MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

The concreters are here again. Today they're making the forms, then tomorrow the engineer will check everything. If he's satisfied, the pour can be ordered for later in the week. Little by little, we're getting to the end

 

[RoyalChick]

The concreters are here again. Today they're making the forms, then tomorrow the engineer will check everything. If he's satisfied, the pour can be ordered for later in the week. Little by little, we're getting to the end

I hate to break it to you, but little by little you are getting to the beginning!

 

[MaryJanet]

I hate to break it to you, but little by little you are getting to the beginning!

Can't wait for the house to smile at the street!!

 

[ManueB]

I've been unpacking old boxes of books and I found this gem from when Dad and I bred canaries.

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Important notes were made inside the back cover.

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It must have been very emotional finding this, with the notes. Were you still a child, or a young teen, hatching canaries with your dad ?

I guess we are all excited now to see how the house will look . Smiling at the street sounds wonderful !

I thought Christa looked pretty good on the video of Ivy. How is she ? And Janet?

 

[MaryJanet]

It must have been very emotional finding this, with the notes. Were you still a child, or a young teen, hatching canaries with your dad ?

I guess we are all excited now to see how the house will look . Smiling at the street sounds wonderful !

I thought Christa looked pretty good on the video of Ivy. How is she ? And Janet?

I was around that age, still a kid but wanting more responsibility.

The house has had a sad face for most of my life, so I'm delighted to be fixing it up at last!

Christa is very healthy and has an unlikely sidekick now. Katie became friendly with Christa when Edie went for her second sitting, which wasn't something Katie wanted to do again. Also Christa jumped on Katie like a rooster a couple of times and that was something Katie understood and respected.

Janet is on another upswing after a week of being almost dead (or so it seemed) but keeping up her sunbathing and perimeter checks.

Everyone else is flourishing, even Peggy with her FLHS.

The Jacaranda tre that grows over the run has provided much needed shade this summer. It's the first summer since having hens that they can be in the run all day (without the mister going) and be comfy in the shade. On the other hand, it's been a very mild summer with more rain than I'm used to and lower temps. We haven't had a single day in the 40s and that's very unusual.

 

[MaryJanet]

The builder popped in yesterday and says the pour will probably happen on Friday. He's going to ask the engineer how soon we can switch from the flying buttress style scaffolding currently in use to props, which will be simpler and more affordable.

 

[MaryJanet]

I've counted up the 2023 eggs.

Katie 114
Edie 112
Ivy 109
Mary 55
Janet 29
Peggy 15
Joyce 13
Christa 10

Total 457, which is a little less than last year's total.

I'm very pleased to see the hens had so many days off and it's delightful that three hens are doing well as they age and taper off their laying.

Understandably, Janet has not laid as many eggs as last year. Ivy's doing well. Mary is doing great for someone who once had a hernia that needed repairing. Peggy pretty much gave up until it was broody season, 14 of her eggs were laid in December.

I've been thinking about next Summer and will try another hatch. It'll be early in the season, maybe Ivy's first sit, so there's time to get pullets if the hatch fails. I did a little web searching this morning and found a new family business had started up not too far from where I live, called Pip & Grow. They have some nice looking chooks and a mix can be ordered for hatching. Maybe 2 laced Polish, 2 chocolate Orpington bantams, and 2 Marans.

 

[MaryJanet]

Janet has died.

She slept with Ivy last night and didn't get up for breakfast this morning, so I looked for her and she was snuggled up with Ivy. I put a couple of dried meal worms next to her. Later in the afternoon I thought it was strange I hadn't seen her so I looked and found her remains a few steps away from where she had been sitting.

Here she is shortly after moving in. It was day 1 or 2. Mary had not moved in yet and Jan was flying solo that week.

Then her amigo moved in.

A few months later a street urchin turned up.

Three Amigos.

Around this time, she started feeling a little off.

Dr Mark wasn't able to pin it down on this occasion but she had an overnight stay, a fecal float, an exam. All for free.

Some time later two little puddings joined in and gave Janet a reason to look upon everything with a sense of superiority.

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Janet then had a swollen eye which I failed to notice until it was quite uncomfortable for her. She had her eye surgically flushed by Dr Mark and his team. Her eyelid had to be cut open for the procedure and glued together again.

Her eye infection marked the beginning of the end, with several week long treatments of antibiotics and followed by probiotics. We just couldn't crack it and each time her recuperation took longer and failed sooner.

Her last treatment resulted in her poops becoming tiny. That's when I thought no more antibiotics. Something wasn't right and I didn't want to put her through another treatment regimen with its long term recuperation for short term benefit.

Instead I focussed on giving her things she liked like corn and meal worms and cottage cheese rolled in pellets. And salmon and egg. I'm sure the shitty diet made her happy but sicker.

I was lucky to have had such a great hen in my life for so long. She was six. She died on 16/1/24.

An hour ago her friends starting singing for no reason. I like to think they were calling to her as she crossed the Rubicon.

She was a magnificent matriarch who will be much missed.

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh MJ. I am sorry.
I know it was not totally unexpected, but still a sad loss of such a lovely lady.

That is a beautiful tribute to her and shows what a wonderful and interesting life she had with you.


I am glad her compatriots got to see her off. Hugs for them too.

 

[ManueB]

Oh Janet. I was somehow thinking she would live forever in spite of all you said about her health issues...
It seems she left in peace surrounded by her family.
She saw so many things and changes at your place. Her absence will feel strange. But she will certainly stay in our thoughts. While I don't believe in after life I feel that when we think of the departed they are still with us in a different way.