Rusty Bucket Farm

[CoopBoots]

8/26 Updates:

Barely a month from hatch. Is it possible? Where did the time go?!

Daisy looks to have, well...

1. Originally brown:

2. Black/Penguin:

3. Dark brown/black:

4. Buff/Yellow A:

5. Buff/Yellow B:

If you are done guessing, I'd say that's 3 girls and 2 boys. Quite disappointing on the brown one, too...

Sorsha's are buck-wild, as per usual. She was done almost two weeks ago. Talk about throwing them to the wolves! However, it works. They are thriving and sneaking what they cm get from the other broodies and chicks.

1. Originally brown (excuse the quality, but boy is still written all over it. Comb says it all):

2. Buff/Yellow A:

3. Buff/Yellow B:
Not pictured, but almost definitely male

Finally, Jubilee's set:

1. Blurry but dark-Buff male:

2. Blurry pale male:

3. Gorilla pale male:

I originally typed "Godzilla" but my phone corrected me and they both apply. You can't tell here but the thing is massive. MASSIVE. Must be some grand-spawn of Rusty because he isn't lugging much Leghorn around at that size!

4. I seem to have missed the other likely male.

Finally, Salty's:

1. Ginger? Very Yellow in this light, I need better photos. Looks girl to me:

2. Black, still looking female:

So optimistically, 6 girls out of a batch of 14? Not banking on it but I've at least got a shot.

In more sobering news:

• Chicken Jane left us the night I had to put her to bed.
• The wandering peahen seems to have gone missing.
• We've had a recent campaign versus the local raccoons. I won't detail it for the squeamish but we have hopefully put a dent in the local threat level, at least for the moment.
• Yorvir has a cough, which I'm not at all enthused about. No discharge, no throat gunk or mouth gunk visible, no noticeable smell or change in activity levels, but interrupted crows and grumbling sounds when he breathes. I thought it was stridor at first but it's been 2 days now... keeping an eye on him.
• The spring cockerels are crowing, which I guess isn't actually bad news. I'll get pictures soon. They are becoming more handsome by the day.

It has been a trying year overall. I'm really for less eventful times in the flock.

 

[CoopBoots]

9/26 Updates:

Molt is getting into gear and eggs, which had picked up due to a break in our summer oppression, are very low again.

The summer hatchlings had to mostly be locked up due to fence flying. Of the remaining well-hehaved babies, we lost one pullet to a persistent red-tail hawk. So now all 6 remaining girls are locked up and the boys, for better or worse, will have to rely on Yorvir and Gubbles' warnings.

One of the spring cockerels is good with human handling and not too interested in the hens, so he's joining the guardian crew (at least temporarily). The other three are scheduled for freezer camp unless someone stops to buy one. I've not had that happen once yet!

My health hasn't been the best and now I've got a cold, so unfortunately no pictures to illustrate things. I'll get some when I can.