Pipd's Peeps!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

such cute little fuzz balls.  They are preicious I love them all.  I am so glad they finally got there and I'm so sorry for your losses.  I forgot to check your thread yesterday so I'm just now looking at their pics.  It seems like with curled toes you cut out a little shoe of soft cardboard like a cereal box and tape their foot to it to hold their toes straight.  I don't know if that will help the little one or not.  I sure hope he gets well soon.  

Thanks so much for sharing the pics with us. 

Thanks for the advice, but it's not his feet. It's definitely his hock that's causing problems. I looked again and started doubting whether I knew for sure it wasn't a slipped tendon. Then, when I cleaned his leg off, it became apparent that the hock is enlarged there, and I'm beginning to suspect that his hock joint is deformed somehow. I tried to stretch out the leg and see if it would get better, and as of today, he's standing up and limping on it, not putting any weight on it but at least trying to use it! I'm going to keep doing some 'physical therapy' with him every day and see what happens.

So exciting! Meant to reply to your post yesterday but I got flooded with some schoolwork. They're all so cute. I LOVE the picture of them startled from the flash haha. I love the tuxedo-looking Marans. Wishing you best of luck with some of the trickier chicks... Keep up posted.

Oh, I definitely understand having a ton of schoolwork! Especially this late in the semester! I didn't think I was going to get through all of mine this week, especially with the chicks coming. Who needs sleep anyway, right?

I love that picture with the Dark Dorkings, too. All their little feet!









I'm busy today, but will see if I can get some more baby pictures to post later! I split this order of chicks with someone, so I have to drop their chicks off to them this afternoon. Don't worry, everyone in the pictures I've posted is staying! There are 5 little Mottled Javas in the mix who are going home. Anyway, that's what's up over here.

In other news, in the big girl flock, spring is definitely here, and I can tell by one big reason. Actually, three little reasons and two big reasons. That'd be the three Silkie girls and the two big LF Cochin gals. All of them are BROODY. I almost couldn't believe it that Flury and Cazzie went broody because they're only about 10 months old! The only ones I've had go broody before their first birthday are the Silkies, so no big surprise with them. Oh, and to add some interest to the mix, She Who Sleeps Standing Up is also being grumpy and is likely on the verge of being broody, too. So begins the yearly uprising of the Broody Brigade!


Oh, and I meant to post this yesterday, but got caught up in other things. I was looking around for more info about the Dark Dorkings, and of course FeatherSite popped up. Well, they have a couple pictures of Dark Dorkings on their Dorking page, and they are totally GORGEOUS!! Though I really wanted Colored Dorkings, I think I'm really excited now for the Darks. Here's a picture of a Dark Dorking hen FeatherSite--isn't she just beautiful?:

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Oh, I definitely understand having a ton of schoolwork! Especially this late in the semester! I didn't think I was going to get through all of mine this week, especially with the chicks coming. Who needs sleep anyway, right?

I love that picture with the Dark Dorkings, too. All their little feet!

I know! The semester is almost over and I'm getting swamped with work... I've had an exam every week since I got back from spring break and I will until finals week. I don't know what happened because I haven't been this busy all year. Ugh. I keep telling myself I just have to make it to May 4th, but when you're getting so little sleep it's hard.

Your hens actually wait until spring to go broody? How generous of them! Mine will go broody any time of the year.

The dark dorkings look beautiful, by the way.

 

[pattyhen]

I love the little short legs on the dorkings. Do they run different from other chickens? You have 3 broodies already? Mary Jane the guinea hen is trying to go broody. She has laid 14 eggs in the nest and she'll set for a little while during the day and then get up. For the last several evening she has been laying on them at night. Spiderman is so upset because she is not up on the table with him. I went to turn their light off and he was just a crying. I don't know what he is going to do if she goes broody fulltime.

I hope your homework slows down some so you can enjoy the chicks more. I don't know why they would want to swamp you at the end of the semester.

Take care and have a nice evening.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I know! The semester is almost over and I'm getting swamped with work... I've had an exam every week since I got back from spring break and I will until finals week. I don't know what happened because I haven't been this busy all year. Ugh. I keep telling myself I just have to make it to May 4th, but when you're getting so little sleep it's hard. 

Your hens actually wait until spring to go broody? How generous of them! Mine will go broody any time of the year. :/  The dark dorkings look beautiful, by the way.

Hang in there! May 4 isn't too far away! That's when my semester ends, too, or at least that week. We can do it!!

Haha, well, the Silkies are broody year-round, but the rest of them seem to wait for warmer weather at least. That being said, my large fowl Cochins aren't quite a year old yet, so it remains to be seen how broody they are the rest of the year. The only other girls that have gone broody before hitting 1 year of age were the Silkies, so that's not a good sign!

I love the little short legs on the dorkings.  Do they run different from other chickens?  You have 3 broodies already?  Mary Jane the guinea hen is trying to go broody.  She has laid 14 eggs in the nest and she'll set for a little while during the day and then get up.  For the last several evening she has been laying on them at night.  Spiderman is so upset because she is not up on the table with him.  I went to turn their light off and he was just a crying.  I don't know what he is going to do if she goes broody fulltime.  

I hope your homework slows down some so you can enjoy the chicks more.  I don't know why they would want to swamp you at the end of the semester.  

Take care and have a nice evening.  

Nah, they don't move any different than the others. They do mosey along a bit slower than the others and aren't inclined to run as much, but when they do, they waddle just as much as everyone else.

Not 3 broodies, 5! 6 if you count She Who, though she's not 100% committed to it yet. Poor Spiderman! Are you going to let her hatch if she goes broody? Should be interesting to see how he reacts to fatherhood, anyway, haha! With all the new chicks I've gotten this year, there won't be any hatching going on over here, so there are 5 very disgruntled broodies out in my flock.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I've been SO busy lately, but I did get just a few pictures of the babies while I was sitting with them last night. They're warming up to me now, so I've been holding them more and messing with their soft baby fuzz. I am a little worried about two of them, though. The Wheaten Marans has been sleeping more than the others and feels lighter than the other Marans, and one of the Dark Dorkings is also smaller and having pasty butt problems, though at least she is eating like a cow! I'm keeping my eye on them. The little guy with the leg problem is getting around well and is also a bit smaller, but still growing!

Anyway, pictures! Here's the little squirt with the leg problem. Look at those bright eyes!

Some of the Marans. The dark ones are supposed to be Black Copper, but the little guy in the front is growing dark brown wing feathers!

A close up of those wing feathers. It's really pretty, so I don't mind as long as I get some dark egg layers from the mix. Meaning at least one of these guys better be a girl!!

Another of the Black Coppers. Isn't she so pretty?

And lastly, a Dark Dorking. This little guy has started crowing already! I've never had roosters crow so young, and now 3 in the same year started crowing at under a week old!

 

[TheChickenQueen]

I know if talked about this before but I can't remember, which of your roosters are you going to be keeping? Or do you plan on keeping?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well...

Of the boys I have, I'm definitely keeping Reuby, Winter, Roscoe, and probably Rigby. Probably keeping Ben, Lucky, and Ramsay as well at this point, but it will depend on how they behave. I haven't had the chance to try Ben out with the girls because he and his dad will not stop fighting when he's out. However, I decided if anything happened to Reuby, I'd like to hang onto his boys. Winter is such a coward that I don't know if he'll ever be a good protector, so I'm leaving my hopes with Ben on that front. And Lucky and Ramsay are buttheads right now, but I imagine they'll calm down once their hormones balance out. I want to keep them because of their rarity, and once again, if something happens to their dad then I'll still have plenty of boys.

Umru will not be staying. He's too big, too unpredictable, and he's absolutely brutal toward the hens.

Of the babies I just got, I had planned on keeping a Colored Dorking rooster, maybe 2, but since those didn't end up hatching well, I had no intention of keeping any roosters from that set. Maybe if the Darks turn out pretty, I'll keep one or two of them, but otherwise, I'm only keeping the girls. I had planned to keep a Red rooster to make sexlinked Dorkings with my Silver Gray girls, but had it backwards. (EDIT: Nope, I was right. Red rooster over Silver Gray hens should make sexlinks. I may have to keep one of them now.) Oh, and the little squirt with the leg issue will be staying regardless of whether he's a boy or girl. Now, if his quality of life becomes an issue, then I will decide what to do with him then, but otherwise, that little guy gets to be a spoiled special needs pet.

But anyway, yeah. That's a lot of roosters, but we're planning to build some predator secure pens for them this summer, and then I can keep them separated if they can't get along or get too rough on my girls. Personality is my main objective, though, especially toward the girls, so if that becomes a problem, then those roosters may just have to go as well. We'll see. That's the plan, anyway.

 

[pattyhen]

Great pics of the babies. That is so strange to have a baby chick crowing like that. One good thing about it you right away it's a rooster and no guess work on that.

I think I'm going to see how Mary Jane does. She is not totally commited to the broodiness yet. I did find her singing to the eggs the other day. It was the prettiest voice I've ever heard her make. The chickens are even helping her with the eggs. I keep pulling a big green egg from her nest. One of the ees is adding to her collection.

Thanks so much for sharing the babies since I don't have any chicks I really enjoy looking at yours. Have a great day.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well, it sounds like it won't be long before you have babies, too, then. Should be interesting to see how she does! Good luck!


For now, I did take a bunch of pictures of my babies yesterday. I meant to post them last night, but by the time I was finished with everything I needed to get done (see the bottom of this post for more on that... :/ ) it was quite late and I was tired. So, here are yesterday's pictures!

All da babies!! They always flee for their lives like Godzilla is coming when I climb into the brooder with them. Then they're like, "Oh, okay." Oh, that little bit of red toward the right is the leg brace on the little Red Dorking with the leg issues. Look how well he's standing!!

Here's the little squirt with the Wheaten Marans. He's small, but catching up quickly! The Marans are all large chicks, so this makes him look a lot smaller than he really is. And just judging from how dark those wing feathers are on the Wheaten Marans, looks like it's a boy. :/

One of the Dark Dorking babies. Isn't this one just so pretty?

The odd-colored Red Dorking baby. She (or he) was looking at my feet because I kept bumping the side of the brooder and the tarp was crinkling. Oh, the face!!

Some babies giving me looks from under the EcoGlow. "A little privacy, please!"

The Dark Dorking with the rose comb. He's the only rose comb chick in the crowd, so it's kind of interesting. He had a little scab on his beak when they arrived, but it's healed up perfectly!

Another Dark Dorking. This one's pretty, too!!

A Red Dorking giving me weird looks.

Here's another Red Dorking under the EcoGlow. This one is kind of neat looking; he's got dark gray in his neck.

They're starting to get used to my hands being in there with them. Here's the little Red Dorking with the leg issues, sitting in my lap. Not long after this, he started shrieking indignantly because I interrupted him eating to hold him.

The little rose comb Dark Dorking. He just climbed into my hand and let me pick him up.

The Black Copper Marans with the brown feathers coming in. He always looks so stunned by the camera flash.

The odd colored Red Dorking baby. "This is mine now."

And one last picture of one of the Red Dorkings up on the waterer. Doesn't she look so proud of herself? She's not the only one that does this, either--usually it's the Black Copper Marans!

So. Anyway. Flock news.

It was becoming apparent that their brooder was way too small for the feather duster squad. I may have mentioned this earlier, but I set up a small dog crate and separated the two girls out because the boys were getting too rambunctious and rough. Then, the boys started getting rough with each other, and particularly Rigby was being pushed around and showing some wounds on his comb and wattles. I was keeping them in there because I wanted to get rid of the mites before sending them out. Well, it looks like the mite battle will continue on indefinitely. :/ A couple days ago, I decided, what's 3 more birds to treat when I'm already treating 39? So Ramsay, Rigby, and Lucky moved outside into the coop with the flock yesterday.

All seemed okay at first. I fenced off a section of the coop around one of the pop doors and have a small fenced area outside for them. That afternoon I checked in on them, and Rigby's face was bloodied. They didn't seem to be fighting anymore, and since their combs do tend to bleed a lot even with a small wound, I went with the assumption that they had had a spat and were done with it. Then came roost time. I herded them into the coop and closed them in, when I started to hear fighting. I figured poor Rigby was being ganged up on again, but come to find out, Lucky was beating up on Ramsay that time! I grabbed Lucky to put him in another pen, since he seems to be the instigator most of the time, when I heard more fighting. Ramsay was beating up on Rigby! So long story short, I had to find 3 different pens to put those boys in for the night, because apparently they just all wanted to beat the crap out of each other!

This morning, I tried to put them all back together again, and they all started fighting again. UGH! Fed up, I chucked them all out into the flock to get a lesson on roughhousing. After Reuby and the girls took them down a few pegs, they were happy to go back to their pen and get along with each other. Roosters!

In the mean time, the two girls are still inside because they know they have it good and are getting along fine. But I'm beginning to think about what's best for them and wondering if 2 more birds is that much more than the 42 I'll be treating for mites now. Sigh... We'll see what happens.

 

[pattyhen]

The babies are precious. Wow you have a lot of chickens. I do not know how you keep up with that many names. that was cute how you solved the roos fighting. Put them with the older chickens. Never a dull moment. Thanks for sharing their pics. '