Peeps in Europe!

[CuddleNest]

It's the tenth day for my eggs folks! I candled them all at 6 days and the one I thought was infertile, was indeed so. I just candled only that egg today and saw it was just a yolker, so I removed it. So I'm down to 12 eggs now.

Last night I had to scoop up all my chickens and put them in the coop. I don't know how it happened, but one of them closed the gate to the run, so they were planning on roosting on the terrace furniture and the little ones had decided, under the Yew hedge for them. The only ones actually in the coop sleeping, were the old rooster and hen. What an ordeal in the rain and darkness, with only a torch. Anyway I got them all safe and back in the coop, though they protested like I was murdering them, and there is me just trying to save their lives. One of the Sussex roosters could not be caught, so I let him take his chances. He woke me up at dawn crowing under my window, so he's just fine. I'm not doing that again, so I've put a block by the gate to stop this chicken nonsense.

This has happened to me as well, well sort of. During one of the first rainstorms the chicks ever experienced a few weeks ago, they didn't follow the older chickens into the coop, and I found them huddled under some herb bushes in the pitch dark. By the time I found them, I was dripping wet, like "just walked out of the shower" wet. And recently, I had left the back terrace kitchen door open to let the cooler air in because I was expecting rain, and when I walked into kitchen to head outside and do a coop check for the night, I found 2 ducks next to a freshly emptied cat food bowl, 2 chicks on my counter top looking for crumbs or whatever, 1 chick roosting in a towel on the floor, several splashes and splotches of various consistency bird poop all over the floor, a very innocent looking dog, and a miffed cat (probably mainly that it was raining and she couldn't get outside). Getting all the birds out of the kitchen, into the rain, and into their various coops was...a crazy adventure. I ended up having to carry all of them (luckily not in one trip, those ducks are heavy!). Not only was I wet but I got to come in to do a deep clean of the entire kitchen! But the chickens and ducks were all safe!

Looking forward to chick pics!

 

[AnnaWolf]

I can see you walking 2 birds at a time walking back and forth @CuddleNest yes my chicks use their ramp, but they were brooded by my EE Ginny on the ground, after a week I moved them too a raised coop, I springkeld some schratch on the ramp it took the slowest 3 days to figure it out. Now the jump to heighest point they can and use the ramp furter and fly down. They are 8 weeks now.

 

[AnnaWolf]

And yes I do miss Pooly Wops she was a nice lap chicken who maid me feel like a pirate sometimes

 

[CuddleNest]

I can see you walking 2 birds at a time walking back and forth @CuddleNest yes my chicks use their ramp, but they were brooded by my EE Ginny on the ground, after a week I moved them too a raised coop, I springkeld some schratch on the ramp it took the slowest 3 days to figure it out. Now the jump to heighest point they can and use the ramp furter and fly down. They are 8 weeks now.View attachment 2249965View attachment 2249971View attachment 2249972

Oh my gosh, they are so cute, and the white one looks full of attitude! What breed are they? Sorry, if you have said before.

That's a nice trick with the ladder. I didn't think of that but might implement it when updating the ramp I have for the ducks...... Now the chicks and bigger chickens finally seem to use the gate to go up into the coop or to perch on before they fly down in the morning. At some point, I wondered if the chicks would make it up so high if they wanted to fly directly in (these were the ladder-refusal days), but my mom reminded me of what happened when I brought them in and kept them in the bathroom during a storm one time...I might have to post a picture. I only found two of the three....until I looked up at the shower rod. And I guess "chicks on countertops" also says it all.

Seeing these pictures, I realized how old my own actually are in comparison. I had to go back and count weeks in the calendar. At 14 weeks, I guess my "chicks" are officially and most likely pullets now.

 

[abpatchy]

And yes I do miss Pooly Wops she was a nice lap chicken who maid me feel like a pirate sometimesView attachment 2250000View attachment 2250001

So cute!!!

 

[AnnaWolf]

Oh my gosh, they are so cute, and the white one looks full of attitude! What breed are they? Sorry, if you have said before.

They are Dutch booted bantams in the collars partridge, mille fleur and silver porcelin.They are all full of attitude but very sweet even my 6 year old niece can pick them up when she wants.

 

[CuddleNest]

And yes I do miss Pooly Wops she was a nice lap chicken who maid me feel like a pirate sometimesView attachment 2250000View attachment 2250001

ADORABLE!!!!!!! RIP Polly Wops!

That reminds me of cookie, who also died earlier this year of coccidiosis complications. It had somehow gone undetected for a long time and eventually resulted in a shrunken liver from advanced anemia. But even in the end, she was often a bit more alert than me at my desk.... I miss my shoulder warmer! It was very hard on the kids. I hope your youngsters are managing. So Sorry for your loss!

 

[CuddleNest]

They are Dutch booted bantams in the collars partridge, mille fleur and silver porcelin.They are all full of attitude but very sweet even my 6 year old niece can pick them up when she wants.

I love the feathered legs, err "boots"!

 

[AnnaWolf]

I love the feathered legs, err "boots"!

In Dutch they are called Nederlandse sabelpoot kriel after their vulture hocks

 

[CuddleNest]

In Dutch they are called Nederlandse sabelpoot kriel after their vulture hocksView attachment 2250046

Wow, I didn't know that chickens could have hocks! Do they pinch at all when you hold them?