Pipd's Peeps!

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With all this nice weather, it looks like everyone's busy! Well, I've gotten the coop cleaned out and sprayed against mites just in case, so it looks like the girls are good to go! I also did some rearranging on the deck, including taking out one of the hutches since there isn't a rooster living in it anymore, and took down the plastic sheeting for the season. It seems so much roomier out there now, and I'm sure the girls will appreciate the breeze through the coop when we start having really hot weather!

I forgot to post these from Tuesday, but here are some pictures of the babies! They are 9 weeks old this week, not quite babies anymore! The girls are getting sweeter by the day now that I've been able to spend more time with them than during the semester. These Dorkings are so darling! And Reinette, the Wheaten Marans, is sweet, too, although her Black Copper sister, Nadine, is a sassy little thing! Anyway, pictures! First, my sweet girls:

Echo the Dark Dorking, getting prettier every day.

Nadine the Black Copper Marans, possibly the most difficult to get to pose for pictures!

Perdita the Red Dorking, who poses nicely but only on her terms.

Reinette the Wheaten Marans, so graceful and gorgeous

Tessa the Dark Dorking, styling her new leg band because she and Echo are basically identical!

And miss Vida Mae, giving me attitude as usual.

Just a couple of the boys, because they spend most of their time racing around like maniacs. Here is the one dark gray Dark Dorking cockerel that I think is just so gorgeous! But he's a little bit of a jerk.

Mr. Rosecomb Dark Dorking, who I think is what they're supposed to look like as opposed to the above guy.

And here's just a random assortment of pictures I took while I was out there.

Echo giving me looks.

More looks from Reinette and Vida. What a set!

Tessa looking at something outside their pen. I just can't get over how gorgeous she and Echo are.

Nadine, perched. Right idea, but usually you want to perch a little higher honey.

Vida found a higher perch.

Isn't she so sweet?! (Don't mind my wrist, I caught it on the fence when I was getting them set up.)

Reinette. She's just so pretty!

Nadine again. Oh, the face!

And to finish off, some outtakes from the photo shoot. Almost the same face as above, but ZOMBIFIED!

Vida on my lap. I guess I had something on my arm?

Nadine briefly turned into a frizzle.

Did I mention that the boys were running around like maniacs? "Comin' through!!"

 

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Wow! The babies grew up fast! They are still adorable though. I love Reinette's coloring!

 

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They did! I really regret getting them during the semester, I didn't get to spend as much time with them when they were small and fuzzy! But they're so sweet now, so I can't complain too much. I love Reinette's coloring, too. I hope her spots stay through to adulthood, even if that's not the correct coloring for Wheaten Marans!


This morning, Echo was perched at the foot of my bed (but still in the brooder, thankfully), so I turned around and talked to her for a bit. She even peeped back like she was responding to what I was saying! It was too cute! I'm sure going to miss that when they move out into the coop! Which, I suppose I should work on now that it's treated and hopefully pest-free... SIGH.



Report from the war front: The Broody Brigade has fallen, but uprise is inevitable! Currently, just Endymion is holding out from the previous Brigade, but Indigo has begun to turn sides (though she's still laying an egg every day) and Cressida has been cluck-clucking like she's considering joining up, too. Now that I've had the chance to rearrange the deck, broody pens are in abundance, so they're fighting a losing battle. Mwahaha!

I am learning at this point that Trudi has no idea what she's doing with brooding, though. Last night, I peeked in to make sure she and Malcolm were both inside for the night, and Trudi had moved a few feet away from her nest. On further inspection, she was still on her egg, which had somehow gotten out of her nest. Of course, it being on the floor, she apparently was having a hard time keeping it underneath her and so it was sticking partly out from under her and only partly warm. No sign of life in it still. I think she may have ruined any chance of it developing with her inexperience. Oh, well.

 

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Lots of pictures from today and yesterday! This time, I spent some time with the older gals. I'm really loving being able to spend time with them without feeling buggy afterward! Especially this. I missed this:

Even if there were some other nosy birds that tried to horn in on the cuddle time.

"Just don't let it happen again..." Oh, my sweet Elly.

Meanwhile, Debra Jo says, "I was here first!" Poor girl has been having some breathing issues and ascites. I think her heart is failing, sadly. But she's still getting around pretty well, just taking some extra breaks here and there, so at least she doesn't seem to be suffering too much.

It's been a hot few days, so the girls have been pretty lazy. Nothing's nicer on a hot day than to sit in the shade of the lilac bush. And no one sits prettier than She Who.

However, Kate sits with dignity in the shade on the deck.

Maggie was busy beautifying.

Reuby's already handsome. Even if he did shift and blur the picture a little.

If everyone else is going to pose pretty, then so is Kate!

It was much too windy for diva Marka to pose, however.

And Roscoe's got his tough guy image to keep up, obviously! For real, he was flaring his hackles and trying to fight with the camera.

Over with the Silkied Cochin girls, Abra was perfectly happy to pose and be pretty.

Just... She is so sweet!

Rowena, on the other hand, did NOT want her picture taken. "Is she done with the camera yet?"

Over with the duckies, here is Malcolm and Trudi. Trudi is pretending to be invisible, so you definitely can't see her here.

And apparently I can't upload all of the pictures of Crashie in this post, so I guess there's another post coming with her pictures.

 

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The Silkied Cochins are so big now! Is Abra partridge? Trudi looks so adorable just sitting there in the shavings. Looking forward to pictures of Crashie

 

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Crash pictures! Crashie dearest is very angry at me because I did a horrible thing. I cleaned out the shavings she had finally gotten to the right level of wetness and replaced them with, GASP, dry, clean shavings! Oh, the humanity! Now she's got to get them all nice and wet all over again!

"What?"

Yeah, nothing suspicious about that little snoot.

I tried to show her how nice her fresh shavings are, but that just displeased her more. "No, no, no!"

Then she gave me a stern nibbling. Now I know better.

My cute li'l pudgy ducky.

 

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The Silkied Cochins are so big now! Is Abra partridge? Trudi looks so adorable just sitting there in the shavings. Looking forward to pictures of Crashie

Haha, big is a relative term! They're pretty eensy still. Travel size for cuddles. Abra does appear to be partridge, or at least partially. Her tail feathers have some lacing in them indicative of her being laced partridge like She Who.

 

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Izzy, my Blue Ameraucana, is inside right now. Yesterday, she started showing symptoms of heat stroke. We're having a bit of a heat wave, close to 100 degrees yesterday and already in the 80's this morning. She's very disoriented and off balance still, so I think she's still severely dehydrated. I had no luck getting her to drink last night (it was almost roost time when I found her), so I'm working on that today. She's so dizzy, she's having a hard time drinking by herself. Looks like it's time to get out a syringe...

Anyway, y'all, be careful with heat. That's the real killer when it comes to weather extremes! I've got ice bottles for the girls to keep their water cool and to set in their usual hangout spots for some relief, and I threw leftover watermelon in the freezer from the Hatchday party a few weeks ago, so the girls will get that as a treat today. We're due for rain tomorrow, so hopefully it'll cool down as a result. Fingers crossed!

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

Oh poor Izzy!

Syringe!Syringe!I have about fifteen syringes big and small all over the house.Want some?
Hope Izzy will be OK!I would give her some electrolyte water if ou can, and a litttle yogurt with garlic.
Yes, be carful with heat!My poor little Indigo wanted to lay a egg yesterday, of course it was 90° out, and both the boxes where filled, and I had to bring her inside in front of the fan!

Beautiful pictures!Am I right that there are only two boys?Do they have names yet?Poor little Crash, she seems very displeased.Trudi looks very tiny!I can barley see her!

 

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Thanks, Cluckcluck. Not to worry, we have tons upon tons of syringes, too! My parents are both pharmacists and pretty much have access to free syringes whenever we need. NOT used, mind you! My mom brought home a big, unopened bag of 3mL oral syringes a year or so ago and I still haven't used near all of them!

Not sure what's up with Izzy, but she's no different today. I suspect that something else was going on and the heat just stressed her to the point that whatever it was took over. She's bright and alert, but just can't seem to use her legs properly. She shuffles around her pen pretty well, but whenever she tries to stand up, she's all tipsy and off balance. I've not yet seen her drink on her own, but she eats heartily. I've only given her wetted feed since she's been inside, so she is getting some water that way at least. I've also been helping her to drink with a syringe. She's on vitamin / electrolyte water and that's also what I'm using to soak her feed. Hopefully if it's a vitamin imbalance (which can be the cause of these symptoms), it will correct itself as a result.