Pipd's Peeps!

[ronott1]

Iddy Biddy was breathing very loud this morning and struggling with each breath. She passed away about 8:30 my time, shortly after I noticed her breathing and reached into the pen to stroke her feathers. By that point, there really wasn't anything I could do but comfort her. I suspect, because she drank so much water yesterday before I had set up her hospital pen, that when she hunched down to sleep, she regurgitated and aspirated. That was so fast... She was completely fine 3 days ago, when I took this picture of her for the binder I was talking about for my dad's Father's Day gift.

View attachment 1799797

She was a tough old gal. She lived through so much. She had the deck stacked against her from the start, struggling for her life the day I brought her home. Her toes grew crooked, and she never grew as big as she was supposed to. And yet, she persevered and outlived even her more 'normal' sister, Pogonip. I guess I took for granted that she would be around for much longer.

I am so sorry!

Can you send her in for a Necropsy?

Some parts of the US are having chickens die from Buffalo gnats. they get into the throat at night and produce an enzyme that suffocates them

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Much too late for a necropsy, as she's been cremated now. Not sure I'd have been able to send her anyway. She deserved to be properly laid to rest.

I'm pretty sure that she wasn't killed by gnats. She had no breathing problems when I found her the night before, and she was inside in a hospital pen overnight. I've never really seen or had problems with buffalo gnats here before, though, so I suppose I can't say I'd know if I saw them. Still, since she was inside, there really wasn't any way that they could have gotten to her, right?

 

[ronott1]

Much too late for a necropsy, as she's been cremated now. Not sure I'd have been able to send her anyway. She deserved to be properly laid to rest.

I'm pretty sure that she wasn't killed by gnats. She had no breathing problems when I found her the night before, and she was inside in a hospital pen overnight. I've never really seen or had problems with buffalo gnats here before, though, so I suppose I can't say I'd know if I saw them. Still, since she was inside, there really wasn't any way that they could have gotten to her, right?

Likely not on the gnats.

The necropsy helps with treating others in the flock if needed. Hopefully there is not some illness there.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Are buffalo gnats also called black flies? I think they're exclusive to certain regions.
Sorry to hear about Iddy Biddy, especially so soon after your other bird.

 

[drumstick diva]

I don't think I've ever seen buffalo gnats but, I'm no bug expert

 

[shadow rabbit10]

I don't think I've ever seen buffalo gnats but, I'm no bug expert

I'm living in upstate New York for the summer and they are everywhere! Nasty little biters. I've never seen them in New Jersey where I normally live. I had no idea they could harm chickens.

 

[Anime2lover]

Much too late for a necropsy, as she's been cremated now. Not sure I'd have been able to send her anyway. She deserved to be properly laid to rest.

I'm pretty sure that she wasn't killed by gnats. She had no breathing problems when I found her the night before, and she was inside in a hospital pen overnight. I've never really seen or had problems with buffalo gnats here before, though, so I suppose I can't say I'd know if I saw them. Still, since she was inside, there really wasn't any way that they could have gotten to her, right?

Sorry about your hen

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Sorry for disappearing for the past few days, y'all. Been occupying myself and trying not to think about everything that happened as of my last post. Everyone is doing well, so hopefully, knock on wood, I won't see any more losses, at least for a little while.

Thanks for the condolences and information about everything. Yes, Shadow Rabbit, I do think buffalo gnats are also called black flies. When I tried to look up regional ranges for them, I couldn't find any information. I've never seen them here, at least as far as I can tell, so I have no idea if they're around here or not.

I did take pictures of the 7-weekers on Saturday! It took me until today to crop them to post, though! Here they are! First, the home hatch babies:

I am still baffled by Ganymede. No comb development still, no color in that comb, no masculine feathering or color, but her(?) behavior makes me lean more toward her being a cockerel.

Here's a comb comparison between Gany and Oberon. Gany definitely has a super wide comb, but it's flat. Oberon's picture doesn't show it well because he super fluffy in the face, but his comb is much taller and has a purplish/reddish tone to it.

Guess she's going to keep me guessing like her grandmother did!

Anyway, on to the Meyer babies!

Those boys are making me miserable and reminding me what I disliked about Hika Ma, the other EE bantam I got from Meyer's years ago! They are absolutely terrified of people even though I've raised them the same as everyone else, and they literally scream if I catch them to move them around! I think I'm done trying for EE bantam hens from Meyer's, because if these boys are any indication, the hens won't be very pleasant, either.

And then there's Ophelia. That bird has been worth every trouble that those EE bantams have put me through. What a character!!

Of course, Mona isn't terrible, either. She's been a bit shy ever since that one photo shoot that I spent forever trying to get a picture of her, but she's coming back around slowly. And this face!

Lookit these lazy EEs!

That beard!

DERP! What a goof!

Ganymede, meanwhile is very serious. Here she(?) is, fancying up her feathers. Oh, that fluffy rear end.

...And more Ophelia, because she's the cutest.

So, Titan, Charon, and Puck have moved out to the coop officially as of a few days ago because I'm sick of dealing with them inside and trying to handle them to move them in and out every day. I have them in with Achernar, Toliman, and Rigel, but in a pen with enough space that they can get away if the older boys get too rough. The rest of the babies will be moving out as well within the next week, just waiting on some broodies to break to open up the space for them. Those Cochin bantams sure are stubborn broodies! Say what you want about Silkies, at least they break relatively quickly!

 

[ronott1]

Sorry for disappearing for the past few days, y'all. Been occupying myself and trying not to think about everything that happened as of my last post. Everyone is doing well, so hopefully, knock on wood, I won't see any more losses, at least for a little while.

Thanks for the condolences and information about everything. Yes, Shadow Rabbit, I do think buffalo gnats are also called black flies. When I tried to look up regional ranges for them, I couldn't find any information. I've never seen them here, at least as far as I can tell, so I have no idea if they're around here or not.

I did take pictures of the 7-weekers on Saturday! It took me until today to crop them to post, though! Here they are! First, the home hatch babies:

View attachment 1808003
View attachment 1808010 View attachment 1807998

I am still baffled by Ganymede. No comb development still, no color in that comb, no masculine feathering or color, but her(?) behavior makes me lean more toward her being a cockerel.

Here's a comb comparison between Gany and Oberon. Gany definitely has a super wide comb, but it's flat. Oberon's picture doesn't show it well because he super fluffy in the face, but his comb is much taller and has a purplish/reddish tone to it.

View attachment 1807996 View attachment 1808002

Guess she's going to keep me guessing like her grandmother did!

Anyway, on to the Meyer babies!

View attachment 1808001 View attachment 1808008 View attachment 1808009 View attachment 1807995

Those boys are making me miserable and reminding me what I disliked about Hika Ma, the other EE bantam I got from Meyer's years ago! They are absolutely terrified of people even though I've raised them the same as everyone else, and they literally scream if I catch them to move them around! I think I'm done trying for EE bantam hens from Meyer's, because if these boys are any indication, the hens won't be very pleasant, either.

And then there's Ophelia. That bird has been worth every trouble that those EE bantams have put me through. What a character!!

View attachment 1808005

Of course, Mona isn't terrible, either. She's been a bit shy ever since that one photo shoot that I spent forever trying to get a picture of her, but she's coming back around slowly. And this face!

View attachment 1808000


Lookit these lazy EEs!

View attachment 1807999


That beard!

View attachment 1808004

DERP! What a goof!

View attachment 1808007


Ganymede, meanwhile is very serious. Here she(?) is, fancying up her feathers. Oh, that fluffy rear end.

View attachment 1807997


...And more Ophelia, because she's the cutest.

View attachment 1808006

So, Titan, Charon, and Puck have moved out to the coop officially as of a few days ago because I'm sick of dealing with them inside and trying to handle them to move them in and out every day. I have them in with Achernar, Toliman, and Rigel, but in a pen with enough space that they can get away if the older boys get too rough. The rest of the babies will be moving out as well within the next week, just waiting on some broodies to break to open up the space for them. Those Cochin bantams sure are stubborn broodies! Say what you want about Silkies, at least they break relatively quickly!

I hope the rest of the summer goes well for You!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Haha, thanks, Ron! Looks like I kind of disappeared again, though!

I'm here with baby pictures! I'm a bit late for the 8-weekers, but today the OEGBs are exactly 3 months old, so I have pictures of both groups. Both sets, the girls (and Oberon) were more cooperative than (most of) the boys, so.. I did what I could. Here are the OEGB girlies:

The Easter-egger girls (and Oberon) :

Still not 100% sure if Ganymede is a cockerel or a pullet at this point, but she's going to be considered a girl until I'm sure.


Anyway, here are the OEGB boys. They were hard to get pictures of because of how forward they are. Not sure if that's such a good thing...

And the rest of the EE boys? Well... They kind of hid in the bushes, so this is all I could really get of them.

Maybe I'll try again tomorrow for them, though there really isn't much of a change from last time, if any. Both groups of babies are going to be on a monthly picture schedule now because none of them are really changing much on a weekly basis.


Oh, and they're all moved outside now, as of last Friday! I definitely miss having them in the brooder, but it is really nice not to have to lug them in and out anymore.