The Shelly and Kevin Thread

[JustBabyMargo]

This thread is for two of my crossbeak girls that I love very much- Shelly and Kevin.


Shelly’s story:

Shelly was all shriveled in a cup- that was put in the package she was sent in, and she was barely even breathing.

Spoiler: Traumatic picture

Two others were also in horrible shape. (They had a big problem at the post office, we think) We all thought Shelly was gone for sure. She couldn’t stand, walk, eat, drink, or anything. She kept throwing up and falling on her back. She screamed and threw herself into the walls of her container, and she couldn’t even keep her eyes open. One of her friends died that evening. She was left with one other unhealthy friend (Grumpy). Grumpy was doing better, so she got to go with the others, and Shelly was left alone.

The next morning, Grumpy was doing horrible. That’s when the force feeding started. About 3-4 times a day I would feed them and give them water until they had crops. I would get up at 4 a.m. to feed my little babies, and I would accidentally stay up for an hour. Oops! I put a little friend in their container to help them.

The baby at the bottom is Grumpy, Shelly in the middle, and that big chunk is Gus! He was very protective of Shelly. Then, a couple days later, my poor Grumpy passed away. Both of them were doing great! Cleaning themselves and eating and drinking, even walking by themselves, but for some reason, Grumpy just couldn’t go on. Shelly, on the other hand, kept progressing and getting better, and then she finally got to go with her friends!! Gus wasn’t happy because he wasn’t as spoiled in there! After all that, she struggled with feet problems.

I fixed that. Then, they went outside, and Gus still claimed Shelly as his own.

Shelly was then diagnosed with crossbeak:

She now lives with my polish girls (in their separated coop), along with my crossbeak polish, Booboo-

and, Kevin-

So that is my Shelly’s story. She is now 8 months old and doing great! She really is a miracle.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Kevin’s story:

Kevin was sent out to make up for what happened to my Shelly and her friends.
Kevin’s group:

The package arrived here, and, again, there were problems (a couple of the chicks failed to thrive). Thinking that Kevy and her friends, of the same breed as her, would all be boys, they got boy names. As they grew, we realized that Kevin’s beak had started crossing.

We also figured out that Kevin and her hatch mates were all girls, so their names got swapped- except for Kevin’s. She moved in with the polish, and Shelly, once she was old enough, and she has been living with them ever since. She has had her own amount of hardships, but she has pushed through. She has such a great personality, and she is so loved.

Kevin is almost 7 months old, and I am just waiting for her to start laying.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Shelly’s first egg was a bit wonky, but I was so proud of her anyway. It was a gorgeous minty blue color with brown speckles. She was kinda grumpy though:

Same egg, different lighting:

Shelly being grumpy:

She now lays mossy green eggs, and she loves to spend time in the next box. She spends hours making her nest and sitting with her egg, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she ended up going broody one day:

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Another baby Shelly picture:

Kevy after moving in:

Shelly’s reaction:

 

[JustBabyMargo]

It is Shelly Day! Today we celebrated one year of Shelly. I can’t believe it’s been a year since my special baby came into our lives, and here’s to wishing for many, many more.

I also made her an egg “cake” for her special day, and she loved it.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Just some baby pictures:

Kevin sitting on top of another chick-

 

[JustBabyMargo]

How could they even send her like that? Do you think it was on purpose?

No, I think there was a problem at the post office, so it probably happened then, but those cups shouldn’t have been in that package anyway. There was also a giant heat pack in it, and those other two chicks that died were pinned under it. That’s why they died.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

Ever since Kevin moved in with the Polish girls, and Shelly, she developed a strong hatred for all the chickens living on the other side- even her hatch-mates. She likes to fight them any chance that she gets-

I let her dust out with them whenever she wants, so I have to watch her very closely to make sure she doesn’t attack the others.

 

[JustBabyMargo]

 

[JustBabyMargo]

@Bakbuk | @cherrynberry | @the_peanut_coop | @PippinTheChicken |

~ in case you want to hear Shelly’s and Kevin’s stories. I will also probably be updating with new pictures and stories too!