Pipd's Peeps!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I don't think Dandelion is going to pull through. This is hard for me to post. I'm struggling at the moment between my selfish desire to keep fighting for her and the fact that she's so weak and thin and so, so tired at this point. The number of tears I shed over this bird when she was fighting prolapse, so sure that I would have to make this call back then despite her energy and attitude... But now she's fading on me and no matter what I do she's not coming back. This is a really tough one for me, y'all.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

So, so sorry. I know the feeling.




I actually wrote the below yesterday, but never hit the post reply button.

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Funny about Fifi. (I did mention Dandy, but just deleted it, to post above)

I went out and saw JB just laying in the nesting box. She looked pretty much gone. I went to go get a crate so that I could carry her back to our woods and when I came back she was trying to hold her head up. But, it was apparent she was in the final stages. Poor girl was feisty to the end.
The more I think about it, I realize that she started acting differently a few weeks before the storm came through. When I would go out to check everything in the evening and put the ducks away, she had been in this smaller coop a few times. I just thought she had been late to the auto door closing. But, now I realize it was just probably her time.

She was part of a group of 4 that was given to me. I was told she was already 1. Here she is with a few of her buds who already left us - this is the day I got them. My original flock when I didnt have a clue what I was doing. Somedays I'm still not sure that I know what I'm doing.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Aw, so sorry about Jelly Bean Dandelion passed on overnight as well. Her crop had stopped clearing late yesterday so there was no longer anything I could do. I'd planned to make end of life preparations today if she was still with us.

Dandy, what a sassy little spitfire she was. Always full of attitude even when she was struggling with her daily prolapses. Yet still such a loving little lap hen with me. I'll miss her little 'baaaw-AK?' sound she always made when she wanted something from me, whether it was help up onto the perch or just a little extra attention. I've never much liked solid white plumage, but she's honestly made me consider adding silkied Whites to my silkied Cochin breeding projects. Gus and his girls may carry the gene, so we'll see if any more little White Cochins pop up out of them this year as I'm hatching. I may just have to hold onto them if they do.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I buried Dandy about where the center of the mini yard used to be. I can't remember if I mentioned this here or not, but last year I moved the mini yard fence so that it was a little further away from the driveway, partly just because I've always kind of wanted it moved further away and partly because of concerns about HPAI being tracked in. So where she's buried is no longer within that yard, but where it used to be at least. She lived the majority of her life in that pen before her prolapse issues, so it seemed fitting. Miss her so much already.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Awe. She was a beauty.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

She was, and such a sweetheart. I miss her lots. Almost hoping that Gus and his girls do make a little recessive white baby this year. They would never replace my Dandelion, but I guess it'd just be nice to have another little white fluff around in her memory.

Anyway, since it's the beginning of the month again (how does time move so fast??) I went ahead and took the monthly pictures of last year's kiddos yesterday evening. Here they are!

Trixie and Gwenyth are about 9 months old now! The two have sadly stopped hanging out like they used to, as Trixie became super extra feisty over the past couple months, I guess in her attempt to secure standing in the flock. Look at the attitude!

Gwenyth, meanwhile, has been pretty chill until fairly recently, and I've started finding unfamiliar eggs in the nests almost every day, so I think as of a little over a week ago she's actually started laying! Now that she's an egg layer, she's making sure that the other birds know she's paying the rent and not letting pretty much anyone push her around anymore! If you look closely, you'll notice a couple bruise-like marks on her neck from her picking fights with the other birds, the loon! She did great in our -8°F cold snap, by the way! I was a little worried for her in our winters, being a naked neck, but it seems she'll do just fine.

The rest of the kiddos are 7 months old now. My poor boys will end up losing some comb tips, but they don't look nearly as bad as they did when we were still in that freeze at least. Dean got hit the worst, I think. I did go ahead and put identifying bands on both Wyatt and Levi, as I do use their combs a lot when trying to determine who is whom and didn't want to risk mixing anyone up. Dean being Black should be no problem to tell, and I didn't think I needed to band all three of them as long as I remember Zeke is the one without the extra band.

Anyway, here's Athena... moving as always just when I take the shot.

Dean:

Lovely, sweet Freia

Miss Boba, the low key one:

Inara, my resident beauty queen

Levi:

Mack, who seems to be turning white for some reason

Ottilie, who was far too busy to stop for a picture

Wyatt, what a handsome guy!

And Zeke, my other handsome guy

 

[Crazy Maizie]

How are you doing? It's been so quiet here!

I'm going to add to my flock - obviously need (want) to with only having 3 chickens now. I've been thinking about a few large fowl breeds, but also thinking about bantams. So many decisions.
Hope to here from you soon!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Doing okay, just not a whole lot going on with the birds to post at the moment. But I appreciate you checking up on me.

As far as flock news, I'm on egg watch with Athena these days! A few days ago she was awk-awk-awking, running in and out of the coop, and furiously nesting, but no egg after all that. Then two days ago, she acted like none of that had happened... and then yesterday she was back at it, but still no egg come the end of the day! Silly girl! If she wasn't up in the nests during her fits, I'd be wondering if she was hiding her eggs somewhere else.

What breeds are you thinking about?

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I keep going back and forth. Got any suggestions? Actually, I'm trying not to jump on the first thing I see. But, that's really hard not to do. I might go to rural king to see what they have or see what I can request. The local one takes really good care of their chickies. But, again, I don't need 6 birds and might have to find homes for them. Or build on. From what I have found, bantams come straight run from hatcheries as well. So, i know how my luck goes and I'd probably get cockerels.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Oh and also, I've seen a lot of scammy posts on FB. Why are so many people trying to take advantage of others?