Pipd's Peeps!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Day 34's picture! It always amuses me when Sumi does anything near one of the big ol Dorkings. Genetically, they're the same plumage pattern (silver duckwing) with the same comb type (single) and skin color (white), the only real difference other than size being the Dorkings' fifth toe, so it's like the Dorks have their own little miniature duplicate.

Of course, Myrna (the Dorking in the above picture) is starting into her molt, so she's rather short on tail feathers at the moment compared to Sumi, the poor darling.


Runners up, here's Sumi and Vega on the makeshift perch I put out for the extra Cochins. Have I mentioned before that they're practically joined at the hip, these two?

Also kind of a terrible picture because of the lighting, but the co-broodies out in the outer coop have begun bringing their babies outside lately. The last little Judy-booty is the one up on the branch. I'm actually thinking she might just be a pullet!

 

[2ndTink]

Day 34's picture! It always amuses me when Sumi does anything near one of the big ol Dorkings. Genetically, they're the same plumage pattern (silver duckwing) with the same comb type (single) and skin color (white), the only real difference other than size being the Dorkings' fifth toe, so it's like the Dorks have their own little miniature duplicate.

View attachment 3890628

Of course, Myrna (the Dorking in the above picture) is starting into her molt, so she's rather short on tail feathers at the moment compared to Sumi, the poor darling.


Runners up, here's Sumi and Vega on the makeshift perch I put out for the extra Cochins. Have I mentioned before that they're practically joined at the hip, these two?

View attachment 3890632

Also kind of a terrible picture because of the lighting, but the co-broodies out in the outer coop have begun bringing their babies outside lately. The last little Judy-booty is the one up on the branch. I'm actually thinking she might just be a pullet!

View attachment 3890637

Lovely photos as always.

Oh my, what an adorable (please be a pullet!!!) Judy Booty babys

Oh, and just 104 birds? I wasn't going to, but I added up all my birds a month or so ago and I'm over 110 I'd like to be 50 to 60, so... not sure I'll make that. I have tons of extra boys from all my hatching this spring.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Somewhere in the vicinity of 104, yeah. We were up in the 120's and pushing 130's last year if I remember right, so I'm grateful to be as 'low' as I am at this point! But I think 80 is going to be my sweet spot, especially in the wintertime.

I had no idea you had so many birds, though!! For some reason I was picturing 50 or 60 as what you were at already! Of course, until I added mine up I was picturing myself at like 80, 90 tops, so... Chicken math, am I right?

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Sylvie is a cutie, but man is she ever stubborn about letting me take her picture! View attachment 3890625




Haha, close enough, anyway! The actual count is 104... I think. But that's if I count all of the birds currently residing in my coops, including the duck, and the chicks, and the adults that I won't be keeping if my ads ever garner any interest. Without the extras, it's probably closer to ~80 permanent residents at the moment, really depending on how many of the youngsters hatched this year that I end up holding on to.




She sounds like she's done with the whole process! The stinker!

Yeah, you'd almost have to go through a vet for the kind of antibiotic you'd need. Pretty much every antibiotic that was available OTC for chickens was pulled off the shelves, but it was also pretty much all respiratory antibiotics anyway, so probably useless for something like this. I do believe that vets can't prescribe anything without actually seeing the animal in person, though, so you're right that you'd probably not be able to get anything just through describing and sending pictures.

Does her crate have much room in it? Maybe you could bring in a buddy for her if she gets along with anyone particularly well? Then if her treatment time ends up being very long, she at least has someone to reintegrate into your flock with as well.

I have her in small carrier crate right now, but could move her to the medium dog crate that I have. She's always roosting with Rosey the bratt. I guess I could put them up together. But, then I fear Rosey would jump ship as soon as I open the door.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Day 34's picture! It always amuses me when Sumi does anything near one of the big ol Dorkings. Genetically, they're the same plumage pattern (silver duckwing) with the same comb type (single) and skin color (white), the only real difference other than size being the Dorkings' fifth toe, so it's like the Dorks have their own little miniature duplicate.

View attachment 3890628

Of course, Myrna (the Dorking in the above picture) is starting into her molt, so she's rather short on tail feathers at the moment compared to Sumi, the poor darling.


Runners up, here's Sumi and Vega on the makeshift perch I put out for the extra Cochins. Have I mentioned before that they're practically joined at the hip, these two?

View attachment 3890632

Also kind of a terrible picture because of the lighting, but the co-broodies out in the outer coop have begun bringing their babies outside lately. The last little Judy-booty is the one up on the branch. I'm actually thinking she might just be a pullet!

View attachment 3890637

Myrna definitely has a mini-me.

Hoping the Judy booty baby is a pullet for you.

 

[2ndTink]

Somewhere in the vicinity of 104, yeah. We were up in the 120's and pushing 130's last year if I remember right, so I'm grateful to be as 'low' as I am at this point! But I think 80 is going to be my sweet spot, especially in the wintertime.

I had no idea you had so many birds, though!! For some reason I was picturing 50 or 60 as what you were at already! Of course, until I added mine up I was picturing myself at like 80, 90 tops, so... Chicken math, am I right?

100% chicken math

I thought I had between 70 and 80

Realizing how many I have has helped push some hard decisions on who stays as breeders, who is going into the pet layer flock, and who is going to beat this summer heat by going in the freezer. The egg eaters I've been tolerating in one coop, they gotta go, I have some wonderful purebreds from breeders coming up, I'm so tired of gooey egg messed in the nesting boxes every day. To the freezer with you! Easier said than done...

I have several separate coops, my breeding coop with multiple pens and runs, and a cockerel pen we move around the grass. We've been expanding every year to keep up with the chicken math

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I have her in small carrier crate right now, but could move her to the medium dog crate that I have. She's always roosting with Rosey the bratt. I guess I could put them up together. But, then I fear Rosey would jump ship as soon as I open the door.

I've had birds do that--not fun for sure! But it gets your heart pumping real well having to chase a chicken down through the house If things are working out okay as is, then you don't necessarily need to change accommodations, it was just a thought.

How's Olive looking today? Any improvement at all?

100% chicken math

I thought I had between 70 and 80

Realizing how many I have has helped push some hard decisions on who stays as breeders, who is going into the pet layer flock, and who is going to beat this summer heat by going in the freezer. The egg eaters I've been tolerating in one coop, they gotta go, I have some wonderful purebreds from breeders coming up, I'm so tired of gooey egg messed in the nesting boxes every day. To the freezer with you! Easier said than done...

I have several separate coops, my breeding coop with multiple pens and runs, and a cockerel pen we move around the grass. We've been expanding every year to keep up with the chicken math

Yeah, it's kind of like sticker shock, counting them all out and seeing that big number. Definitely gives you some motivation to make those tough decisions faster! Any time I send birds to the freezer, though, it's for sure easier said than done. And I'm not even doing the processing myself. I guess I'd never really want that to be easy, though.

Mine are spread across several coops as well, probably why I never know my exact total. I know the exact count in each individual coop and pen, I just never add it together until someone asks. Prevents getting too much of that sticker shock feeling, you know?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Picture of the day number 35! This little lady was a non-keep for having a bad wry tail so she can't go into my breeding program... but I may or may not have started calling her Janice lately, Jan for short

I have one other 'non-keeper' that is a BEAUTIFUL Black hen who didn't quite make the cut for the green pen by just the tiniest of nitpicks, but she's such a talker and a sweetheart, and she's been standing out to me lately... so I may end up naming and keeping her as well.

But NO MORE after them!

 

[2ndTink]

I've had birds do that--not fun for sure! But it gets your heart pumping real well having to chase a chicken down through the house If things are working out okay as is, then you don't necessarily need to change accommodations, it was just a thought.

How's Olive looking today? Any improvement at all?




Yeah, it's kind of like sticker shock, counting them all out and seeing that big number. Definitely gives you some motivation to make those tough decisions faster! Any time I send birds to the freezer, though, it's for sure easier said than done. And I'm not even doing the processing myself. I guess I'd never really want that to be easy, though.

Mine are spread across several coops as well, probably why I never know my exact total. I know the exact count in each individual coop and pen, I just never add it together until someone asks. Prevents getting too much of that sticker shock feeling, you know?

Exactly! I know the numbers in my layer flocks, but then with the grow outs and creating some breeding pens, I totally lost track

Definitely easier said than done, I really enjoy my chickies although, with hatching all these boys, especially the ones from the mean EE rooster, wowza, they are so mean and cause a ruckus all the time, it will honestly be more peaceful once they are gone, so at least for those 9 boys... it's not going to be exactly easy, but there is definitely some relief in there!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Picture of the day number 35! This little lady was a non-keep for having a bad wry tail so she can't go into my breeding program... but I may or may not have started calling her Janice lately, Jan for short

View attachment 3891540

I have one other 'non-keeper' that is a BEAUTIFUL Black hen who didn't quite make the cut for the green pen by just the tiniest of nitpicks, but she's such a talker and a sweetheart, and she's been standing out to me lately... so I may end up naming and keeping her as well.

But NO MORE after them! View attachment 3891545

I just love her little face.

I've had birds do that--not fun for sure! But it gets your heart pumping real well having to chase a chicken down through the house If things are working out okay as is, then you don't necessarily need to change accommodations, it was just a thought.

How's Olive looking today? Any improvement at all?

I don't think we can have chickens in the house running around because of our 3 dogs. I don't think that would go over well with them. However, they are fine when they are outside with the chickens. I've only had 1 maybe 2 chickens the house and I went straight to my bathroom with them. Olive is in a building that is temp controlled. But, if I could have a house chicken Olive would be it.

I had to do the 2nd round of deworming yesterday and tried to grab Rose before she went to roost (in the rafters still), but that was such a fiasco. She's like the road runner from Wile E. Coyote. I decided it was easier to drag the ladder out later. Plus, then I checked the eaves for bantam eggs and found 2. I might invest in a net just for her.

As for as Olive, I am not able to take her to the local vets. So, after a lot of research here's what I'm doing - dropping peroxide in to soften the tissue. Using terramycin afterwards as it is labeled a broad spectrum antibiotic. While I know it's used for eyes, people have had success using it for ear infections in dogs. Rubbing calendula oil on the outside to help with healing. She's also getting ecchinecea in her water along with a little nutri-drench.

This morning when I went to check on her, her crop was a hard little ball. I don't know if I missed it or this just happened. So, I'm also giving her some coconut oil to soften that. I've done it 3 times since early this morning and the hard ball has softened up, but it's still a little lump and squishy. I haven't fed her anything since finding that.

The good news. She is still feisty. She won't let me hold open her beak to put stuff in. So, luckily she hates the q-tips just enough that she will bite at it and eat the coconut oil. She even picked a q-tip up off of the table just to throw it down.

I'm still worried about her of course. And I'm sad that she's going through all of this.