Pipd's Peeps!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well that figures! I'm betting the cochin and barred are cockerels too.

There's no way to be sure yet on any of them except the Creles. Here's hoping you've got several more pullets in the mix at least!

I know the feeling of having so many plans, but not enough time or energy.

Definitely! I didn't think just attaching the fence to those last few posts would take it out of me so much, though! It was nice enough that at one point I just stood there and watched the chickens peck around their new space for a bit before I finished attaching the fence at the new corner of their run, so that was relaxing at least. I always miss my 'chicken tv' over the winter when it's too cold to just be out there with them for a while.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I love watching chickens, I just do t take enough time to do it. I've been mesmerized by the Littles, just trying to make sure they are all eating, drinking, and pooping.































Ah the life we live!


I was just thinking with my luck, those 2 will be cockerels along with the others. Maybe I will just have to have a bachelor pad.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I don't know what is wrong with my phone, but sorry for the weird post above and it won't let me edit it right now. 

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I love watching chickens, I just do t take enough time to do it.

Same here! It's just so relaxing watching them as they busily go along... I've got to make it a goal or something to just go out there and sit more often this year.

I was just thinking with my luck, those 2 will be cockerels along with the others. Maybe I will just have to have a bachelor pad.

Ah, I hear you! I thought I had finally turned my cockerel luck around these past few years, and then I had 10 out of 15 chicks turn out male last year, ugh! Hopefully you don't have too many males in the mix, but if you do decide to keep them in a bachelor pad, it's pretty easy, just like making a pen for any other group of chickens except that no nests are required. Just be aware that as they hit maturity they'll be testing each other a lot. But if they can get past that stage, they're generally solid with one another from that point on and can form some pretty close bonds. It's pretty adorable.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Update pictures of the kiddos today! First the Easter babies, about 10 months old. Here's Gwenyth:

And miss Trixie, sassy little lady! I had to wait for her to not be paying attention because she really wanted to come over and give me attitude today every time I crouched to take her picture

And the 8 month olds, starting with the boys. I forgot how hard it is to take pictures of them in bright sunlight. These aren't great, but the best I could get.

Dean, being a butt:

Levi, standing awkwardly:

Wyatt, at alert:

Zeke, trying to decide why I kept making psst noises at him

And Mack, my goodness he's impossible to get pictures of in this lighting! Either he looks super dark in the shade or everything washes out in the sun! I'll have to try again with him the next time we're overcast, I guess.

This is that white tail feather visible in the above picture, just thought it was interesting how it was patterned.

And the girls, starting with Athena who continues her tradition of being impossible to get a good picture of.

Boba, who posed elegantly

Inara, the roundest fluff She squatted for me while I was out there, so there may be eggs soon from her!

Ottilie, who decided to also be impossible to get a good picture of.

And Freia, my sweet little Valentine's chocolate bonbon She has gotten so floofy lately that it makes her head look tiny on her

And, since I was out there with everyone, I grabbed a few pictures of the older gals as well.

That's a lot of Caz Cochin in a little cage. That's the cage that Roscoe sleeps in, but I leave it open during the day and I guess Cazzie just likes hanging out in there.

Dymothy 'Dym-Dym' Endymion Easter-Egger, digging in the woods. My nicknaming habit is getting more and more ridiculous these days.

Every time I take pictures in his pen, Gus is just really fascinated by the camera lens. He doesn't attack it or anything, he just stretches his neck out and stares, frozen in time like this.

Legbar Harriet! I'd been thinking it had been too long since I got a good picture of Hair, so I grabbed a couple. Then I couldn't decide which I preferred, so here are both of them.

The sunlight did weird things to this picture as well, and She Who didn't want me getting any closer for a better shot, but I find it interesting that lately she's been growing suspiciously masculine-looking tail feathers and hackles... Poor old girl is walking like she's feeling real stiff these days. I really wasn't sure she had another winter in her, but we've been so mild that she's made it through no problem, even during the cold snaps we had.

Vira, bantam Cochin, working the runway like the little model she is.

And that's all I've got for today. It was so lovely visiting with the girls again!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Beautiful!

Do any of the other chickens pick on Gwen? She's the prettiest naked neck I've ever seen.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Gwenny is lovely, isn't she? She hasn't had any problems at all out there, even when she was getting ready to start laying and was picking fights with everyone for a week or two. I'm keeping a very close eye on her with the males in the flock just because I do kind of worry with how chickens breed that she'll end up with an injury on her neck, but so far that worry has been unfounded.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

If a few of the chicks have a little runny poo sticking to their bums, is this cause for concern? There appears to be no other issues. The one is the one that had pasty butt and then a barred rock has had some runny poo as it stuck to her feathers.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

How is the temperature in there? Do they have a cool zone in their brooder as well as their warm zone? What feed are they on, and medicated or unmedicated?

Pasty bottom in chicks usually is a sign of some type of stress; shipping stress, heat or cold stress, predator stress, etc. As long as they're protected from other animals, in a clean brooder, and you've provided them with fresh water, the proper feed, and places to both warm up and cool off, then they're most likely just still recovering from the stress of travel, both from the hatchery to the feed store and from the feed store to your brooder. Keep their bottoms as clean as possible and they should do fine. If you notice any of them sleeping a lot more than the others, or if they're huddling together or peeping very loudly and rhythmically, then there's a problem. Quiet, active chicks are healthy chicks.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

My brooder has lots of room, but they stay closer to the heated side. They are branching out more everyday. I clean their bottoms and check at least 3 times a day. It's not a lot, but just had to ask.