Texas

[Starfire669]

I would love to, but I would suffer the entire time (anxiety and ibs) and im in austin.

You will be there in spirit!

I do have both sad news and happy news. The sad news is that we found Ivory duck dead this evening. I believe a large Manx tomcat that just recently started coming around got her. He has been trying to break into the goose coop and Ivory's body was found just a few feet away under my garden shed. I am devastated at her loss. So I baited a trap and caught a tiny kitten instead of the tomcat. (The good news) So I now have a small female kitten that needs a home. I made her appointment for Wed to get her spayed. I believe The Lord send me the kitten to help me deal with the loss of Ivory, so in tribute to Ivory, I am calling the kitten Ivory as well. The new Ivory is a grey tabby, and she past out in my arms purring.

 

[TherryChicken]

You will be there in spirit!

I do have both sad news and happy news. The sad news is that we found Ivory duck dead this evening. I believe a large Manx tomcat that just recently started coming around got her. He has been trying to break into the goose coop and Ivory's body was found just a few feet away under my garden shed. I am devastated at her loss. So I baited a trap and caught a tiny kitten instead of the tomcat. (The good news) So I now have a small female kitten that needs a home. I made her appointment for Wed to get her spayed. I believe The Lord send me the kitten to help me deal with the loss of Ivory, so in tribute to Ivory, I am calling the kitten Ivory as well. The new Ivory is a grey tabby, and she past out in my arms purring.

im so sorry for about ivory. Good for you for helping a tiny kitten.. do you have pictures?

 

[NickyPick]

Our egg production has dropped too. We were averaging 27-29 eggs a day and now we're down to 15-18. The flock ages from 3 1/2 to 1 1/2, so I know they're starting to molt. Seeing a lot of feathers all over the place, too. My other coop has 8 under a year and they've only just started to lay.
The young group - half are some RIR's that I got from Livengood Feed in Tomball. I thought that breed would lay large brown eggs like my New Hampshires, but they're pretty small, and they don't lay as many as the NH's. I don't know if they're really RIRs or if the feed store got something else and didn't realize it. Kinda bummed, because that coop's eggs are supposed to be for us and not sales.

On the real plus side - this is the first year that I haven't lost a single chicken!! I usually lose a couple every spring to that **** fox, but this year, she didn't den under my neighbors barn, so no kits to feed from my flock! Didn't catch any raccoons, either, so maybe the parents finally moved away or got trapped and relocated by someone else (I kept catching the youngsters - only saw the adults on the game cam)

 

[Starfire669]

Here is the new Ivory.

 

[TherryChicken]

Here is the new Ivory.

oh so sweet

 

[Starfire669]

oh so sweet

This little girl needs a good home.

 

[tiedyemommy]

You will be there in spirit!

I do have both sad news and happy news. The sad news is that we found Ivory duck dead this evening. I believe a large Manx tomcat that just recently started coming around got her. He has been trying to break into the goose coop and Ivory's body was found just a few feet away under my garden shed. I am devastated at her loss. So I baited a trap and caught a tiny kitten instead of the tomcat. (The good news) So I now have a small female kitten that needs a home. I made her appointment for Wed to get her spayed. I believe The Lord send me the kitten to help me deal with the loss of Ivory, so in tribute to Ivory, I am calling the kitten Ivory as well. The new Ivory is a grey tabby, and she past out in my arms purring.

R.I.P. Ivory. You will be missed.

"The Three Musketeers" (as Ivory and her "sisters" were called when they lived with us) are no more.

Sorry for your loss, @Starfire669 .

Welcome to the family Ivory the kitten.

 

[Starfire669]

R.I.P. Ivory.  You will be missed.    "The Three Musketeers" (as Ivory and her "sisters" were called when they lived with us) are no more.    Sorry for your loss, @Starfire669
.

Welcome to the family Ivory the kitten.   

Thanks, I really miss Ivory duck.

 

[Brookshire11]

are you trying to start them now? won't you get mostly males?

...I'm confused lol
I'm trying to tell the gender. The breed is usually really easy to sex, males feather in much darker than females.
But since their from a hatchery..their coloring isn't up to par..I think have some really dark pullets :/

I'm 99% sure my EEs are female, and at least one Australorp..
The Russians are a toss up. No idea on those babies

Bubbles the Salmon Fav in the front





(left to right) Kahtia, the Russian Orloff, Astrid, the Salmon Faverolle, and Cwen, the EE
My possible roo Black Australorp in the back

You will be there in spirit!

I do have both sad news and happy news. The sad news is that we found Ivory duck dead this evening. I believe a large Manx tomcat that just recently started coming around got her. He has been trying to break into the goose coop and Ivory's body was found just a few feet away under my garden shed. I am devastated at her loss. So I baited a trap and caught a tiny kitten instead of the tomcat. (The good news) So I now have a small female kitten that needs a home. I made her appointment for Wed to get her spayed. I believe The Lord send me the kitten to help me deal with the loss of Ivory, so in tribute to Ivory, I am calling the kitten Ivory as well. The new Ivory is a grey tabby, and she past out in my arms purring.

So sorry for your loss. What a sweet tribute to her life.

R.I.P. Ivory. You will be missed.

"The Three Musketeers" (as Ivory and her "sisters" were called when they lived with us) are no more.

Sorry for your loss, @Starfire669 .

Welcome to the family Ivory the kitten.

I'm sorry for your loss as well. I know you were her mommy at one point too

 

[Starfire669]

...I'm confused lol I'm trying to tell the gender. The breed is usually really easy to sex, males feather in much darker than females. But since their from a hatchery..their coloring isn't up to par..I think have some really dark pullets :/ I'm 99% sure my EEs are female, and at least one Australorp.. The Russians are a toss up. No idea on those babies Bubbles the Salmon Fav in the front (left to right) Kahtia, the Russian Orloff, Astrid, the Salmon Faverolle, and Cwen, the EE My possible roo Black Australorp in the back So sorry for your loss. What a sweet tribute to her life. I'm sorry for your loss as well. I know you were her mommy at one point too

I will keep baiting the cat trap until I catch the Manx. I am looking for someone who needs a aggressive mouser at a horse or cattle ranch for him. If I can't find someone to take him when I catch him though I will have no choice but to shoot him. I won't risk my or anyone else's flock if I can help it and this cat is too feral to ever be adopted. I am not as angry as I was last night, but I still must protect my remaining flock. They will put up early until he is caught, which will upset all my ladies. Thank you for the kind words. I felt that because of the timing, naming the kitten after Ivory was fitting and a proper tribute, though the cat really doesn't look like an Ivory. She is thin, young, and very starved for affection. I am working on socializing her and getting her prepped for her spay surgery this Wednesday. I hope to have her ready for adoption in 2 or 3 weeks.