Pipd's Peeps!

[Crazy Maizie]

I feel a loss is always heartbreaking.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

It is, for more than one reason. Obviously the loss of life, but there's also all the added expense of more fencing and netting, especially now with as expensive as things are, and the work that needs to be done to put it up and make sure everyone's safe. So far there hasn't been a return visit from the hawk, though it's only been two days, of course. I've been checking every time I hear an alarm call and haven't yet seen anything fly off.



I spent some time with the youngest kids today and took some pictures. They're 5 weeks old this week! The last three weeks kinda blew by and I didn't realize I hadn't taken their pictures in so long! I can confidently say at this point that the Barred Rock bantams are 2 girls, 4 boys. Stinks, I was hoping for an even 50-50, but at least I got two pullets out of the deal. I've been a bit suspicious of Isolde lately, too. Now if she turns out to be a cockerel, I definitely won't be happy. We paid quite a bit to get two female Orpingtons. The only saving grace is that I did get two correctly sexed pullets with the Legbar included in that group, but I'll still have yet another cockerel to deal with if Izzy is not actually female in the end.

Anyway, pictures! I also finished naming the girls, so I'll include their names with each picture.

The Blue Orpingtons, starting with the darker girl, now named Neela. She's like a puffy blue cloud moving through the brooder

Isolde... Ooooh, that comb.

Our lovely Legbar, who I've decided to name Harriet. I know I'd mentioned naming her Alifaire a while ago, but I realized not long after posting that that the name is really close to Altair in pronunciation, so I decided against that. So, Harriet it is.

And the Barred Rock bantams, starting with the pullets and their names!

This is Sandusky, named for Upper Sandusky, the city we were stranded just outside of in Ohio with the chicks. I'd been calling her 'Skee' for short, as in the last syllable of Sandusky, and that nickname has sort of morphed into Skeet like a skeeter (aka mosquito, for those unfamiliar with the term) for her tendency to buzz around the brooder with boundless energy.

And this is Findlay, named for the city we accidentally went to when my sister took a wrong turn on the trip home.

The boys don't have any names because I have no intention of keeping any of them, but they do still have the same leg bands, visible in their pictures, so that they can be distinguished and compared to their other pictures. Those bands are not as tight as they look, for the record, but I might change them to the larger size pretty soon anyway, just to be safe.

So the head spots were... mostly correct. When I was looking at them as chicks, I correctly pointed out Fin and Skeet as girls, but I also guessed that one more, maybe the purple or yellow band baby, would be a girl because I remember thinking I may have gotten a perfect split. Obviously that was not correct! Pretty close, though! Looking at their head spot pictures from their first day here, it's pretty apparent which are the boys and which are the girls.

Anyway, as always, there are a bunch more pictures to share! Here are Finnie and Harriet judging you.

I love Harriet's 'hair'

Neela being a cloud on top of the waterer

And lastly, Skeet on top of the feeder, preening. She must look her best for her adoring crowds, you know

I should probably also get updated pictures of the kids outside, but it's been stormy and rainy all day, so today's not the day to do it, unfortunately. Yep, more rain, UGH! The big kids are doing great with the amprolium treatment, though, and growing like crazy!! I can't believe how HUGE those English Orp boys are getting! Still no tails, though! It's supposed to be rainy off and on until the weekend, so any updates on them will probably have to wait until then.

 

[ronott1]

They are looking good!

I am sorry you lost one to a Hawk

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Thanks, Ron! I think we had a return visit from the hawk yesterday, but it was backlit when it flew off and I couldn't tell. Sometimes vultures land in that tree, so it's hard to be sure. No attacks, though, just a bunch of scared chickens. I have netting now, so I'll be covering more of the pens tomorrow.



I have pictures of the older kids today! I spent two days tubing Corid water into one of the silkied Cochin cockerels, the darker Blue, Hank, because he got very lethargic after the last bout of rain. He seems okay today, not out of the woods, but back to eating and drinking on his own at least. No rain in the forecast for a few days, so hopefully he can get the rest of the way back onto his feet in that time. Ugh, it has to be one of my Blues! Everyone else seems totally fine, though, so at least there's that.

Anyway, the silkied Cochins are about 11-and-a-half weeks old today. Here they are:

Lil Coconut's face looks like she's worried about something

Also I initially got this picture of Bella for her update shot, but it's a little out of focus and that branch is in the way. Still, look at her!

Anyway, here are the English Orpingtons, who are a little over 10 weeks old. The two Chocolate Mottleds:

And Mr. Crele (with Juni making faces in the background )

I got distracted typing this and it's pretty late now, so with that I am off to bed! Good night, y'all!

 

[ronott1]

Thanks, Ron! I think we had a return visit from the hawk yesterday, but it was backlit when it flew off and I couldn't tell. Sometimes vultures land in that tree, so it's hard to be sure. No attacks, though, just a bunch of scared chickens. I have netting now, so I'll be covering more of the pens tomorrow.



I have pictures of the older kids today! I spent two days tubing Corid water into one of the silkied Cochin cockerels, the darker Blue, Hank, because he got very lethargic after the last bout of rain. He seems okay today, not out of the woods, but back to eating and drinking on his own at least. No rain in the forecast for a few days, so hopefully he can get the rest of the way back onto his feet in that time. Ugh, it has to be one of my Blues! Everyone else seems totally fine, though, so at least there's that.

Anyway, the silkied Cochins are about 11-and-a-half weeks old today. Here they are:

View attachment 2798115View attachment 2798105View attachment 2798109View attachment 2798112View attachment 2798110View attachment 2798102View attachment 2798103View attachment 2798111View attachment 2798114

Lil Coconut's face looks like she's worried about something

View attachment 2798113

Also I initially got this picture of Bella for her update shot, but it's a little out of focus and that branch is in the way. Still, look at her!

View attachment 2798104


Anyway, here are the English Orpingtons, who are a little over 10 weeks old. The two Chocolate Mottleds:

View attachment 2798106View attachment 2798107

And Mr. Crele (with Juni making faces in the background )

View attachment 2798108

I got distracted typing this and it's pretty late now, so with that I am off to bed! Good night, y'all!

They are so cute!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Sorry for lack of posts. I've not been having a very good time here this past week. A few things just to keep the board up to date on the flock.

I gave the youngest kids their first-exposure dirt a few days ago, now that we've had a long enough break from rain that there's actually some dry soil out there in places, and, of course, they have coccidiosis now. They're still acting normally and flying around like little maniacs, but I've found a couple bloody droppings in the brooder. Straight on amprolium after that discovery. The kids outside have recovered and been off of amprolium for a while now, so I think as long as I'm careful about when I put the little ones outside, they'll be fine after their treatment, too.

Speaking of the outside kids, I've had to separate the English Orpingtons from the silkied Cochins due to them not being aware of their own sizes and scaring the fuzzies from their food and water by accidentally stepping on them, so now the three large boys are in the main flock with the adults. The two Chocolate Mottled boys absolutely tower over everyone, yet all three Orp boys flee for their lives if they're so much as looked at cross ways.

Also, after almost another solid month of brooding following a couple week's break from their previous month and a half of solid brooding, Donna and Rowena have finally decided they don't want to hatch eggs anymore, and the broody buster is at long last empty. With everyone going into molt already (including Rowena!) and egg laying slowing down, I'm hopeful that it'll remain empty for a long time now.


And the last thing that needs to be said is... I'm losing Nadine, my Black Copper Marans hen. She's been ailing for a couple weeks and she's definitely not doing great today. I don't think she's got another day in her at this point. I'm considering helping her along, just so that she doesn't have to suffer anymore. I feel very bad about this one because I knew she was not doing well, but she seemed to be eating and drinking, so I left her alone. Lo and behold she was not eating as much as she appeared to be, and the next thing I knew she was skin and bones and her crop has stopped emptying so I literally can't put food into her anymore to help her. I don't think I could have given her much more than a little extra time if I had acted sooner, but at least she would not have been starving this whole time. I really let her down. After this many years, I'm ashamed that I let this happen. I really should have known better, and done better for her. I'll let y'all know what ends up happening, but most likely she will pass on today, either on her own or with a little help.

Editing to add, she is gone now. She never came out of the coop this morning and was just not looking good, so we ended her suffering. Lots of tears. She was a standout personality in the flock, and she will be greatly missed.

 

[ronott1]

Sorry for lack of posts. I've not been having a very good time here this past week. A few things just to keep the board up to date on the flock.

I gave the youngest kids their first-exposure dirt a few days ago, now that we've had a long enough break from rain that there's actually some dry soil out there in places, and, of course, they have coccidiosis now. They're still acting normally and flying around like little maniacs, but I've found a couple bloody droppings in the brooder. Straight on amprolium after that discovery. The kids outside have recovered and been off of amprolium for a while now, so I think as long as I'm careful about when I put the little ones outside, they'll be fine after their treatment, too.

Speaking of the outside kids, I've had to separate the English Orpingtons from the silkied Cochins due to them not being aware of their own sizes and scaring the fuzzies from their food and water by accidentally stepping on them, so now the three large boys are in the main flock with the adults. The two Chocolate Mottled boys absolutely tower over everyone, yet all three Orp boys flee for their lives if they're so much as looked at cross ways.

Also, after almost another solid month of brooding following a couple week's break from their previous month and a half of solid brooding, Donna and Rowena have finally decided they don't want to hatch eggs anymore, and the broody buster is at long last empty. With everyone going into molt already (including Rowena!) and egg laying slowing down, I'm hopeful that it'll remain empty for a long time now.


And the last thing that needs to be said is... I'm losing Nadine, my Black Copper Marans hen. She's been ailing for a couple weeks and she's definitely not doing great today. I don't think she's got another day in her at this point. I'm considering helping her along, just so that she doesn't have to suffer anymore. I feel very bad about this one because I knew she was not doing well, but she seemed to be eating and drinking, so I left her alone. Lo and behold she was not eating as much as she appeared to be, and the next thing I knew she was skin and bones and her crop has stopped emptying so I literally can't put food into her anymore to help her. I don't think I could have given her much more than a little extra time if I had acted sooner, but at least she would not have been starving this whole time. I really let her down. After this many years, I'm ashamed that I let this happen. I really should have known better, and done better for her. I'll let y'all know what ends up happening, but most likely she will pass on today, either on her own or with a little help.

Editing to add, she is gone now. She never came out of the coop this morning and was just not looking good, so we ended her suffering. Lots of tears. She was a standout personality in the flock, and she will be greatly missed.

View attachment 2808468

I am sorry you lost her!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

It sounds like a lot happening at once. Sorry for your loss.

 

[ronott1]

Thanks for agreeing to judge the calendar contest!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

It sounds like a lot happening at once. Sorry for your loss.

Yeah, it has been a lot lately. Fortunately, the smiles outweigh the sad stuff, even if it doesn't feel like it at times. Thank you (and Ron!) for the condolences, that was a particularly tough loss for me.

Thanks for agreeing to judge the calendar contest!

Of course! I ought to get that finished up today. I only had about 50 pictures left to judge when I left off, though of course it's still open and getting new entries so that could have changed by now.