Pipd's Peeps!

[pattyhen]

Rueben and Marge are a cute couple. They will have some cute silkie chicks too. I'm sure Marge's broody clock is getting ready to start anyday now. When I think of silkie I always think of broody because they spend half their time being broody.

I've heard other people talk about having sebright hens that crow so it must be in the genes. I'm glad Frannie is getting better so she can join her friends in the coop.

I only have 3 roos now. One silkie roo who is at least 10 years old and a cochan batam rooster who is about 8 years old. Then we have the head roo who is Bubba. He's a little mixed breed he's about 3 years old. His mom was half silkie and half sebright and his dad was a wellsummer.

It was 12 degrees last night and tonight the low is about 15 so we are getting hit with the artic blast here. I've seen predictions for next week to be in the 60s. I hope it gets that warm.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Still waiting on Margie to go broody. It could be any day now. She laid an egg today, but has been cluck-cluck-clucking away and sticking mostly to the nests... I'd say she's 85% broody mode. 90% if it weren't for that egg. Aaany day now...


Ah, I love Cochin bantam roosters! Not to overshadow the other boys y'all posted about, but Cochin bantams just really have my heart... (Sorry Reub! ) I really miss the rooster noise, personally. And ever since the Guinea coop rebuild, those boys have been super quiet by comparison, so it's just so quiet out there! I need more boys here!!

When are you setting eggs, ChickenQueen? Margie may just hold out the way she's going!

And those are some old boys, Pattyhen! My oldest chickens were Cub and Toes, both right around 10 years old when they passed. Now my oldest bird is Rosie, who is just over 6 now, I think? Hoping for many more years out of her.

Looking like a nice weekend is in the forecast up here, too! The kind of weekend ideal for pictures, as long as I'm not sickly or buried in homework by then! I don't think I have much to do this weekend...


For now, since I haven't been able to get my good camera out yet, here is some Elly love. Not a new picture, but I'm pretty sure I haven't posted it anywhere. She is an expert at getting me to smile. It looks like someone yelled "Selfie!" and she obliged. (Don't mind my big ol' face in the background...)

90 days 'til the ordered chicks. Hopefully somewhere around 22-23 days until Margie's hatching some babies. I am not going to know what to do with myself for all that time!!




Edited to add small talk!

Edit 2 to tame down the smiley abuse--I have a problem!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Today might just be the day!! I set up a broody pen in the coop for Marge last night so that she will not be disturbed by the other hens, and she hasn't moved since! I am having a debate with myself over whether I want to leave her out there or bring her in to the laundry basket pen that Frannie is in. Frannie should be going outside today, if the weather warms as it's supposed to, so the basket will be open for use, and If Margie cooperates, that would mean the babies hatch inside where I can hug them and squeeze them and love them... But that would also keep Margie and the babies away from the flock and make reintroduction tricky... Why can't chickens be simple?!

For now, I think I will leave her sit today in her broody pen, and when I get home from class, if she's still going, I'll tuck the eggs underneath her. I'm also going to clean up the incubator and have it set up and ready, just in case! EEK, I can't wait!!

 

[pattyhen]

I hope she is still broody when you get home. I've done that before, bring the mom inside to hatch. It so much fun to get to hold the little ones whenever you want. The introduction back to the coop is the hard part tho as you know. I had a broody hen that only hatched one of her babies in the house. She attacked the dogs and they were scared to death of her. She wouldn't let anything near that baby. The baby is now the head roo, Bubba.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Haha, don't mess with a broody!! Margie's not quite so bold while broody, but she's never actually had chicks, so who knows how she'll be if any hatch? The coop is set up so that I can block off a section for her and the babies if any hatch, so I'll probably do that and make sure she doesn't have to defend them from the mean ol' big girls.


She was still broody when I got home, by the way!! I decided to do one last tweak to her broody pen before setting the eggs, and that stirred her up so she ran off to eat and drink a bit. I was a little concerned by that, but then she laid a nasty huge broody poop and headed right back to the nest when I was done over there. She started for the nest boxes up above and I had to show her her broody pen again. Once she saw the eggs, though, she went right over, tucked them underneath her, and settled in. I ended up putting 5 eggs under her because a couple of them were getting a bit old (as in, around 10 days since she laid them), and I want to have as good a chance as possible for 2-3 babies to hatch. Now, if all 5 hatch, that might be a bit much, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there... Anyway, since the eggs are set so late in the day, I'm going to call tomorrow day 1 of the incubation. I have no reason to think she will give up on them (last time, she sat on the eggs until they started stinking and rotting ), but I'm going to go ahead and get the incubator cleaned up, just in case.

EEK, I'M SO EXCITED FOR BABIEEEES!!! e

 

[pattyhen]

GOOD LUCK MARGE YOU GOT THIS

Just 21 more days.

 

[TheChickenQueen]

YAY FOR NEW BABIES

You know, those older eggs are probably still fine... I've set eggs that were like two weeks old before and I got a really good hatch.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Oh, goodness, really? I had heard that they drop in viability at about a week after being laid, so I was going with that thought when I put the extra egg under her. Welp, nothing to do about it now...



Margaret is sitting with dedication still. She flattened out into a pool of fluffy broodiness overnight, and this morning she kept giving me looks like she thought I had come to take her eggs away. Nothing to worry about, there. I think I want these chicks more than she does!!

Reuben's totally lost without her, though, poor guy. He keeps wandering around the chicken yard like he's so put out. Margie is in the coop and visible to the rest of the flock, so I don't know why Reuby's so glum. I guess because she's in no mood for his antics right now, and none of the other girls will give him the time of day.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Been following along, just no replying. Very busy this week. How exciting! You're going to have chicks sooner than you anticipated!

Poor Reuben though.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Been following along, just no replying. Very busy this week. How exciting! You're going to have chicks sooner than you anticipated! Poor Reuben though.

No worries! I totally get being busy! Spring break is coming up for me, and I think my professors are conspiring to make sure I have a ton of homework that week.

YES, babies!! e They should hatch around the Friday of spring break!!







Lots of pictures!! It was a pretty afternoon, even though it's really windy, so I took the camera out with the girls after class today. Elly and Frannie are back in the flock. They didn't seem to notice that Frannie was gone, but Elly gets pushed around a bit. However, though I did intend to bring her in overnight to avoid any bullying before I got the coop open, Elly was perched on the 3rd or 4th roost from the top tonight and in the middle of a crowd of hens, so I decided it would be better for her to spend the night in the coop. My room seems so empty now!

Elly was being a real stinker today outside, though! She saw me come out with the camera this afternoon and hopped all the way to the top perch, out of my reach! "Oh, you wanted pictures with me?"

She finally came down for some cuddles, and locked on to my teeth!

She is looking fabulous right now. My Elly-welly.

Here's Margie, all deflated on her nest.

Rangi, in the nest boxes up above where Marge is, was trying to blend in... "Ancona? There's no Ancona here..."

A lot of the girls thought I was intruding with the camera. Here's Fancy the Partridge Plymouth Rock giving me looks for taking pictures during her bath.

Rosie, the oldest hen in the flock, gave me attitude, too! Luckily she's too darn cute to be offended by!

Even when she's up to roost and giving me attitude!

My "owner", Freema the barred rock, NEEDED my attention, but she had muddy feet and I didn't want that all over my lap.

...So I got the cold shoulder from her for the rest of the picture taking trip.

Miss Kate was concerned that I hadn't had my daily dose of chicken lap time.

She kept waving those wattles around, looking for an opening. Unfortunately, the chicken yard is muddy right now with the warmer weather, and no one had clean enough feet for lap time!

Scooter had to get gussied up for her picture. Gotta make sure all the feathers are just right, you know!

"I know, I'm adorable."

Reuben would like to know what I've done with his woman!!

The wind was making him look particularly stylish today. Fabulous!

Everyone was being blown around by the wind, actually! That works for the 100 Pictures checklist: 5. Wind!

Elly-fan-tail:

Iddy Biddy the tumble-chicken

Ihi and her sail-like tail (derp face!)

Skua getting ruffled:

Well, okay, everyone was being blown aroundexcept Marama. Nothin' messes with a Fayoumi!

I just love her eyes. Even if they come packaged with so much sass!

And speaking of pretty eyes, here is Wynne the Easter-egger and her pretty gray eyes.

I also talked with the li'l duckies outside. Malcolm and his chubby cheeks:

Trudi patooti. Gee, I wonder if she's been playing in the mud puddle...

And to finish off, a little Guinea attention. I have no idea who this is, but he stood still long enough for a nice picture:

The amazing 3-headed Guinea, with Crooked Legs, Blind-Eye, and the same guy from the above picture:

PHEW, that's a long post! It's been a long time coming, though. Enjoy!



Edited to reply to Shadow Rabbit!