Pipd's Peeps 2014!

[lightchick]

They are so pretty! Any eggs yet? My girls are 29 weeks, but only two are laying. All of my girls hate the snow........I wish I could figure out a way to make them go out and forage!

 

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Oops, haha, sorry I missed your post! I actually just came here to post that today, at 28 weeks and 5 days old, Georgie girl laid her first egg!! Isn't it lovely?

This picture is closer to its actual color. Also, that brown egg in the background may be Violet's second egg, but I don't know for sure yet... But I have no idea who would be laying brown eggs at the moment if not her!

The girls were in bed already, so I have no fresh pictures of them, but they look mostly the same as they did in their last photo op.

 

[lightchick]

It's so pretty! I wish I got speckled eggs! It's such a perfectly shaped egg too!
Now I have at least four out of six laying. Pepsi (BSL), Pumpkin (RSL), Sweetie (BA) and Elsa my mixed girl. Elsa just started a couple days ago.......no blue/green eggs from her though. Just cream colored. I think Lexi my Silkie at 31 weeks might be hiding eggs and maybe Ana too. (Ana just squatted for me today!) Ana and Elsa are 22 weeks, but they are still noticable smaller then the other four 31 week old girls.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I think it must be the breeds. My young'ins are about the same size as the big girls already! Louise, the 'little one' of this set, must have had a growth spurt--I noticed the other day that she's already about the same size as Georgie, and she used to be tiny in comparison! Some of my so-called big girls are somewhat small, though, like my Fayoumi, who's even smaller than my Silkie! (She's small, but makes up for it with attitude! )

So far, I've gotten lots of squats out of Georgette and Mabel, a few squats out of Kit and Louise, and almost no squats out of Elly, Violet, and Poppy. I've only gotten 2-3 eggs a day for some weeks now, and one of those eggs was coming from the Silkie, Marge, who has now gone into her monthly broody spell. But hopefully now I'll be getting regular eggs from Georgie to make up for that!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well, it's been some time. I honestly didn't mean to skip last month's update (and I did take the pictures, so I'll post them here today as well), but some things came up. Things that will unfortunately change a bit around here. On December 19, 2014, I got a test result back from a swab performed on two of my hens, which confirmed that my flock is carrying Mycoplasma Gallisepticum. I have already decided that I will not be depopulating my flock. I have put hours of research into the disease and will be doing everything in my power to prevent its spread, but I cannot cull my beloved birds. Take from that what you will.

So since I now have a closed flock and will not be getting chicks this year, I'm going to put some focus into all of my birds rather than just the youngsters. So if some of the older girls show up in my very few posts here, well, that's why. Not that I post very often anyway.


So, since they were skipped, here are the pictures of the babies at 7 months old, from December 20:

Elda at 7 months old, and her obligatory cuddle picture:

Kit-kit at 7 months old:

Georgette at 7 months old:

Louise at 7 months old:

Miss Mabel at 7 months old:

Poppy at 7 months and one week old:

And lovely Violet at 7 months and one week old:

Here's the rest of the pictures from December, just so they're all together.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

And today's pictures of the babies at 8 months old! We have had some mild frostbite on some of our comb tips, but all seems to be healing accordingly, so I think everyone will be alright. The majority of the babies started laying the week before Christmas, around the same time Georgie did. Elda started laying last week, and Poppy and Louise arestill not laying. Fingers crossed for more dark brown eggs soon and some pretty blue ones, too!

Elly!

Kit-kit!

Georgie! She had the worst frostbite, but it has receded quite a bit to my relief! It used to cover a pretty large portion of her comb!

Louise, who looks indignant at the impromptu photo shoot.

Miss Mabel:

The lovely, but very uncooperative Poppy:

And equally as uncooperative Violet!

 

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Faces! Elly and Kit, but who's who? (Elly is first and Kit-kit is second. )

Louise and her lovely eyes!

But she's still angry about the picture taking.

Georgie and her poor comb!

Poppy! I don't even know.

Violet looking possibly a little less grumpy than usual!

 

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To finish off, here are the Dorkings, because they were being such hams today!

Elly says, "Back off and no one gets hurt!" She's taking her cuddles seriously this month!

Looking at me. "I love you..."

The Dorkings looking stately. Elly is sitting and Kit-kit is standing.

Louise wanted to join in on the picture shoot this time.

And Elda... Once again, I have no idea.

 

[lightchick]

So cute as always! Too bad about their combs! So far my girls haven't gotten frostbitten even though it was in the -15s for awhile!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

We hit around -8 at the lowest, I think. I tried something new with their ventilation this winter and I think that's why we had issues. Improper ventilation, not low temperatures. :/ Definitely scrapping that idea for next winter! It does look like Georgie will lose a couple points off her comb, but she's healing fine otherwise. Thank goodness for warmer temps--if only relatively speaking! (It's been in the 30's instead of the single-digits!)