...Hey, y'all! Sorry for not checking in last week
Things are moving along pretty normally here, just busy busy busy. 4 weeks left in the semester, but I did find out that my finals are all on the Monday and Tuesday of finals week, so it's actually more like 3.5 weeks
I do have a final project due at the end of the week for my writing class, but it's honestly pretty much nothing, so shouldn't take me more than a day or two to finish.
One thing I'd like to mention that I missed in not checking in last week is that my flock reached a major milestone! It was not always my flock and none of the original birds are still with us, of course, but the flock has existed in one form or another for a continuous 20 years as of this month!
On the chickens, themselves, we did lose Rowena after all to heart failure, just like her father. Poor old gal. She was a little over 8 years old and the last of my silkied Red Cochin bantams. All that's left of those genes is in Amaretto, the Silkie x Cochin mix. I'd like to hatch some chicks out of her this year, but she's the broodiest little witch in the flock so we'll see if she even lays enough to accomplish that.
At any rate, Rowena was such an icon of attitude, and the flock is surely much smaller without her.
I'm also afraid that the mink attack will have one last victim as well. While Morena was not in as bad of shape as Delphine was from her injuries, I'm starting to see some concerning neurological signs in her as well, such as her pupils being different sizes even when I shine the flashlight at them.
This morning, she was lying on her side by the roosts and I thought for sure she had already passed, but I noticed her blink. I set her on her feet and she hurried over to eat. So she's still mobile and eating on her own... But I definitely worry that there's more internal damage there than I initially thought.
I had a couple freak accident type of losses over the past 2 weeks as well. Both were non-keeper silkied Cochin hens, but it still hurts to lose healthy birds to accidents. I particularly feel guilty that I've let school preoccupy me so much that I let things I'd otherwise catch slip by me and cause such losses.
But, you can only learn and move forward.
And, in the interest of moving forward... some pictures from the past couple weeks.
Birchy is getting along fabulously in the mixed flock! He's one of the most personable roosters I think I've ever had in my mixed flock, too, always coming up to me to see what's going on or whether I've brought snacks.
He did try to fight some of the cockerels through the fence and ended up with that scabbing on his face and comb, but he's gotten along great with everyone actually in the mixed flock. I also think he has some of the prettiest eyes!
Roland is pretty much the only one in the mixed flock that took exception to Birch integrating, but his legs are so wonked that he can't put much of any fight anyway and Birchy just ignores him.
Kya has decided lately that she'd rather perch on the Cochin perches out on the deck than inside the coop where she's been roosting for months. Scared me to death thinking someone was missing a few nights in a row when I came up short on roll call in there!
Another shot of Kya one morning still 'in bed'
Poor darlings have clearly never been fed before. It's a wonder they haven't starved to death yet.
A broody unnamed pullet unhappy with me for pulling her from her nest that evening. Sadly, this is one of the two birds I lost to freak accidents. She managed to get her head caught in the bars of the cage I was using to broody bust her and she appeared to have panicked and broken her own neck in doing so.
Rest in peace, pretty lady.
Mallow, Sylvie, and Pete waiting for me to open the coop one morning and serve them their breakfast.
Mallow again, err... trying his best
Poor guy just isn't quite big enough of a man for those larger hens.
And lastly, Sumi and Vega have decided that this old feeder that fell over and got filled with dried out old droppings is the ideal place to lay their eggs
This is Sumi giving me looks for questioning her wisdom or something
Or if they never get back to normal, I will have to consider rehoming Cheddar and Lemon as they really are bonded.
Sorry to hear they still won't get along.
Guess I'll do that this weekend, too. I feel bad for the guy, but with any luck he'll be living it up with his brother, Birch, in the mixed flock some day, at least assuming those two can get along reasonably. 
The other morning I was hopeful as they were both out and not really bothering each other. Then, they started back up. I watched them for a bit, but right when I went to break it up, Rebel tore off a chunk under Cheddar's beak. Oddly it didn't bleed, but it's definitely missing a piece of wattle there. I Dr his comb back up and separated again. Cheddar gets a few min with the girls in the evening. I guess it's better than him missing pieces of flesh. At this point, I really don't know what to do. I'm having a hard time parting with him too. When I put him in the crate (so that I could get stuff around to tend to him) he made a weird cry and my heart broke for him. I'm not sure if he thought he would have to stay there for a while though. He did have to stay in the crate (which is in the shed) the other day when it poured all day long because he was getting soaked in his separation area. Maybe I'm reading to much into it. 
