Pipd's Peeps!

[pattyhen]

We didn't get any snow but it sure got cold last night. I'm glad Marge is keeping the little ones warm. They probably were afraid of the snow flakes when they blew in.

That new egg will go well with the egg she hatched out of. That's sweet you kept it. When I was reading your earlier posts of Crash in the incubater I thought oh no that egg will never hatch. Didn't you put glue or something on the crack? Then the only egg that did hatch was Crash. She must be a strong willed little duck. She's a sweetheart.

Enjoy your day off from school and have a great day.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Been a tough few days with homework and everything else going on--sorry for not posting! I do have the babies' 4-week pictures from today (which I may or may not have nearly forgotten to post here today...), but I haven't been able to take pictures of them since their 3-week pictures so that's all I have. Boo! Anyway, it's astonishing how much bigger they look in these pictures compared to the last set I took. They are getting so big and feathering in so fast!! I'm pretty much sure at this point that Bennie is a boy, as his comb is definitely pinking up, and, like, 95% sure that Winter is a boy as well with the big comb and wattles he's developing already! No definite clues on Marka or Indi yet, though.

The Broody Brigade is officially starting up now, too. She Who Sleeps Standing Up went into full-out, wicked-evil, broody-in-a-bad-way mode a few days ago! She's been shrieking at everyone, even when she's not on the nest, and being downright nasty to anyone that crosses her path! I kind of saw it coming because for a few days I had been seeing her feathers in the nest boxes more than usual from her belly going bare to brood. URGH! She's been on broody-buster treatment for a couple days now, no end in sight for her wickedness. Elda's belly has also gone suspiciously bare, so I'm keeping an eye out for her to start up, too...

We've had a few scares with Crash this week, too. She was briefly eggbound on a hard-shelled egg. I had noticed that her breastbone was sticking out more than usual, but she still weighed the same because she was blocked up and unable to poo. Thankfully, it passed on its own without me having to do any serious intervention. Today, she struggled for hours with a shell-less egg. I honestly don't know which is worse on her at this point, the soft or hard eggs. When I checked on her upon returning home from class, she let me pick her up and pet her, both unusual for her. I held her against my chest with her head nestled on my shoulder, and I could hear her kind of grunting as she tried to lay that egg, poor baby. When I checked on her later, after she had finally laid it, she was right back to her usual, nibbles and squirminess and not wanting to be held for anything. I really hope she gets things figured out soon so that she doesn't have to struggle so much with her eggs. :/


Anyway, the baby pictures! Can't believe it's already been 4 weeks since they arrived!

Bennie baby!

Pretty little Indigo!

Cool and collected Marka!

And spunky little Winter! Look at the set of wattles he's got coming in!

It was snowing off and on today, and some of it was blowing in the window where the babies were. They seemed to enjoy it! (It was still blowing in when I took this picture, too--see the snow on Indi?)

Bennie, oh Bennie! I knew he would be a squirt from the get-go! Look at this face!!

Bennie again--he says, "Wait up, guys!!"

Here's Marky and Indi in the corner, playing innocent.

Winter and Marka--can you tell who's who?

(Winty's on the left and Marky's on the right. )



Marka on a brick! I wanted to get a picture of his wings as he hopped off, but I shot too soon! :/

Here's Bennie preening his feathers with Winter in the background. Such cuties!

Unfortunately, that's all I got because my camera ran out of memory! But no worries--I moved some pictures off my camera, so there's plenty of room next time.


Oh, and since I haven't posted it in quite a long time--EEK, JUST 38 DAYS UNTIL THE HATCHERY BABIES ARRIVE!! e



Now, I really need to get to bed for class in the morning--good night all!

 

[pattyhen]

Thanks so much for the pictures. Oh my goodness they are getting big. 4 weeks old it doesn't seem possible. I think you do have two boys there. That Bennie is going to be the ring leader I think. I love that expression he always has when you take his pic. I saw the snow on Indi's back. Somehow it passed us we didn't get anything. Not that I'm complaining.

Poor Crash that nekton should have cleared her up. They always say to put them in a warm tub of water if you think their eggbound. She would probably forget about the egg and start swimming around and splashing tho. Give her a little huggie from me if she will let you.


Thanks so much for the pics I really enjoy looking at the little ones.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Yeah, it was snowing off and on all yesterday up here. Nasty stuff! I went out in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops to take those pictures and could hardly believe that it was snowing--didn't feel nearly cold enough! It was the pelleted kind of snow, though, not flakes, so I guess it wasn't full-blown wintery... The babies went nuts scratching through the bedding and eating every last bit of snow that blew through, silly babies!!

I think that soft egg from Crash yesterday had more to do with the stress of being bound before that than whether the Nekton was working or not. Or maybe I'm not giving enough to her? It said on the bottle to give a gram of powder per kg body weight every day, but it just seems to settle to the bottom of her little food dish when I put that much in. I've been just kind of eyeballing it until the pellets look like they have enough powder sticking to them so that I don't waste too much by it settling.

 

[pattyhen]

Does Crash like yogart? I would sprinkle it on top of the yogart that way she would get it all. I have a pill that I give to one of my ducks dailey and I wrap it in a piece of bread. He goes after the bread and eats it all. He gets the pill and doesn't even know it. Maybe you could try that. Good luck with her..

 

[TheChickenQueen]

Aw poor Crash

Hopefully she feels better soon!

They are so cute <3 I love it! I can't believe how old they are getting

Some of my chicks are two weeks old today! And the newest additions just got picked up this morning, I've got: 1 Silver Leghorn, 1 Golden Campine and 1 Sicilian Buttercup. All of which should be pullets!

They just keep getting closer and closer!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Does Crash like yogart?  I would sprinkle it on top of the yogart that way she would get it all.  I have a pill that I give to one of my ducks dailey and I wrap it in a piece of bread.  He goes after the bread and eats it all.  He gets the pill and doesn't even know it.  Maybe you could try that.  Good luck with her..

She's never had yogurt before, but I'm sure she'd like it. She's always begging for food whenever I eat near her. Thanks for the ideas.


Speaking of Crash, here she is just now, watching the snow through the window. It just picked up in big clumps at random! Welcome to spring? Anyway, Crash saw that and went right over to the window to watch it.

Some of my chicks are two weeks old today! And the newest additions just got picked up this morning, I've got: 1 Silver Leghorn, 1 Golden Campine and 1 Sicilian Buttercup. All of which should be pullets!

They just keep getting closer and closer! 

Oooh, Silver Leghorns are BEAUTIFUL!! And that Campine should add some character to your flock--mine is such a crazy goofball! Congrats on the babies!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Just stopping in for a cute picture with Mama and Indigo! Indi moved before I could get back out there with my good camera, so this was the best I could do with my cell phone camera, but still pretty darn cute!

 

[pattyhen]

Crash is so cute. I love her little stripes on her face. I've never had a call duck before but after seeing her it makes me want one.

Momma in the crate with Indigo is precious. She is such a good mom to them. It's sad tho around 6 weeks old she'll probably go on with her life and the babies will be on their own. I did have one silkie mom that didn't give up her babies until they were like 4 months old. They were bigger then she was and she was still bossing them around and showing them things. That was very unusual.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I dunno, Margie seems awfully committed... She won't even take them outside and I've had the door open on nice days ever since they started hopping up high enough to reach the door! I think I may have to just round them up and boot 'em out. That should be interesting...

I have pictures today! I unfortunately was not able to get pictures of them yesterday, when they turned 5 weeks old, so today's pictures are their 5-week-and-one-day-old pictures I guess. I also have pictures of the big girls to share! Since this is the last post on this page and I have enough pictures that I'd rather split them into two posts, I'll put the pictures up on the next page.

On the plus side, I have 2 weeks of class left, and then finals week, so the pictures should pick up after then! I only have 2 classes with finals and they both fall on Wednesday the 4th, so I should be done with plenty of time to get lots of pictures taken of the babies when they're 8 weeks old, at least! Just 2 weeks after that and the hatchery babies come! Oh my goodness, that's only 30 days from now!!

e