Pipd's Peeps!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Picture of the day 82! Findlay just loves sitting on the waterers like this. I guess she just wants to make sure her water is always fresh... by pooing in the waterers every morning so I have to empty, rinse, and refill them

Just one runner up of the sea of Cochins I had to wade through this morning

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Long day. We took 8 roosters and cockerels up to the processors, then I spent all morning in class, and then picked up the processed birds and am FINALLY home. Never an easy task for me. Several of those boys were perfectly well behaved young men, I just had too many to overwinter, no interest in them, and I really needed the space. Ugh. But, things are a bit more peaceful now out there as I've separated the remaining cockerels out into the newly opened pens, and at least I no longer have to worry about Zeke, the rooster that attacked me any time I went in the pen with him or even walked by the fence.

Anyway, I have just a little homework and reading to attend to tonight for class tomorrow, but I wanted to check in real quick with today's picture of the day, number 83, beforehand. Today, we have Trixie looking rather inquisitively at me. You can see PB in the background, too, who apparently wasn't super committed to brooding because she's already over it after only a couple days in jail.

As runners up, here's Pete again. He always follows me around like a lost puppy when I'm out there with the chickens, but when I turn around to see him, he freezes like he's so surprised I've caught him in the act. Interesting tidbit, Pete is actually Trixie's dad!

And here's Coco being nosy because I crouched down for Pete's picture

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Long day. We took 8 roosters and cockerels up to the processors, then I spent all morning in class, and then picked up the processed birds and am FINALLY home. Never an easy task for me. Several of those boys were perfectly well behaved young men, I just had too many to overwinter, no interest in them, and I really needed the space. Ugh. But, things are a bit more peaceful now out there as I've separated the remaining cockerels out into the newly opened pens, and at least I no longer have to worry about Zeke, the rooster that attacked me any time I went in the pen with him or even walked by the fence.

Anyway, I have just a little homework and reading to attend to tonight for class tomorrow, but I wanted to check in real quick with today's picture of the day, number 83, beforehand. Today, we have Trixie looking rather inquisitively at me. You can see PB in the background, too, who apparently wasn't super committed to brooding because she's already over it after only a couple days in jail.

View attachment 3935630


As runners up, here's Pete again. He always follows me around like a lost puppy when I'm out there with the chickens, but when I turn around to see him, he freezes like he's so surprised I've caught him in the act. Interesting tidbit, Pete is actually Trixie's dad!

View attachment 3935636

And here's Coco being nosy because I crouched down for Pete's picture

View attachment 3935639

Awe. Just all the feels for this post.

 

[NagemTX]

I feel you on the processing. I'm going to have to do the same soon. We are getting so much rain right now it's going to be put off another few weeks tho. I have ankle deep water over the entire backyard right now. Sigh.

 

[2ndTink]

I feel you on the processing. I'm going to have to do the same soon. We are getting so much rain right now it's going to be put off another few weeks tho. I have ankle deep water over the entire backyard right now. Sigh.

That's a lot of water you've had a rough weather year.

 

[2ndTink]

Long day. We took 8 roosters and cockerels up to the processors, then I spent all morning in class, and then picked up the processed birds and am FINALLY home. Never an easy task for me. Several of those boys were perfectly well behaved young men, I just had too many to overwinter, no interest in them, and I really needed the space. Ugh. But, things are a bit more peaceful now out there as I've separated the remaining cockerels out into the newly opened pens, and at least I no longer have to worry about Zeke, the rooster that attacked me any time I went in the pen with him or even walked by the fence.

Anyway, I have just a little homework and reading to attend to tonight for class tomorrow, but I wanted to check in real quick with today's picture of the day, number 83, beforehand. Today, we have Trixie looking rather inquisitively at me. You can see PB in the background, too, who apparently wasn't super committed to brooding because she's already over it after only a couple days in jail.

View attachment 3935630


As runners up, here's Pete again. He always follows me around like a lost puppy when I'm out there with the chickens, but when I turn around to see him, he freezes like he's so surprised I've caught him in the act. Interesting tidbit, Pete is actually Trixie's dad!

View attachment 3935636

And here's Coco being nosy because I crouched down for Pete's picture

View attachment 3935639

on the processing, never easy but a necessity for keeping balance in the flock.

Trixie, Pete, and Coco have the best expressions

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I feel you on the processing. I'm going to have to do the same soon. We are getting so much rain right now it's going to be put off another few weeks tho. I have ankle deep water over the entire backyard right now. Sigh.

Ugh, even more rain? Hoping y'all get a nice, long dry spell soon down there!

on the processing, never easy but a necessity for keeping balance in the flock.

For sure My morning and evening routines have become a lot easier as well, no more juggling cockerels every day, so I suppose it really is a net positive despite the feelings involved.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

About an hour and a half before roost time last night, I heard the birds making a little bit of a ruckus, not too much, just sounding a bit stirred. Figuring it was nothing, I just casually walked out to check on them, taking my time and all. But as I rounded the feed shed to go into the chicken area and look around, a hawk swooped in out of nowhere, maybe 10 feet in front me. I thought for sure it had grabbed Sumi, so I yelled and rushed over. The darn thing swooped into the coop in a panic as I ran at it, then swooped back out and flew off before I could get through the fence. Meanwhile, all I can find of Sumi is a hand full of feathers on the ground by the feed shed.

After scrambling to round up all my birds and get them herded inside to safety, I at last located Sumi at the very, very back of the crowd in the coop. I suspect the hawk only managed to grab a few feathers, as she didn't even have any visible scratches or punctures on her, nor even a bald spot from the event. PHEW!

I guess that means we're on lock down for the next several days. It stinks, we usually don't have hawk problems until the leaves are off the trees, and the girls get a lot of enjoyment and a lot of their diet from free-ranging in the summer, so our feed intake inevitably is going to go up as a result. But, I'd rather they be safe if a bit stir-crazy for a few days. At least this comes after I've just made more space in the flock by reducing our head count.

So, the picture of the day number 84 is Sumi, who I'm so glad to say is unharmed and still with us today.

And just one runner up from last night at roost time. Poor Georgia's gone hedgehog on us

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Glad Sumi is safe as well as the rest of your birds. Georgia is going to be gorgeous... Soon.

I was out the other day doing my evening chores and I heard a sliding noise. I looked around to see if one of the chickens was on the top of the coop or if a duck was gobbling up an insect (they make weird noises when they pluck an insect off the side of the run). But, didn't see anything. The roosters were sounding the alarm. I went outside of the run and looked up at the roof to see a hawk. I asked it, "What are you doing up there?" and he flew away. I'm not sure if it was perched there for my birds or just using the roof as a look out for something yummy in the field, but either way I'm glad my birds were safely in their run.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Glad Sumi is safe as well as the rest of your birds. Georgia is going to be gorgeous... Soon.

I was out the other day doing my evening chores and I heard a sliding noise. I looked around to see if one of the chickens was on the top of the coop or if a duck was gobbling up an insect (they make weird noises when they pluck an insect off the side of the run). But, didn't see anything. The roosters were sounding the alarm. I went outside of the run and looked up at the roof to see a hawk. I asked it, "What are you doing up there?" and he flew away. I'm not sure if it was perched there for my birds or just using the roof as a look out for something yummy in the field, but either way I'm glad my birds were safely in their run.

Ugh, darned things! I think they're starting to migrate right now so they're looking for food along their way. Hopefully they move along quickly so we don't have to worry about them as much.

Thus far I haven't had any more interest in my birds from hawks that I'm aware of (maybe in the mornings when I have been at class so not able to be sure, but otherwise none at all), so hopefully me yelling and running at the one scared it off, especially since it didn't even get a meal for its effort.

I did brave letting the birds out about an hour before roost time last night without incident, so I may keep doing that, just so they get a little bit of time to stretch their legs every day. If we don't have any more incidents or interest from hawks, I'll gradually wean them back to more free-range. Definitely don't want to risk losing a bird by moving too fast with that.