Pipd's Peeps!

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Wow! She's gorgeous!

She is!! I'm so excited to have her in my flock!




Well, I wanted to rest up really well this weekend in preparation of classes picking back up next week, but Mother Nature had other plans!

Largely my own fault, of course, but I had used a standing, broken off dead tree to hook fence to in one corner of my netted-over yard in the mixed flock, and the strong winds we've had today took it down right over the netting. So, I had to cut the netting, work it out from under the now-lying-log, and then sort of sew it back together over top of the pen again, as well as fixing the fence itself. The pictures don't show the netting well, but this is a before and after of the whole thing:

As you can see, the girls seem pretty pleased with something new to peck at.

Only other pictures I got today were of Kya telling me her woes as she shopped for a nest to lay her egg in.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Sigh... it's my last real day of spring break, y'all. Back to the slog tomorrow. But, it's only 8 short weeks until summer break, so I just have to hold on that long!

Not sure again what to think on Delphine. It's now been over a week since the attack and I haven't seen as much improvement as I would have hoped by now. She has started standing up rather than sitting all the time, but she lets her head hang almost to the floor sometimes. I worry that I won't have the time to dedicate to her care with classes picking up, and I don't want her quality of life to diminish because of that. We'll see.

Just one picture for today, Freia looking up at me hopefully for her breakfast this morning.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Freida is beautiful! Hope Delphine recovers.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I feel bad, my Beanie (a muscovy hen), thinks I'm her drake. She's submitting for me and is following me around when I come in the run. She's always been friendly, but this is a new level. Unfortunately, I won't be getting another drake or ducks. JJ was obviously eating a lot - my duck hens are barely putting a dent in their feed. I guess I will be saving $ now which makes me realize how much of a pet he really was - just eating all the food and not paying rent.
I'm trying to figure out how to let all of the birds in the run together now that I don't have a drake, but my ducks are not nice to the chickens (the runners are just as mean as the muscovy). So, I guess for now they will still be divided. There's rooster drama going on right now, so the fun just keeps on.

@pipdzipdnreadytogo glad you only have 8 weeks left until summer break (I miss all of the updates) - you got this!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I feel bad, my Beanie (a muscovy hen), thinks I'm her drake. She's submitting for me and is following me around when I come in the run. She's always been friendly, but this is a new level. Unfortunately, I won't be getting another drake or ducks. JJ was obviously eating a lot - my duck hens are barely putting a dent in their feed. I guess I will be saving $ now which makes me realize how much of a pet he really was - just eating all the food and not paying rent.
I'm trying to figure out how to let all of the birds in the run together now that I don't have a drake, but my ducks are not nice to the chickens (the runners are just as mean as the muscovy). So, I guess for now they will still be divided. There's rooster drama going on right now, so the fun just keeps on.

Ah, man, poor Beanie! I hope she and the others are doing well otherwise after JJ's passing

The feed intake is a male animal thing, I think. Every time I take a batch of cockerels to the processors, my feed starts going down way more slowly! Bunch of mooches!!

Hope your roster drama is not too bad! I have a bunch of bald-headed dummies from fighting each other.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Ah, man, poor Beanie! I hope she and the others are doing well otherwise after JJ's passing

The feed intake is a male animal thing, I think. Every time I take a batch of cockerels to the processors, my feed starts going down way more slowly! Bunch of mooches!!

Hope your roster drama is not too bad! I have a bunch of bald-headed dummies from fighting each other.

Well, Beanie got a little extra loving from one of the runner ducks this morning.

The rooster drama is still going plus Ivy has decided to be broody. Joy. Joy. Joy.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well, it's been another rollercoaster week! School is school, though. 7 weeks to go until summer break!

Sadly, I had to make the decision to let Delphine go yesterday. Her neck continued to get weaker and weaker, and by yesterday she was unable to lift her head above her shoulder height. She also seemed to be experiencing some sort of cranial swelling, as her good eye began to bulge a little bit, while her bad eye swelled shut again and seemed sunken. Hard as it was, I decided it was for the best not to keep her going any longer in that condition. She had a peaceful passing and was laid to rest with a sprig of forsythia flowerbuds.

Thursday evening, I let the mixed flock out for a short free-range before roost time. Not 2 minutes after I'd come back inside, I heard them set off. So, I went out onto the back deck to see what was up. And that was when I saw the hawk. It flew up to a tree branch when it heard me come out, leaving Harriet lying on her back in the leaves, kicking weakly.

There is no access to the chicken range area from the deck, so I had to run through the house, out the front door, and back around to where Harriet lay, anticipating the worst. The hawk was gone at that point and the other birds had all fled back toward their coop. And there lay Harriet, gasping for breath and weak.

Immediately I noticed that the leaves on the ground had been spread away from the spot she lay from the struggle. A few stray feathers were here and there, but Harriet had no significant bald spots on her. In fact, as I picked her up and looked her over, I realized she had no significant injuries to be found! Just a nick on her wattle, a bit of a bruise by her eye, and a few stray feathers lost. Harriet managed to fight off a hawk almost completely unscathed!

Her legs were a bit weak and she was breathing hard, but after I carried her back to the coop, she had regained her strength and walked herself over to a corner to rest for a bit. I lured the birds back into their pen with some scratch grains figuring I'd take Harriet inside when I was done to recover from her shock. However, by the time I had gotten everyone in, Hare was in the mix pecking up scratch grains, a bit sluggish and droopy but seemingly okay.

As of today, the only indication that anything happened is the nick in Hare's wattle. She's back to sassing the other birds, playing chase for goodies, and flying up onto the waterers to poop in the water.

This was her the evening after the attack, so you can see she was still a little droopy and her wattle bled a bit. However, she did perch herself and has since like nothing happened. I still can't believe she managed to fight off a hawk!!

The rest of the week, things have been pretty average by comparison. Just taking care of the birds and working through school. Next week, my mom goes into surgery to remove her cancer bed and see if there are any remaining cancer cells, so things might get to be a bit dodgy then... But for now, we're okay.

A few more pictures of the flock from the week. Here's Fifi saying 'bombs away' as she perched on the dog crate I've been putting two of the cockerels into overnight.

Hmm, not sure why I took this picture, clearly this is an empty nest box (That's Opal, by the way )

Perdita one evening giving me 'the look' to express that she wanted me to lift her up to the dropping try for the night.

Roly who, for some reason, went into this feeder that got knocked down and couldn't figure out how to get out

And Duckling is... a little confused about how perches work Prissy and Gus were not amused by the camera flash that evening

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well, Beanie got a little extra loving from one of the runner ducks this morning.

The rooster drama is still going plus Ivy has decided to be broody. Joy. Joy. Joy.

Oh my goodness, crazy ducks!!

Ahhh, springtime! Amaretto is threatening broodying already, too She, of course, is the one hen who I would never trust with chicks again, so naturally she's the broodiest little witch in the flock.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Oh my goodness, crazy ducks!!

Ahhh, springtime! Amaretto is threatening broodying already, too She, of course, is the one hen who I would never trust with chicks again, so naturally she's the broodiest little witch in the flock.

I'd actually like to see Ivy or Lemon hatch some chicks, but I then I would need more space (or re-arrange the duck area). Plus, then I would definitely have at least half or more be cockerels.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Well, it's been another rollercoaster week! School is school, though. 7 weeks to go until summer break!

Sadly, I had to make the decision to let Delphine go yesterday. Her neck continued to get weaker and weaker, and by yesterday she was unable to lift her head above her shoulder height. She also seemed to be experiencing some sort of cranial swelling, as her good eye began to bulge a little bit, while her bad eye swelled shut again and seemed sunken. Hard as it was, I decided it was for the best not to keep her going any longer in that condition. She had a peaceful passing and was laid to rest with a sprig of forsythia flowerbuds.

View attachment 4079670

Thursday evening, I let the mixed flock out for a short free-range before roost time. Not 2 minutes after I'd come back inside, I heard them set off. So, I went out onto the back deck to see what was up. And that was when I saw the hawk. It flew up to a tree branch when it heard me come out, leaving Harriet lying on her back in the leaves, kicking weakly.

There is no access to the chicken range area from the deck, so I had to run through the house, out the front door, and back around to where Harriet lay, anticipating the worst. The hawk was gone at that point and the other birds had all fled back toward their coop. And there lay Harriet, gasping for breath and weak.

Immediately I noticed that the leaves on the ground had been spread away from the spot she lay from the struggle. A few stray feathers were here and there, but Harriet had no significant bald spots on her. In fact, as I picked her up and looked her over, I realized she had no significant injuries to be found! Just a nick on her wattle, a bit of a bruise by her eye, and a few stray feathers lost. Harriet managed to fight off a hawk almost completely unscathed!

Her legs were a bit weak and she was breathing hard, but after I carried her back to the coop, she had regained her strength and walked herself over to a corner to rest for a bit. I lured the birds back into their pen with some scratch grains figuring I'd take Harriet inside when I was done to recover from her shock. However, by the time I had gotten everyone in, Hare was in the mix pecking up scratch grains, a bit sluggish and droopy but seemingly okay.

As of today, the only indication that anything happened is the nick in Hare's wattle. She's back to sassing the other birds, playing chase for goodies, and flying up onto the waterers to poop in the water.

This was her the evening after the attack, so you can see she was still a little droopy and her wattle bled a bit. However, she did perch herself and has since like nothing happened. I still can't believe she managed to fight off a hawk!!

View attachment 4079673

The rest of the week, things have been pretty average by comparison. Just taking care of the birds and working through school. Next week, my mom goes into surgery to remove her cancer bed and see if there are any remaining cancer cells, so things might get to be a bit dodgy then... But for now, we're okay.

A few more pictures of the flock from the week. Here's Fifi saying 'bombs away' as she perched on the dog crate I've been putting two of the cockerels into overnight.

View attachment 4079680


Hmm, not sure why I took this picture, clearly this is an empty nest box (That's Opal, by the way )

View attachment 4079681


Perdita one evening giving me 'the look' to express that she wanted me to lift her up to the dropping try for the night.

View attachment 4079682


Roly who, for some reason, went into this feeder that got knocked down and couldn't figure out how to get out

View attachment 4079684


And Duckling is... a little confused about how perches work Prissy and Gus were not amused by the camera flash that evening

View attachment 4079689

First, sorry to hear about Delphine. But, you did the right thing and she lived a great life.

Harriet is one tough cookie!

The rest of your birds (and stories) crack me up!