Pipd's Peeps!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

This was my Silkie when she was young... Awkward stage? I don't know what you're talking about! And those chicks will be here before you know it! So excited for you!

Aw, she was adorable! Okay, you win! Speaking of cuteness, I took just a few pictures of Crashie today. She laid another soft-shelled egg last night. I was super worried about her because she was acting odd all day yesterday, but she seems totally fine now that she's laid it. You would think the hard-shelled eggs would be more difficult, but they always seem more distressed with soft-shelled eggs! Anyway, hopefully she lays a solid egg at some point! I'm thinking I'll blow it out and keep it if she ever does, like Pattyhen suggested. She's in her living room pen right now, and seems so happy to be with 'her flock'. Y'all may or may not be surprised to hear this, but my dad, who recently complained about all the noise she would make, told me that he missed seeing her, so she gets to stay in her living room pen every day as long as I'm not going to be away from the house. That means she gets to come down every day this week! On to the pictures! Crashie's starting to get more spots on her chest like her mom. (This picture's a little dark because she was standing in a shadow.)

Ahh, sunshine feels good on the feathers!

I had her pen open to take pictures, and after looking around a bit (and making adorable faces), she decided to invite herself out. "You opened this for me, didn't you?"

I also took a few pictures of the girls free-ranging in the woods outside the window by Crash's pen, but this was the only one that turned out decently without glare or blurring too much. Crashie spends long periods of time bird-watching (or, well, staring in horror at any of the wild birds that land outside her window ), and this usually includes any chickens that roam by as well.

The red hen here is Skua, by the way. She seems okay like this a lot of the time, but then she huddles and dozes for a while, and that's the part that worries me. Anyway, Huka the Lakenvelder is up on the log and Elda is right underneath her.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Crash is looking great!

 

[pattyhen]

Crash is beautiful. I hope she doesn't lay anymore soft shelled eggs. There was an additive I used years ago for chickens when they laid soft shelled eggs. I'll try and look it up for you because it really worked good.

Your chickens are beautiful. I love the pics thanks for sharing with us. It won't be long now for Marge's babies to hatch. I've never marked my calendar before for someone elses chicks but Marge I've got you down for the 10th. Good luck.

 

[pattyhen]

The additive I used for my chickens was Nekton Msa. You can get it on Amazon. This stopped the soft shells right away.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Thanks for the info, Pattyhen, I'll look into that. I looked into soft vs hard-shelled eggs because I was thinking about how distressed she was the other day, and from what I was reading it's because they have no leverage (which is not the right word for it, but the only one I can think of) to push soft eggs, while hard ones they can push against to get them moving. So the sooner she starts laying hard shells, the better!

She was back to her usual antics today, yelling for me when I left the room, 'air-bathing' and throwing shavings everywhere, chewing on my fingers (and finding just the right spot to sink her little bill hook into so it hurt! ). I was really worrying about her after the other day, but today she gave me nothing to worry about, the little squirt.



And because I apparently have lost my brain... I realized that I hadn't been entering any of my recent pictures in my 100 Pictures project! So, to recap:

I think this one is a good one for 11. Eggs:

Debating whether Crashie's happy face in the sunshine would work for 2. Sun:

Crashie hopping out of her cage while I was taking pictures could work for 10. Naughty:

This one of the girls is a nice starting point for 12. Free-Range, at least until the greens start sprouting in the woods!:

Time to edit the project page.

 

[pattyhen]

I'm glad I could help you with the soft eggs and I hope she doesn't lay another one. That's funny when their quiet you worry about them and when their up to mischiff (spelled wrong) you know their back to their old selves.

Do all call ducks have the hooked beaks? My runners and assortment don't have the hook on their beaks.

I think the pics will be fine for the catagories. I love the smile on Crashs face for the sunny day.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I think she has that little hook because she's inside, not a lot of rough terrain or rocks or anything to wear it down. My mom and I had been wondering if we should intervene on that, but the thing is, I'm not sure we could clip it like we can when the hens' beaks overgrow, so we'd almost have to sand it down, and that doesn't sound fun for us OR for Crash. She'll have field trips outside this summer with the hatchery babies, and hopefully that'll help with it.



In other news, trying to sit on my hands and keep calm over here!! Margie's babies could hatch at any point from today on! Deep, calming breaths..!!

 

[pattyhen]

She'll probably wear it down this summer when she goes out more. I have a cochan bantam hen that gets an overgrown beak. I have to clip it off when it gets to bad. I don't know about ducks tho I would just wait and see how it does.

Two more days for Marge but they could be early. Marge is a first time mother but I think she'll do fine. Silkies are the best for hatching and mothering. All of mine lived to go broody and hatch babies. Bless her heart she has been dedicated. Please take lots of pictures. I wish I could get some chicks but I'm out of room.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Yup, could be. The woman I got Reuben from said that her Silkies usually hatch on day 19. I'm thinking they won't hatch today, just based on how the looked the last time I candled, but today is day 19, so you never know! I don't even know what to do with myself right now!!

Lots of pictures, definitely! Some of my classmates have asked me to text them pictures, too. Y'all are going to be sick of the Silkie chick pictures by the time spring break is over!

 

[pattyhen]

The next best thing to hatching your own is seeing someone elses baby chicks. Post all you want I will never get tired of looking at them. I had one silkie rooster that loved all the chicks. You would have to watch how he does but mine were devoted dads. Especially when the mother hen would leave them at 6 weeks old. The rooster would take over in their upbringing and watch over them.