Pipd's Peeps!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Yay! Your pictures are already looking great! Good to know the veteran tarp isn't out of commission yet.  Haha none of them seem to like the bed-time pictures, though I have to say Freema and Marama look like the devil's hens with those glares...   Can't wait until you get the new chicks!   It's been a balmy 23 all day here in NJ, and about 5-10 degrees tonight and last night. And to think it was 70 degrees only a week ago... I see you have snow on the ground already. Stay warm. 

Yeah, the crappy shade cover is, against all odds, still up! I think it's only working at this point, though, because there's more of my fixes holding it up than it is on its own! On the plus side, mom and I have been discussing some things today, and it looks like we'll be building a covered and enclosed area out from the front of the coop this year! Nothing big enough for a permanent, year-round pen, but something secure enough that I can leave the coop door open overnight without worry, and that will keep the girls safe from migrating hawks in the winter when they don't want to go out into the snow and cold anyway. I'm definitely looking forward to that!

Haha, Freema and Marama do have the biggest attitudes of the flock! Just don't get on their bad sides, I guess.

We're back in the upper 30's again today, hope you're getting some warmth over there, too! Thus far, even with a few cold dips in the temperature, I can't complain about the weather this winter!

Those are beautiful pictures! I love how Reuben looks he is so handsome <3 I need to get some silkies this years...
Seriously though your birds are gorgeous 


Also I need to thank you for the silliest thing, so the other day I complained on this thread about how none of my colored layers were laying... The next day I got 2 colored eggs, and it just kept going; I now believe that most of them are laying eggs now judging by the large amount of blue/green eggs   

Aw, thanks! They all know it, too, bunch'a divas! I hope you can get some Silkies, they are so soft and sweet and snuggly, even if my two are not fans of that last trait. Marge does make sure I know what she thinks of my attention every time I pick her up, though. It's such rude treatment of a lady, you know!

Yay for colored eggs!! Such silly girls! I guess they didn't want their reputations tarnished! Now, if only my girls would take the hint and start up again--I'm still getting just one egg almost every day from little Margie, and we all know she can't lay too long before setting into brooding again!











I got the 100 Pictures 2016 page up last night, but was falling asleep by the time I was done and I guess I didn't post it--oops. Here it is, with all the pictures from the other day archived on it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/100-pictures-of-my-flock-2016-edition

I have some pictures of Crash to post, but first I need to get them all marked and see if any fit any themes.

Oh, and 130 days until chicks! Oh my gosh, I haven't set up the brooder yet!!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Crashie time! Mom and I went shopping for toys for her yesterday (okay, really we went out to buy my books for the semester, but there was a pet store on the way home) and ended up buying a rope toy for her, like what you play tug-of-war with dogs with? It has stringy ends and knots for her to gnaw on it, and she seems to love it--when she doesn't have my face to chew on, of course. Anyway, you can kind of see the end of it in this first picture of her; she was nibbling the stringy end of it when I distracted her for this shot:

Now, for the 100 Pictures candidates:


33. Joy Doesn't she just look so happy when she's preening? My first thought was 'bliss', but that's not one of the themes, so 'joy' seemed close enough.

83. Fluff She gets all floofy-poofy when she preens, too! She's so cute sometimes!

"What?"

94. Wings And, of course, after every preen, one must simply stretch out their wings and make sure they're thoroughly aired out!

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Aw I was wondering when we'd hear about Crash again. She's still adorable

 

[TheChickenQueen]

You're welcome!

I've heard about those traits! Marge sounds like such a cutie <3 My dad isn't a fan of banties so I always have to have good reasoning before getting any, but he does love how my birchen cochin looks... Thankfully there is a breeder who comes through my area every so often and she has silkies, showgirls, sizzles, etc. I just need to start building up on my chicken savings for when chick/hatching season rolls around...

The colored eggs are so nice, I personally have been trying to get colored eggs for years but we always had a dog issue that caused some problems for me in the chicken department.
Hopefully they get themselves together soon and give you some more eggs, buying eggs is the worst!



CRASHIE!!!!!!!!!!!! ( excuse the sudden display of excitement, I just love call ducks

)
She is growing into one gorgeous duck! I love it

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well, I ended up bringing Elda in again last night. She's doing well still, but the stress of her illness set her into molt again, and it just got too cold, too fast! So I slapped together the same sort of laundry basket temporary pen I had for Frou-Frou when I had to bring her in last year, and she's bunking with Crash in my room until the weather breaks, which fortunately is supposed to happen in a few days.

My semester started yesterday, so apologies for the lack of posting over the past few days! All I have to make up for it is a couple lousy cell phone pictures of Elda inside. I had her and Crash running loose in my room (with my supervision, of course) and had a very close call in which I literally threw a paper towel under Elly just in time to catch a nasty dropping before it hit the carpet--PHEW! So now I have Elly in a newspaper-lined corral, just in case. I think she likes the space; that laundry basket is awfully small for a full grown hen!

Ah, the sweetie face! It has mesmerizing powers!!

As for the rest of the flock, they are doing quite well in the snow and cold. I haven't yet gotten out the heated water bucket because they are still keeping their coop warm enough that their water bucket doesn't freeze over! Marge is just on the verge of brooding, but still laying eggs as of yesterday. Last night, though, I also got a second egg from one of the white-eggers in the flock!! I suspect it came from the crazy one, Ihi. Yay, eggs!!



I would like to remind you all that there are only 125 days until chicks!! EEK! e


And JUST as I am finishing this post, Elda has just thrown her pellets EVERYWHERE across my floor... Ah, the life of a chicken lady!

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Haha. They love to make messes with their food! Glad to hear she is doing ok. Corals work great for indoor pets. I had my sick rabbit in my house inside one, only she would tear up the newspaper and have diarrhea all over the floor anyway

(she had some form of cancer and passed away in June, RIP). Droppings + carpet =

. Eggs do sound really nice right now... Haha. Haven't gotten any in about two months. Can't wait for those chick pics! Have you finalized breeds yet? (forgive me if you already said this, my memory isn't always my friend)

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Aw, sorry about your rabbit! :/ Elly did start shredding the newspaper not long after I posted, but I gave her a stern talking to, and surprisingly she stopped. Silly girl!


Yup, I have them all picked out! The list, as a refresher, is:

3 Silver Gray Dorkings (1 cockerel and 2 pullets)
2 BBS Cochin pullets
1 Light Brahma pullet
1 Easter-egger pullet
and 1 BBS Ameraucana pullet

I'm kind of pushing it with that amount, so as much as I'd love to add 148,267 other breeds to it... That's all I'm allowed.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Aw, sorry about your rabbit!

Elly did start shredding the newspaper not long after I posted, but I gave her a stern talking to, and surprisingly she stopped.

Silly girl!


Yup, I have them all picked out!

The list, as a refresher, is:

3 Silver Gray Dorkings (1 cockerel and 2 pullets)
2 BBS Cochin pullets
1 Light Brahma pullet
1 Easter-egger pullet
and 1 BBS Ameraucana pullet

I'm kind of pushing it with that amount, so as much as I'd love to add 148,267 other breeds to it...

That's all I'm allowed.

She was probably thinking, "what can I do next to drive her crazy?". Sounds like a great variety!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Bahaha, yeah, I can definitely see her thinking that! Should be interesting to see what she comes up with tomorrow. She should be able to go back outside the day after tomorrow if I remember correctly, so she only has so much time left to annoy me.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I am deeply saddened tonight to post that we have lost one of the Dorking twins. I arrived home from class today about an hour before sunset, and immediately upon getting out of the car was greeted by Margaret cackling. I looked over at the chicken yard and spotted a hawk, that same wretched hawk that has been harassing my girls, on the remains of my sweet Kit-Kit. I am just too upset to put words together at the moment. I had just been holding and hugging on her this morning and being told by her how much she didn't appreciate the attention. Her sweet little voice, her soft, gray feathers... I am so heartbroken.