Pipd's Peeps!

[shadow rabbit10]

Lovely pictures as always! I love the naked neck transformation!

How is Crashie doing?

 

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Oh, you know. Being a butt like always. I think I'm finally making progress on getting her outside, but we've already got a freeze warning this weekend and I'm afraid it might be too late for her to acclimate properly. :/ Stubborn little butt!


Anyway, I finally got some pictures of the Guinea coop! It looks like a box. But it doesn't have to be pretty--the important thing to me is that it's secure! There are some little details that still need to be done to finish it, but the Guineas have moved in, whether they like it or not!

The Guinea box! Don't mind the mess!

This is the front. I'm debating whether I want to put a window in here or not, but I'm thinking it would be better not to. There will be two windows on either side, across from one another.

This is the right side. Sorry for the odd angle--there was an old pen there and I couldn't back up any further to get a straight on picture. The flaps on the vent/window things are not airtight, so I can close all of them in the case of bad weather. Oh, and an actual window to let light in when the vent is closed will be below and to the left of this vent.

The left side. We still need to put the flap over this vent. And the window for this side will be below and to the right of the vent. Another odd angle due to things in the way of proper picture taking.

This is the view from the end of their run. We made the Guinea door big enough that I can go through it if needed, but it couldn't be too tall or it would hook on the bird netting. It's still much more comfortable to get through than the previous Guinea door!

The inside, through the Guinea door.The ladder is leftover from when it was a playhouse; we left it for extra roosting space.

Their roosts are chest high for me, both 8 feet long. We put them narrow end up to prevent warping when (if) the Guineas all roost on them. Thus far, they've slept piled in the corner, but by the time I get out and open the coop in the morning, two or three of them are up on the roosts. Also, that makeshift shelf above the roosts is to put their feed pan on overnight.

Here's the view from their roost through the vent! As you can somewhat see from here...

...They've already destroyed the grass! :/ That's why I put a grazing frame in from the start!

So I'm also thinking I'll expand out their run on this side as well, for just a little more space. Not that it'll save the grass either way, but at least then I could possibly put another grazing frame down without taking up too much space. (P.S., their old coop is in the background. It pretty much was falling apart as we moved it. It's 10 years old, though, so it's probably served its time by now!)

And to finish off, 'Normal Hen' checking on me through the Guinea door.

Now that I've rambled on into perpetuity... Just thought I'd mention I'm heading out to the Central Indiana Poultry Show tomorrow! I'm not showing anyone or buying new birds (if I can resist...), but I may take pictures of birds while I'm there, so be warned!

 

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Okay, I didn't take pictures. I was so wrapped up in how adorable and beautiful they all were that I didn't think to pull out my phone.

I came REALLY close to breaking down and buying some birds, though! When we first arrived, someone was selling Fawn Silver Duckwing Old English Game bantams, a big wishful variety of mine! I was stark against buying anything, though, and by the time we went through there again, they were gone. :/ Not that I was going to buy them then, either, just look at them longingly one last time... And someone was selling a snowy call hen, that was incredibly tempting! If only I had had a quarantine space set up... But it was fun anyway. Got to see a lot of breeds that I know and love, and some varieties of those breeds that I dream about owning! Not a single Dorking in the mix that I saw, though. What a shame! Some day, I'll build myself a big barn and breed Dorkings of all colors and bring them to popularity here in Indiana! Or, well, at least share the love of Dorkings to everyone that will tolerate hearing about it.


Anyway, so, news from the flock. Last night, we had a freeze warning with a low somewhere around 28. A bunch of my girls are molting now, of course, and Marama looks practically table ready she's lost so many feathers, so I tried to make sure everyone had a buddy for the night. Well, I kept hearing Marama get pushed off the perches, and every time I went out there to check, she was huddled in a nest box alone. So Marama came inside last night. Some years ago, I had a barred rock named Cricket who molted really badly every year and pretty much was bare for a week or two while regrowing her feathers. One year, she did this in December. It was a fairly mild December, so I left her out so she could acclimate properly with the rest of the flock. Well, one night it got pretty cold quite suddenly, and since she was regrowing her feathers pretty well, I went against my gut instinct and left her out. She fell off the perches that night and with no one to help her keep warm, she passed away. That was a hard lesson, and one I don't want to relive. So, until the weather becomes more mild, Marama is inside to regrow her feathers. Whether she likes it or not.

It feels way too much like winter is coming now. Sigh... And I'm not done with summer yet! : But at least I have next spring to look forward to.



Oh, one last thing! Thought I would share a video. I finally caught Trudi's ducky alert on video this morning! She really gets into her call. Makes me laugh every time! By the way, this happens roughly every 10 minutes all morning, and then periodically throughout the rest of the day, except when she knows I'm trying to catch it on video!




[VIDEO]

 

[shadow rabbit10]

I feel the same way when I go to poultry shows and can't buy anything... The temptation can be so painful! I agree about the winter. I'm in NJ, and I was hearing about snow warnings for tonight. It's way to early for that! Well now you can spoil Marama! and I love Trudi's duckie call!

 

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HOMEWORK FREE WEEKEND!! e I had heard the rumors but I didn't think they really existed!

Okay, okay, I know it's only Wednesday, but I actually have looked at my schedule and have almost no homework to do for the rest of the week--I say almost no because there are a couple little things, but nothing like the past few weekends. After those past days of scrambling to finish lab reports and essays and other miscellaneous assignments, I feel so relieved right now!!


Okay, so onto the flock. Miss Marama is back outside already. We had two nights that were close to or below freezing, and now we've got a stretch of 70-degree weather. Her feathers are opening up, so hopefully she'll be covered before the next cold spell!


It seriously looks like my Wyandottes exploded, though. I guess the other two decided they needed to catch up with Ani, so all three Wyandottes in my flock are in molt now. Georgette is, too, and her butt is naked. The shavings in the coop are covered in so many black feathers that the other morning I almost thought I needed to scoop it already!


I'm unfortunately down to 4 or 5 eggs a day from the girls now, which is enough for us but not for the various people we give our eggs to, and we're getting some pretty strong hints. My dad has brought home dozens of egg cartons from the people he works with who get eggs from us. My girls don't get supplemented with light, so I guess the extra eggs we do get will just have to be first come, first serve!

As a side note, I froze some eggs for us to use in recipes over the winter when we're actually getting too few eggs for cooking. This year will be especially scarce in the egg department because I didn't get chicks this year, so no youngsters have come into lay to hold us over the season! So basically I followed directions online to scramble together raw eggs, add a pinch of salt, and then measure into ice cube trays to freeze. They're no good for things like scrambled or sunny side up, but they're supposed to be fine for things like cakes and other baked goods. We'll see how that goes come Thanksgiving! Anything's got to be better than buying eggs from the store, though.


I think that's about it... Expect a ton of pictures over the weekend.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

HOMEWORK FREE WEEKEND!!

I had heard the rumors but I didn't think they really existed!

I envy you... I had a lab report due yesterday, and a rough draft of a term paper due this weekend.

Glad to hear Marama is back! Tis' still the season for molting... Between the feather storms and naked chickens, I always worry my neighbors think I'm running a slaughterhouse in my yard... My girls are also light on the egg production right now... One stops laying, and all the other lazy buggers feel like they don't have to lay either. Grr.

Can't wait to see your lovely pictures!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I envy you... I had a lab report due yesterday, and a rough draft of a term paper due this weekend. 

Glad to hear Marama is back! Tis' still the season for molting... Between the feather storms and naked chickens, I always worry my neighbors think I'm running a slaughterhouse in my yard... My girls are also light on the egg production right now... One stops laying, and all the other lazy buggers feel like they don't have to lay either. Grr.  Can't wait to see your lovely pictures!   

Ugh, sorry to hear it! This is the first weekend in a while without homework, and, well, looks like it'll be the last one for a while. School stinks sometimes. If you don't mind me asking, what are you studying?



Well, as promised, I did get pictures! Actually, I got ahead of myself and took pictures yesterday, which is a good thing because today is an ugly, gray, rainy day! :/ So, pictures from yesterday! And I have a lot of them!

I tried to aim for the gals I don't get pictures of as often, and quickly realized why I don't often get pictures of them. Bunch'a uncooperative divas, they are! Granted, a lot of them are in, err... less than top shape due to the molt. I did what I could, anyway.

Miss Fancy Pants, finally looking radiant after her molt!

Ihi the crazy Campine. I had to grab her OUT OF THE ROAD yesterday!

But I'm not sure if I can blame her... I mean, there really isn't much going on up there, as you can see... "Derp?"

Debra Jo is the last of the Barred Rocks to go into molt. She is disgruntled with the process.

...And then Poppy came in to take over.

"Look at me! Love me!"

Now that Ani is coming out of molt, the other two Wyandottes are not looking their best. The Lady Wyandotte, giving up at last on her attempt to avoid me:

And here is Raven, the most refined of the Wyandottes, giving me looks for taking her picture when she's in such a state!

Miss Mako is the single most difficult bird in my flock to get a good picture of! I must have taken dozens of pictures of her before getting this one!

Tiwhiri is in a sad state, and she's high tailing it!

Marama's of the same mindset--she's goin' that way!

Merlin actually posed! Doesn't she look lovely?

"Who you callin' lovely?!"

Poor, meek Rangi. This picture turned out so nice, though!

Rangi actually got on my lap yesterday! That's so unlike her!! This was the only picture I got, though, before she changed her mind on the idea! (P.S. She's not molting yet, she just likes to let the other hens pull her butt feathers out. )

Aaaand Rosie, who decided that the big pile of dirty nest boxes (that I'm totally not putting off cleaning) was the best place to pose. Sigh.

I still have a bunch more pictures, but I have to run out and close the coops for the night. Will post the rest of them ASAP!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

And now, for the rest of the pictures.

Margaret, looking beautiful! I have some suspicions about the starting time of her next broody spell, though!

Skua the red sexlink would like my attention. Such a sweetie.

Sora, who was only this still because she was eyeballing Crashie.

Wynne the Easter-egger and her W-shaped tail. I don't know why, but the entire flock just loves perching in the doorway of this rabbit hutch. They go up inside it and preen, and then slide down the ramp on their way out. If I didn't know any better, I'd think they were enjoying themselves doing this!

Cressida, who, like Rosie, thought the best place to pose was in the nest boxes.

Poor Georgette is having a really bad molt...

Mabel says, "Leave her alone!" Actually, she just poked her head in the way because she's a nosy little lady.

Some love from Elda!

Cuddle time!

"Must you take pictures every time?"

"Well, if you insist..." Diva pose.

My Elly.

And to finish off the pictures, the ducky family! Malcolm in his super manly pink kiddie pool.

Trudi WILL BE HEARD!

And Crash being a squirt. Because she knows she's cute enough to get away with it, that's why.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Ugh, sorry to hear it!

This is the first weekend in a while without homework, and, well, looks like it'll be the last one for a while. School stinks sometimes.

If you don't mind me asking, what are you studying?
Well, as promised, I did get pictures!

Actually, I got ahead of myself and took pictures yesterday, which is a good thing because today is an ugly, gray, rainy day!

So, pictures from yesterday! And I have a lot of them!

I tried to aim for the gals I don't get pictures of as often, and quickly realized why I don't often get pictures of them. Bunch'a uncooperative divas, they are!

Granted, a lot of them are in, err... less than top shape due to the molt.

I did what I could, anyway.


Now that Ani is coming out of molt, the other two Wyandottes are not looking their best. The Lady Wyandotte, giving up at last on her attempt to avoid me:




Marama's of the same mindset--she's goin' that way!

I'm actually in my last year in high school, but I'm taking some college classes through my school and the teachers love to crank up the workload... However, this summer/fall I'm going off to college to study animal science, and hopefully become a veterinarian someday... That's the plan at least.
Lovely pictures as always! Love the floppy comb chickens and the street chicken story. Haha. I must say, your girls look like they are going through a pretty bad molt. Marama looks like a dinosaur! And your poor Wyandotte looks like she's melting! Did you leave her out in the sun too long?

Love your duck pictures, especially Crashie. Call ducks are so cute. They're perfect for photographs!
And how do you take pictures with a chicken in one hand? Every time I try it I end up getting some blurry thing, or totally miss what I was aiming for. I'd love to know if there's a secret I don't know, or if your just a master with the camera (which I'd fully believe based on your beautiful photos).

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I'm actually in my last year in high school, but I'm taking some college classes through my school and the teachers love to crank up the workload... However, this summer/fall I'm going off to college to study animal science, and hopefully become a veterinarian someday... That's the plan at least.

Nice. Good luck! I started out in the direction of animal science, but my concentration is ecology now. Not sure what I'm going to do with an ecology degree, but it's what interests me, so I'm happy.

Marama looks like a dinosaur!

Haha, yeah, Marama's always been my little dinosaur!

And how do you take pictures with a chicken in one hand? Every time I try it I end up getting some blurry thing, or totally miss what I was aiming for.

I awkwardly hold the camera in one hand at a distance, twist my wrist around until it's uncomfortable (that's how you know you're doing it right!), and snap at a few angles until I get a good one. No, really. It's a matter of just taking enough pictures that eventually one is good. Elly helps by being so cooperative for the effort, so a lot more of her pictures turn out good. My Elly-Welly Snuggy-Bug!