Pipd's Peeps!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well, I had enough of tiny party-horn cockerel crows in the brooder at 5:30 in the morning. I kicked the OEGB boys out yesterday!! They are now living the life in what was the broody buster (broodies are spending their days with the duck in the mean time - and yes, there are broodies, plural ) and sleeping in the laundry basket cage overnight. They survived their first night, so I guess they're fine! Here they are this morning.

The Marans cockerel will probably join them after this latest rainy spell we're supposed to have, just so that I can be sure it's warm enough for him as a slow featherer with bare patches still. Miss Bee will join her sisters and parents in the OEGB pen at the same time. Just in time to clean out the brooder for the next batch of chicks!!

Speaking of them, last I peeked I still had 10 silkied Cochins going strong! I also took a glance at the Orpington eggs last night, and despite all the issues they outwardly seem to have, I could see some veining in there!! If all these eggs keep trucking, I'll be swimming in babies before too much longer!

 

[ronott1]

Well, I had enough of tiny party-horn cockerel crows in the brooder at 5:30 in the morning. I kicked the OEGB boys out yesterday!! They are now living the life in what was the broody buster (broodies are spending their days with the duck in the mean time - and yes, there are broodies, plural ) and sleeping in the laundry basket cage overnight. They survived their first night, so I guess they're fine! Here they are this morning.

View attachment 2676074

The Marans cockerel will probably join them after this latest rainy spell we're supposed to have, just so that I can be sure it's warm enough for him as a slow featherer with bare patches still. Miss Bee will join her sisters and parents in the OEGB pen at the same time. Just in time to clean out the brooder for the next batch of chicks!!

Speaking of them, last I peeked I still had 10 silkied Cochins going strong! I also took a glance at the Orpington eggs last night, and despite all the issues they outwardly seem to have, I could see some veining in there!! If all these eggs keep trucking, I'll be swimming in babies before too much longer!

It is nice to get them outside!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Definitely! And WAY overdue with these guys because I didn't really have anywhere to put them until I got desperate enough to do some rearranging.

 

[ronott1]

Definitely! And WAY overdue with these guys because I didn't really have anywhere to put them until I got desperate enough to do some rearranging.

I have a similar situation going on with my hens. They are in a small coop and run currently after the wind broke the fence. It took a long time to get the gate back up-- the person installing it had car troubles and then the materials were out of stock.

The gate is up finally so I am slowly working on getting the run back connected to the fence. The hens will be very happy to get back into the larger space!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Glad you finally got the gate back up! I'll bet those girls will be raring to go once it's all fixed up.

 

[ronott1]

Glad you finally got the gate back up! I'll bet those girls will be raring to go once it's all fixed up. View attachment 2676679

They have quite a bit of work to do! Their run has weeds in it for the first time in 11 years!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Last night was candling night for the eggs. The 10 silkied Cochins are looking good still, lots of activity and veining! One looked a bit iffy to me and I didn't see it move, but it didn't really look dead, either, so I left it. And another one had its lil foot right by the shell where I could see it!! I about died!


The Orpingtons... don't look so great. Out of 15 eggs, it looks like I had only 11 or 12 develop, and out of those, only 6 are still alive. The Crele eggs have very jiggly air cells, more so now than when I initially candled them out of the box, and only 2 of them are still alive, the ones with the least jiggly air cells. I'm not sure if I should have waited longer to start turning or what, but I don't think I could have known better anyway. The Chocolate Mottleds are doing a bit better, 4 still alive and solid air cells. I'm really hoping that all 6 of these make it.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Another quick post to say that the Marans cockerel and Miss Bee have now moved outside as well! Bee has joined her older sisters in their little pen (fenced off, of course, so she's not bullied!), and the little Marans is in a cage in the chicken yard. No pictures, but it sure is a relief, and they seem to be adjusting fine to their new surroundings! I did notice as I was carrying them out that junior Marans is a Black Copper! It's usually impossible to tell with this crossing whether they'll be that or what I've been calling golden Birchen until later, so I wasn't expecting to know for a while still. However, at just under 6 weeks old, rather than feathering in as he should, his back is still mostly bare... except for the glistening, pointy saddle feathers he's growing in already! I didn't think to take a picture, but I'll get one later if I remember when I round him up for bed. He's one of, if not the earliest cockerel I've had to grow saddles!

 

[ronott1]

Last night was candling night for the eggs. The 10 silkied Cochins are looking good still, lots of activity and veining! One looked a bit iffy to me and I didn't see it move, but it didn't really look dead, either, so I left it. And another one had its lil foot right by the shell where I could see it!! I about died!


The Orpingtons... don't look so great. Out of 15 eggs, it looks like I had only 11 or 12 develop, and out of those, only 6 are still alive. The Crele eggs have very jiggly air cells, more so now than when I initially candled them out of the box, and only 2 of them are still alive, the ones with the least jiggly air cells. I'm not sure if I should have waited longer to start turning or what, but I don't think I could have known better anyway. The Chocolate Mottleds are doing a bit better, 4 still alive and solid air cells. I'm really hoping that all 6 of these make it.

It is a tough call on eggs with wonky air cells!

If they are detached, there is not much you can do about it. Saddle air cells can do better with a day or two of resting.

 

[hirundinidae]

Another quick post to say that the Marans cockerel and Miss Bee have now moved outside as well! Bee has joined her older sisters in their little pen (fenced off, of course, so she's not bullied!), and the little Marans is in a cage in the chicken yard. No pictures, but it sure is a relief, and they seem to be adjusting fine to their new surroundings! I did notice as I was carrying them out that junior Marans is a Black Copper! It's usually impossible to tell with this crossing whether they'll be that or what I've been calling golden Birchen until later, so I wasn't expecting to know for a while still. However, at just under 6 weeks old, rather than feathering in as he should, his back is still mostly bare... except for the glistening, pointy saddle feathers he's growing in already! I didn't think to take a picture, but I'll get one later if I remember when I round him up for bed. He's one of, if not the earliest cockerel I've had to grow saddles!

That's amazing! What do you usually do with your roosters?