Pipd's Peeps!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Sort of related to health issues, I had a pecking incident in my flock yesterday. Neela has been resting a lot and not walking around with the flock, I believe because she hurt her leg somehow. I noticed a couple hours before roost time that she was starting to lose feathers on the back of her head, so I thought I'd need to keep an eye on that. By roost time, just a couple hours later, she had a huge, gaping peck wound where those feathers were missing. She's in a hospital pen now and I've carefully put ointment over the wound, poor baby. I'd been wondering for a couple days if I should separate her for a bit for her leg to heal. I guess I should have gone with that instinct when it initially came to me.

Neela is eating and drinking well despite her injury, and, to my surprise... she laid an egg! As far as I know, she hasn't been laying so this could be her first. With her leg issue, she hasn't been able to perch or get to the nests, so it's also possible she could have been laying eggs wherever she was resting. The flock has a tendency to destroy eggs laid out on the floor where they can find them, so I would never know if she'd been laying and then they'd been eating the eggs. But, either way, that means that all of last year's pullets are now laying!




I've also collected what I believe to be Harley's egg and put it aside for the Easter hatchalong. I know I said I was going to wait a bit since they're new at laying, but I'm pretty sure it's hers and I couldn't resist the chance for a Blue. I also have 3 eggs from Gus's girls now, so that's 4 silkied Cochin eggs to set with the naked neck bantam eggs when they get here!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

This is just the excess soap that I couldn't fit in the other mold to make the swirl so I poured it into my second mold just so it wouldn't go to waste, but look how pretty it turned out! I wish I'd swirled it a bit more rather than just dumping it in!

The full loaf (pictured on the last page) isn't ready to come out of the mold yet. I'm so ready to get it out and cut and see if it swirled nicely!! This one probably came out of the mold a bit too early, too, but I was too excited to use my soap cutter today. I'll probably have to wait another day or two before I can cut it anyway as it's a bit soft to the touch still on the side that was facing down in the mold.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Do you know if Maizie is vaccinated against Marek's disease? I know the vaccine reduces symptoms; not sure if that would delay onset of them as well or not, but I do know it doesn't offer 100% protection from the disease. Unless you're seeing weird things like wry neck, pupil deformations, or leg paralysis, though, it's not likely Marek's.

I don't know. I got her from a small farm years ago. They got them from tsc, so probably not.
I've checked her all over. Nothing in the pupils and she's getting around fine. Just seems slow.

Poor Neela. Hoping she has a speedy recovery!

I look forward to all of your soap creations.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

This is just the excess soap that I couldn't fit in the other mold to make the swirl so I poured it into my second mold just so it wouldn't go to waste, but look how pretty it turned out! I wish I'd swirled it a bit more rather than just dumping it in!

View attachment 3034797

The full loaf (pictured on the last page) isn't ready to come out of the mold yet. I'm so ready to get it out and cut and see if it swirled nicely!! This one probably came out of the mold a bit too early, too, but I was too excited to use my soap cutter today. I'll probably have to wait another day or two before I can cut it anyway as it's a bit soft to the touch still on the side that was facing down in the mold.

That does look pretty. What scent did you make this soap?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I don't know. I got her from a small farm years ago. They got them from tsc, so probably not.
I've checked her all over. Nothing in the pupils and she's getting around fine. Just seems slow.

Hmm, that's tough... I'm not sure what could be wrong, either. Hopefully she feels better after a round of wormer.

Poor Neela. Hoping she has a speedy recovery!

So far so good. She's eating and drinking on her own, at least, and the wound seems to be healing bit by bit.

I look forward to all of your soap creations.

That does look pretty. What scent did you make this soap?

Aww, I'm glad! I'm having such a blast with soaping that I worry I post about it way too much sometimes!

This batch is unscented. I'd forgotten to get any fragrance oils in my last order of soaping supplies, and all I have on hand is vanilla, which would have just turned everything dark brown after it cured. So, I went with pretty but unscented for this batch.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

As it turns out, I have no self control. So, I cut the extra soap today and trimmed it down to make neat little mini bars. Yeah, it was probably a day or two early based on how it cut, but it turned out fine anyway. These are a little bit over an inch wide by about 2 inches long, except the two solid blue ones to the lower right which were thinner so I cut them a bit longer. The blob at the lower right corner is all the trimmings smooshed together, which should also cure and be usable as soap.

I also happened to be out in the coop when Harley laid another egg today, so I can confirm using that one that the other Harley egg is definitely a Harley egg! Now I've got to figure out which are Wash's so I can pick out my two Blue girls' eggs to hatch when I want more Blues. Anyway, that makes two silkied Blue Cochin hatching eggs set back for the hatchalong! My other eggs are supposed to ship today, though I've not yet received any confirmation or anything of that, so that makes me a bit anxious...

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Soaping looks like a lot of fun. One of these days I'm going to take your advice and get into it. Maybe after the puppy grows a bit.

I'm not sure about Maizie. I'm wondering if she's eating enough. She had a small crop last night.
I opened the coop door early this morning. She came out and then the cockerel came out. He basically chased her back into the coop. It was still dark out, I don't think he wanted her out yet. He is protective of her. But, not sure why she wouldn't be eating enough. She gives some mean pecks when it comes to food. Tonight will be her 5th dose.
When I looked at the camera, she was out, but then put her wing down to steady herself.
I added some vitamins to their waterer. They have access to fresh as well. I will get the whole crew wormed starting Saturday. I use a method posted here by casportpony (I never spell the name right ) where you mix it with water and then into their food.
I feel bad for her that I can't figure anything out. Her bum looks fine - no pests.

Anyway, this is your thread. Let me know if you're getting tired of me.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Holy cow, the eggs are here! I got no notification that they were even coming and they came to me directly rather than being held at the nearest post office like the eggs I've gotten from breeders. Guess I've got to clean an incubator quick and get it running today!!

Soaping looks like a lot of fun. One of these days I'm going to take your advice and get into it. Maybe after the puppy grows a bit.

I'm not sure about Maizie. I'm wondering if she's eating enough. She had a small crop last night.
I opened the coop door early this morning. She came out and then the cockerel came out. He basically chased her back into the coop. It was still dark out, I don't think he wanted her out yet. He is protective of her. But, not sure why she wouldn't be eating enough. She gives some mean pecks when it comes to food. Tonight will be her 5th dose.
When I looked at the camera, she was out, but then put her wing down to steady herself.
I added some vitamins to their waterer. They have access to fresh as well. I will get the whole crew wormed starting Saturday. I use a method posted here by casportpony (I never spell the name right ) where you mix it with water and then into their food.
I feel bad for her that I can't figure anything out. Her bum looks fine - no pests.

Anyway, this is your thread. Let me know if you're getting tired of me.

It is a lot of fun, especially getting into all the colors and fancy designs. I'll be waiting for pictures of your first batch!


And don't worry at all about posting about Maizie! I only wish I could help you more with her, it's just hard because they show such similar symptoms to so many different ailments. That worming method sounds interesting, I'll have to look it up. Anything's got to be easier than grabbing them one by one and dosing them individually with a flock as big as mine!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Here is the thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/safeguard-mash-zero-day-egg-withdrawal.1254653/

Wow about your eggs showing up! How soon do you put them in the incubator?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Thanks for the link!

I'm planning to put them in the incubator first thing in the morning. I've finished cleaning up the Octagon so that'll give it plenty of time to make sure it's working and holding temp steadily.