plow. When I went looking for her nest, I had checked all the tarp-covered equipment EXCEPT the plow because I though it would be the last place the hen would lay her eggs.
Duh.
I chased the cat off and checked the nest to find five little fuzzies and five unhatched eggs. Unfortunately, one of the chicks was been badly hurt by the cat and had to be put down. I rushed the hatched babies to crazy girl in the spare coop, and the eggs to another hen that had gone broody. Then I heard AWOL screeching in the yard, but each time I tried to catch her, she would fly into progressively taller tree, so I gave up. I started walking back to the house - PEEP! I stopped, began looking around, and found a chick in the grass. I gave it to one of the broody's, started back to the house - PEEP! PEE-PEEP! Looked around again, found another chick. Gave it to a broody, went back to the house - PEEP! AAAHHHH! So I found that one, and looked around intently for any more, but only found a dead one the cat had dropped. Finally went back to bed.
The next day I check on everyone, to see if they were okay, and if goofy had gone back to her nest. She had, but ran off squawking when I tried to grab her. A few hours later, my dad came into the house and asked me if the hen in question was a little black one. I said yes, and he told me she was in front of the coop - with ANOTHER CHICK! WHAT THE ???? So I went out there, and sure enough she was out there with a little, so I was able to scoop them both up and put them in a cage. Walked back to the house, walked past the plow - PEEP! PEEP! Unbelievably enough, another chick was there, and I gave it back to mom.
I originally wanted to put all three moms in the spare coop together, but all they did is fight over chicks, and one of the babies got trampled. So today I separated them, divvied up the babies, and then they were happy (finally).
Two of the eggs hatched, but the last three were abandoned and cold. One was damaged, one was a dud, and one was pipped (and had been since Tuesday morning) and the chick inside was alive. However, I didn't know that until after I opened the egg and had ripped the membrane. I knew that was an instant death sentence, and mournfully put the egg in the burning barrel when the peeping stopped.
This evening, I walked past the burning barrel - PEEP!
You've go to be kidding me! Sure enough, the chick I thought I killed had hatched! We had burned papers in there Tuesday afternoon, and the residual heat must have given the little one the energy to hatch out. It was covered with ash, but seemed to be okay. How crazy is that!
So it's been interesting, to say the least.
Friday, my psycho game hen Fiona hatched out the two BBR OEGB eggs I gave her; and didn't kill one by booting out of the nest like she did with her last brood. Both littles are very cute, and seem to like their freakshow of a mom.
Saturday afternoon, I heard a commotion out in the yard. My banty roosters were raising quite the ruckus, but by the time I put on my boots and got out there, everyone was milling around like nothing had happened. So I sat down to watch them play around, and five minutes later, the two-month old banty mutts in the front yard started squawking. I looked in their direction, and saw the two little roos of the pack flanking a dark brown furry thing. I ran up to them, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up, only pausing long enough to grab a hoe out of the shed. I got up there - it was a mink. It was just laying in the grass, looking up at me, which in hindsight was very strange, but at the moment all I wanted to do was beat it to death with the hoe. I've lost two flocks of chickens to these things (and a six-week old crested duckling to a weasel two months ago; it got a face full of bird shot when it came back for the seven-week old). I wasn't in a merciful mood.
It was only after I got rid of it that I realized it's behavior was very bizarre - it should have ran as soon as it seen me, and it wouldn't have had any problem grabbing one of the little banty roos, but it didn't even react to them. Then I remembered the commotion I heard earlier, and realized what had happened. The mink had gone after the adult birds, and they knocked him silly. So he must have come up front to get away from them and try to grab one of the younger birds, but was in no shape to do so. I re-checked my adult birds, and one of my OEGB roos had a drop of blood on his beak, but it was obvious he hadn't fought with another roo. I have very good boys!
Sunday I lost my Royal Palm turkey poult. It seems like Blackhead (I lost two other turkeys last month that had similar symptoms), but this boy had shown symptoms less than six hours before dying, and was the picture of health when let out earlier that morning. I'm worming my flock ahead of schedule to try and keep my last poult from dying, but I still have doubts that this disease is the culprit. I truly believe it's something else, but will take the necessary precautions just in case I'm wrong.
Monday night (technically 4 a.m. Tuesday morning), I was awakened to the familiar shriek of my AWOL hen, and peeping. She went broody and disappeared, and I had believed she had her nest hidden somewhere in the front yard. I was wrong.
I got outside as fast as I could, and saw a stray cat I've never seen before next to my father's plow. When I went looking for her nest, I had checked all the tarp-covered equipment EXCEPT the plow because I though it would be the last place the hen would lay her eggs.
I chased the cat off and checked the nest to find five little fuzzies and five unhatched eggs. Unfortunately, one of the chicks was been badly hurt by the cat and had to be put down. I rushed the hatched babies to crazy girl in the spare coop, and the eggs to another hen that had gone broody. Then I heard AWOL screeching in the yard, but each time I tried to catch her, she would fly into progressively taller tree, so I gave up. I started walking back to the house - PEEP! I stopped, began looking around, and found a chick in the grass. I gave it to one of the broody's, started back to the house - PEEP! PEE-PEEP! Looked around again, found another chick. Gave it to a broody, went back to the house - PEEP! AAAHHHH! So I found that one, and looked around intently for any more, but only found a dead one the cat had dropped. Finally went back to bed.
The next day I check on everyone, to see if they were okay, and if goofy had gone back to her nest. She had, but ran off squawking when I tried to grab her. A few hours later, my dad came into the house and asked me if the hen in question was a little black one. I said yes, and he told me she was in front of the coop - with ANOTHER CHICK! WHAT THE ???? So I went out there, and sure enough she was out there with a little, so I was able to scoop them both up and put them in a cage. Walked back to the house, walked past the plow - PEEP! PEEP! Unbelievably enough, another chick was there, and I gave it back to mom.
I originally wanted to put all three moms in the spare coop together, but all they did is fight over chicks, and one of the babies got trampled. So today I separated them, divvied up the babies, and then they were happy (finally).
Two of the eggs hatched, but the last three were abandoned and cold. One was damaged, one was a dud, and one was pipped (and had been since Tuesday morning) and the chick inside was alive. However, I didn't know that until after I opened the egg and had ripped the membrane. I knew that was an instant death sentence, and mournfully put the egg in the burning barrel when the peeping stopped.
This evening, I walked past the burning barrel - PEEP!
So it's been interesting, to say the least.
Last edited:
WOW! Thats it. Just WOW!
GotChicken? :
I haven't posted in a long time, but it has been such a crazy last few days, I had to share. And sorry about your computer troubles, Opa. Tech can be a real pain in the keister.
Friday, my psycho game hen Fiona hatched out the two BBR OEGB eggs I gave her; and didn't kill one by booting out of the nest like she did with her last brood. Both littles are very cute, and seem to like their freakshow of a mom.
Saturday afternoon, I heard a commotion out in the yard. My banty roosters were raising quite the ruckus, but by the time I put on my boots and got out there, everyone was milling around like nothing had happened. So I sat down to watch them play around, and five minutes later, the two-month old banty mutts in the front yard started squawking. I looked in their direction, and saw the two little roos of the pack flanking a dark brown furry thing. I ran up to them, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up, only pausing long enough to grab a hoe out of the shed. I got up there - it was a mink. It was just laying in the grass, looking up at me, which in hindsight was very strange, but at the moment all I wanted to do was beat it to death with the hoe. I've lost two flocks of chickens to these things (and a six-week old crested duckling to a weasel two months ago; it got a face full of bird shot when it came back for the seven-week old). I wasn't in a merciful mood.
It was only after I got rid of it that I realized it's behavior was very bizarre - it should have ran as soon as it seen me, and it wouldn't have had any problem grabbing one of the little banty roos, but it didn't even react to them. Then I remembered the commotion I heard earlier, and realized what had happened. The mink had gone after the adult birds, and they knocked him silly. So he must have come up front to get away from them and try to grab one of the younger birds, but was in no shape to do so. I re-checked my adult birds, and one of my OEGB roos had a drop of blood on his beak, but it was obvious he hadn't fought with another roo. I have very good boys!
Sunday I lost my Royal Palm turkey poult. It seems like Blackhead (I lost two other turkeys last month that had similar symptoms), but this boy had shown symptoms less than six hours before dying, and was the picture of health when let out earlier that morning. I'm worming my flock ahead of schedule to try and keep my last poult from dying, but I still have doubts that this disease is the culprit. I truly believe it's something else, but will take the necessary precautions just in case I'm wrong.
Monday night (technically 4 a.m. Tuesday morning), I was awakened to the familiar shriek of my AWOL hen, and peeping. She went broody and disappeared, and I had believed she had her nest hidden somewhere in the front yard. I was wrong.
I got outside as fast as I could, and saw a stray cat I've never seen before next to my father's plow. When I went looking for her nest, I had checked all the tarp-covered equipment EXCEPT the plow because I though it would be the last place the hen would lay her eggs.
Duh.
I chased the cat off and checked the nest to find five little fuzzies and five unhatched eggs. Unfortunately, one of the chicks was been badly hurt by the cat and had to be put down. I rushed the hatched babies to crazy girl in the spare coop, and the eggs to another hen that had gone broody. Then I heard AWOL screeching in the yard, but each time I tried to catch her, she would fly into progressively taller tree, so I gave up. I started walking back to the house - PEEP! I stopped, began looking around, and found a chick in the grass. I gave it to one of the broody's, started back to the house - PEEP! PEE-PEEP! Looked around again, found another chick. Gave it to a broody, went back to the house - PEEP! AAAHHHH! So I found that one, and looked around intently for any more, but only found a dead one the cat had dropped. Finally went back to bed.
The next day I check on everyone, to see if they were okay, and if goofy had gone back to her nest. She had, but ran off squawking when I tried to grab her. A few hours later, my dad came into the house and asked me if the hen in question was a little black one. I said yes, and he told me she was in front of the coop - with ANOTHER CHICK! WHAT THE ???? So I went out there, and sure enough she was out there with a little, so I was able to scoop them both up and put them in a cage. Walked back to the house, walked past the plow - PEEP! PEEP! Unbelievably enough, another chick was there, and I gave it back to mom.
I originally wanted to put all three moms in the spare coop together, but all they did is fight over chicks, and one of the babies got trampled. So today I separated them, divvied up the babies, and then they were happy (finally).
Two of the eggs hatched, but the last three were abandoned and cold. One was damaged, one was a dud, and one was pipped (and had been since Tuesday morning) and the chick inside was alive. However, I didn't know that until after I opened the egg and had ripped the membrane. I knew that was an instant death sentence, and mournfully put the egg in the burning barrel when the peeping stopped.
This evening, I walked past the burning barrel - PEEP!
You've go to be kidding me! Sure enough, the chick I thought I killed had hatched! We had burned papers in there Tuesday afternoon, and the residual heat must have given the little one the energy to hatch out. It was covered with ash, but seemed to be okay. How crazy is that!
So it's been interesting, to say the least.
Whoa.... that is super crazy.
I haven't posted in a long time, but it has been such a crazy last few days, I had to share. And sorry about your computer troubles, Opa. Tech can be a real pain in the keister.
Friday, my psycho game hen Fiona hatched out the two BBR OEGB eggs I gave her; and didn't kill one by booting out of the nest like she did with her last brood. Both littles are very cute, and seem to like their freakshow of a mom.
Saturday afternoon, I heard a commotion out in the yard. My banty roosters were raising quite the ruckus, but by the time I put on my boots and got out there, everyone was milling around like nothing had happened. So I sat down to watch them play around, and five minutes later, the two-month old banty mutts in the front yard started squawking. I looked in their direction, and saw the two little roos of the pack flanking a dark brown furry thing. I ran up to them, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up, only pausing long enough to grab a hoe out of the shed. I got up there - it was a mink. It was just laying in the grass, looking up at me, which in hindsight was very strange, but at the moment all I wanted to do was beat it to death with the hoe. I've lost two flocks of chickens to these things (and a six-week old crested duckling to a weasel two months ago; it got a face full of bird shot when it came back for the seven-week old). I wasn't in a merciful mood.
It was only after I got rid of it that I realized it's behavior was very bizarre - it should have ran as soon as it seen me, and it wouldn't have had any problem grabbing one of the little banty roos, but it didn't even react to them. Then I remembered the commotion I heard earlier, and realized what had happened. The mink had gone after the adult birds, and they knocked him silly. So he must have come up front to get away from them and try to grab one of the younger birds, but was in no shape to do so. I re-checked my adult birds, and one of my OEGB roos had a drop of blood on his beak, but it was obvious he hadn't fought with another roo. I have very good boys!
Sunday I lost my Royal Palm turkey poult. It seems like Blackhead (I lost two other turkeys last month that had similar symptoms), but this boy had shown symptoms less than six hours before dying, and was the picture of health when let out earlier that morning. I'm worming my flock ahead of schedule to try and keep my last poult from dying, but I still have doubts that this disease is the culprit. I truly believe it's something else, but will take the necessary precautions just in case I'm wrong.
Monday night (technically 4 a.m. Tuesday morning), I was awakened to the familiar shriek of my AWOL hen, and peeping. She went broody and disappeared, and I had believed she had her nest hidden somewhere in the front yard. I was wrong.
I got outside as fast as I could, and saw a stray cat I've never seen before next to my father's plow. When I went looking for her nest, I had checked all the tarp-covered equipment EXCEPT the plow because I though it would be the last place the hen would lay her eggs.
I chased the cat off and checked the nest to find five little fuzzies and five unhatched eggs. Unfortunately, one of the chicks was been badly hurt by the cat and had to be put down. I rushed the hatched babies to crazy girl in the spare coop, and the eggs to another hen that had gone broody. Then I heard AWOL screeching in the yard, but each time I tried to catch her, she would fly into progressively taller tree, so I gave up. I started walking back to the house - PEEP! I stopped, began looking around, and found a chick in the grass. I gave it to one of the broody's, started back to the house - PEEP! PEE-PEEP! Looked around again, found another chick. Gave it to a broody, went back to the house - PEEP! AAAHHHH! So I found that one, and looked around intently for any more, but only found a dead one the cat had dropped. Finally went back to bed.
The next day I check on everyone, to see if they were okay, and if goofy had gone back to her nest. She had, but ran off squawking when I tried to grab her. A few hours later, my dad came into the house and asked me if the hen in question was a little black one. I said yes, and he told me she was in front of the coop - with ANOTHER CHICK! WHAT THE ???? So I went out there, and sure enough she was out there with a little, so I was able to scoop them both up and put them in a cage. Walked back to the house, walked past the plow - PEEP! PEEP! Unbelievably enough, another chick was there, and I gave it back to mom.
I originally wanted to put all three moms in the spare coop together, but all they did is fight over chicks, and one of the babies got trampled. So today I separated them, divvied up the babies, and then they were happy (finally).
Two of the eggs hatched, but the last three were abandoned and cold. One was damaged, one was a dud, and one was pipped (and had been since Tuesday morning) and the chick inside was alive. However, I didn't know that until after I opened the egg and had ripped the membrane. I knew that was an instant death sentence, and mournfully put the egg in the burning barrel when the peeping stopped.
This evening, I walked past the burning barrel - PEEP!
So it's been interesting, to say the least.
Whoa.... that is super crazy.
Quote:
thats some great longevity in your family, congratulations Fife.
thats some great longevity in your family, congratulations Fife.
Hey everyone! I thought about going back and catching up on the reading I've missed but I'm just tired. I popped in to say hi at least. I'm busy crocheting stuff for another craft show on the 17th and 18th in Tompkins Center. I was in one this past weekend in Eaton Rapids. Didn't sell much, but this time I'm crocheting unusual winter hats in school colors.
Looks like the ducks are finishing up their molting. Their colors are showing through, some look a LOT different. Some of the chickens are just beginning and some are finishing. Everyone is doing great!
Hope everyone here is doing well!!
Looks like the ducks are finishing up their molting. Their colors are showing through, some look a LOT different. Some of the chickens are just beginning and some are finishing. Everyone is doing great!
Hope everyone here is doing well!!
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