Pipd's Peeps 2014!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well, I promised to update y'all on the eggs, so here it is. There will be no chicks. The nest was smelling this morning, so I removed the eggs and broke them open. Not a single fertile one. Margie is so upset, but there's nothing more I can do for her. I feel so bad about it all.

 

[lightchick]

Aww so sorry! That's to bad!
Your girls are looking very pretty lately! I think they are going to be very pretty birds.
My chicks are 10 weeks old today and I'm still hoping that my Silkie is a girl. Is it even possible for a roo to be at the bottom of the pecking order with no other roos?
I'm sorry, but it makes me laugh when you take your girls outside! My new chicks are 1 week old and they have been going outside to play nearly every day! My chicks think it's no biggy to go outside, but yours looked so funny when you took them outside.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Haha, yeah, they are very late going out this year. Yesterday, they were out alone because I had things to do, and they had a blast! Now they beg to go out, but since they are sharing their outside space with our dogs, I have to let the dogs go out first. They definitely can't be out there at the same time!

Anyway, I'm not very good with Silkies, but I can try to help you sex yours. I know all the signs of boyhood in them, it's just whether they are obvious enough for me to spot them!

 

[lightchick]

Well thanks! I'm going to update "her" pics today, because "she's 10 weeks.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Okay, checking in for the babies' 8-week pictures! A couple days ago, the babies met Tilde, who has quickly become like a big sister! She's a bit too bossy with them when she's in the pen with them, but whenever she sits, the babies pile on the other side of the fence, and whenever she preens, the babies preen with her. It's too cute!

Oh, and in regards to eggs hatching (or not hatching), I do have an announcement! But first, here are the littles at 8 weeks old!

Elda cuddles!

Kit-kit the talker!

Georgie the klutz!

Graceful Louise!

Mabel the worrier!

Beautiful miss Poppy!

And big-boned German, Violet!

ETA: Oh, forgot to mention--Poppy and Vi are 9 weeks old.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Here's Tilde and Poppy, because crested girls have to stick together! Usually, the babies will spend the majority of their time sitting by the fence with Til, but they were all on or around my lap because I was in the pen with them.

Speaking of on or around my lap, here's Elly again! Such a sweetie!

Georgie! Her eyes are so pretty right now!

Kit-kit's bright eyes!

Louise doing a dramatic, over-the-shoulder pose

Mabel, making sure her feathers are set just so.

Violet, angry walkin'. (She's not as angry as she looks. )

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Lots of angry looks today! Here's a fierce look from Louise!

And one of Violet's grumpy faces!

She doesn't look so grumpy when she's face-first in the feeder.

Poppy is incapable of looking angry.

And Mabel has too sweet of a face to be angry.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

We also had a pretty heated competition between Elda and Violet for my attention. Elda makes it pretty clear when she wants her cuddles.

She's such a cuddler, too. I officially LOVE Dorkings!

Look at this face!

Violet, meanwhile, is a bit more subtle when she wants her attention. She just walked up and put her chest against my knee.

When she was in my lap, she made herself at home.

Snuggie!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

To finish off, here's some Tilde pictures! The reason she ended up with the little ones is because she's having a hard time with the big-girl flock. She's very brave when there's a fence in the way, but any time I put even some of my most calm girls in with her, she freaks! So I thought since the babies aren't into the pecking order yet, it would give Tilly the gumption to stand up for herself. And she does. Anyway, here's Tilde! She always looks so surprised!

Giving Elda a funny look through the bars.

I had to back off a bit before the babies would pile up next to her like they usually do. Here's Til and the babies.

And finally, a wicked look I got from Til through the bars.

And finally, a short announcement. I did a lot of research and decided that I wanted to try raising another new species! So I have an incubator and some call duck eggs on the way in the mail!! Margie's not brooding anymore, or I would have given her a couple eggs to sit on. But, if all goes well, I should have some ducklings in a few weeks!! e

 

[ChickenChatten]

Oh, I love ducks! I really want some of my own but I guess I'm not making a good enough of a case to my family... Very excited to see yours grow though!

How old are your chicks when you usually introduce them to the rest of the flock?