Sally's GF3 thread

[Sally PB]

When I cleaned out the bedding in the littles' part of the coop, I found a small clump of pine shavings that looked to be wet with blood. Pip has some streaks of what I think is blood on her butt fluff, and she seems rather lethargic today. I didn't see any signs of a peck wound; it's more like she pooped red stuff and it didn't all clear her fluff.

So they're all getting treated with Corid.

Pip has really worked her way into my heart. She is now the first one to get up on my lap, and then Sunny.

Hang in there little Pip.

 

[Sally PB]

Yesterday, we went to Frederik Meijer Gardens for hear two of our favorite Celtic bands. Crossbow, I've mentioned before, and a duo called Moxie Strings.

Moxie Strings is a couple of women, one on a 5-string violin (with an added low C), and the other plays an electric cello:

What the skinny thing the woman on the left is playing. It can sound like a cello (cue the Bach) or like an electric guitar (cue Jimi Hendrix) and a lot of stuff in between. Really talented ladies. The only unfortunate thing, this is their last summer playing. They are moving on to "other things."

Crossbow is still sounding great.

A couple guys wore kilts. And they can carry it off with aplomb. Joe, the bassist in the white shirt, makes it look... rather studly, in fact. Maybe it was the sunglasses, maybe it was the bare feet, maybe it was the partly unbuttoned shirt...


The amphitheater at FMG is acoustically excellent. It's festival seating, but we lucked out with gorgeous weather.

FMG is a garden and sculpture park. It opened in 1995, and has been getting better ever since. They added a Japanese Garden a few years ago, and DH had never seen it, so we spent a couple hours there before the concert.

I saw this sculpture, and had to take a picture.

I didn't take any pictures of "The Horse." These are much better than I could take, and the sculpture deserves it:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attract..._Horse-Grand_Rapids_Kent_County_Michigan.html

 

[aart]

pictures of "The Horse."

Here's one!

 

[Sally PB]

Yes! That's it! It is as awe inspiring in person as you might think, looking at the pictures.

 

[aart]

Yes! That's it! It is as awe inspiring in person as you might think, looking at the pictures.

Yes, that's me in the pic.

 

[Sally PB]

This pile is knee high, and 15-18 feet long. It's some oak leaves, mixed with chicken poop and straw from my neighbor's chickens. This is only half, as her mom got a pile too. My garden will love it.

No happy/smiley emojis, please. This mess came out of her coop. I typed how many chickens, how big the coop is, and how much (little) ventilation there is. I had to erase it. I couldn't stand to see it in print. The coop stank, and I mean, nose-hair curling stank! of ammonia.

Remember me complaining about my compost pile? That was roses, compared to this.

I've showed her my coop. I've offered suggestions. I don't know what else to do, as I value the neighborly relationship.

Thank GOD! none of the fertile eggs I gave her hatched. I'm not sure my rooster is always "getting the job done," and now I'm very glad.

 

[Sally PB]

We had a nice downpour last night, and got about 2.5 inches of rain. I think our drought is over now. YAY. Only some very minor washing on the driveway, so no complaints at all.

Compared to the East and the South, we got nuthin' to complain about.

Widget is broody, for certain. She's plucked herself bald on her breast, and I don't think she's done that before. I have the breaker crate ready, and at lockup, she's going in. It'll sit out in the run. Unless we get some fairly heavy sideways rain, she'll be dry. If we do get rain like that, I'll just have to rearrange stuff in the coop for a few days. She breaks fairly quickly and easily.

Good, because she does it 3-4 times a year.

Two of my black Australorps are not laying. Their faces, comb, and wattles are paler than the third, who is still laying. What amazes me is how much... older... that makes them look. They're all the same age -- 3 years last March 21 -- and the difference is surprising.

 

[fuzzi]

We had a nice downpour last night, and got about 2.5 inches of rain. I think our drought is over now. YAY. Only some very minor washing on the driveway, so no complaints at all.

Compared to the East and the South, we got nuthin' to complain about.

Widget is broody, for certain. She's plucked herself bald on her breast, and I don't think she's done that before. I have the breaker crate ready, and at lockup, she's going in. It'll sit out in the run. Unless we get some fairly heavy sideways rain, she'll be dry. If we do get rain like that, I'll just have to rearrange stuff in the coop for a few days. She breaks fairly quickly and easily.

Good, because she does it 3-4 times a year.

Two of my black Australorps are not laying. Their faces, comb, and wattles are paler than the third, who is still laying. What amazes me is how much... older... that makes them look. They're all the same age -- 3 years last March 21 -- and the difference is surprising.

I keep reading posts about mites making chickens anemic, could that be possible?

 

[aart]

I keep reading posts about mites making chickens anemic, could that be possible?

They eat/drink blood.
Lice eat skin.

 

[Sally PB]

I don't think it's mites. Their combs are shrunken a bit, and paler than they used to be. One is molting for sure. She has two tail feathers sticking up, and looks silly. She has quit early for the last two years. She also starts up earlier than the others after the solstice.