My Ivy.. Latest Relapse...She's Gone

[gumpsgirl]

Ivy looks good in those pics Cyn! Glad she seems to be rebounding again for you.

 

[Serrin]

Hey Cyn! Since you're so dad-gum good with these BR's...I've got a curiosity question for ya. Are they prone to a two egg day?

Remember little LizzyBeth? I swear that little munchkin gave me TWO eggs today. I went out to check on them around 8:00 this morning and watched her lay a nice little egg...well...a bit better than "little". She and her two sisters, Rachel and Rosie, are starting to get beyond the "pullet" stage with the size of their eggs now.

Anyhow, after I watched her lay that nice egg I went ahead and retrieved it as soon as she jumped out of the nest box to go about her day. Later, I think it must have been almost 3:30 pm, I see her back in the nest box again. So, I went in to see what she was up to. She raised up like she was going to get out of the nest box and that's when I saw it: this tiny little egg, the exact same shade of brown of the one I watched her lay this morning. But, as I say, it was TINY. About half of the size of her usual egg.

So, is she trying to lay two a day? I've noticed several times when I go out to retrieve eggs in the evening, that once in a great while, there will be one itsy bitsy egg out there with the rest of them. I never had any clue as to who might be doing it, but now I have some pretty strong suspicions that it's LizzyBeth.

What do you think? And is there any way to prevent her from doing this. If BR's are prone to egg problems, it doesn't seem to me that this can be good for her future. Or am I just worrying over nothing, considering how young she still is? Any thoughts you care to share with me are always very much appreciated.

I'd just like to know what you and anyone else who has had a similar experience think about this. Thanks!

 

[speckledhen]

No, if it was that tiny, it was just a "wind egg", a bit of a glitch, not a *real* egg. BRs are not especially prone, as a breed, to any sort of trouble at all. Ivy is hatchery stock, but so is Lexie, her same age sister, and Lex is still laying just fine. Never had two eggs in one day from any of them, though there have been quite a few wind eggs over the last few years.

 

[Serrin]

Thanks for the response Cyn. I really do appreciate it. But, sadly it's all a moot point now. This morning, that retched Cooper Hawk swooped down and killed my precious little LizzyBeth.

Yes, I'm absolutely devastated. I don't know how much more of this I can take. I love my girls so dang much. Were I not so completely enamoured with their crazy antics and personalities, I think I'd give this up. It hurts so incredibly bad when I loose one.

I know this is the risk, and sometimes the price we all pay for allowing our girls to free range. But I just can't find it in my heart to coop them up when they know how wonderful the world can be, most of the time, beyond the walls of their scratch yard and coop.

I always knew that someday a hawk would get Lizzy. Just by virtue of the fact that she couldn't run fast or straight to save her life...literally... This has really been a rough three months around here. First Lacey, and then Gimpy to a rotten dog. And now LizzyBeth to a hawk. I can't hate the hawk. It was only doing what comes naturally to them. This is their job in life. But why, oh why do they have to think my little girls are on the menu?

At least I know I gave Lizzy the very best life she could possibly have had. It was probably a lot more life than she might have gotten anywhere else. I think most people would have put her down as soon as they realized something was wrong with her. I never could have done that. She was ten months old to the day. Far too short of a life...just too darn short!

Please Cyn, keep your stories of Fern and Ivy coming. They really do keep me going through times like these.

 

[speckledhen]

Geez, that's awful! I'm so sorry about your sweet girl. I've yet to lose a bird to a predator, but my day is coming. Yesterday, DH walked out the door to go to the coop, then walked right back in and went to get his gun, saying he saw something lurking outside the fence whose back was gray and it was fairly large, so I'm thinking coyote or fox in winter coat. The girls didn't even see it and Isaac was in isolation from his girls to heal his bleeding comb (which they caused, little cannibals). I'm a bit worried today since they are nowhere near as observant as the roosters. I may put Ike in the adjacent Firetower pen so he can at least watch out for them today.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Cyn, hope nothing happens. You've had enough to deal with lately. I worry about predators here, but have been very lucky. I know that won't always be the case. It would be enough to send me over the edge if I had a predator attack while I am caring for a sick bird, too.

That reminds me, time for antibiotic...

 

[ozark hen]

Oh, so sorry, Serrin

 

[speckledhen]

Ivy is LAYING again!!!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Quote:

What a girl! And what wonderful, loving, and compassionate caregivers.

for amazing you and your loving DH.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Serrin --

for you.

We also have a coopers who has taken a chick - will not take on the chickens since my bantam Cochin Ruby when after the hawk; but it did take a blue chick. Brat bird - beautiful but bratty. Luckily now at 8 weeks old the outdoor chicks are "too" big for it.