What did you do with your flock today?

[ChicksnMore]

After it was light enough to see, I checked on Hope and her brood. 5 out of 6. I pulled the last egg and candled, tapped... nothing. Broke open to find it was a fairly early quitter. Surprised me as the air sac was nicely developed and contents pretty dark. But veiny yolk was what it was.
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Good. Now they are free to wander the pen. I NEED to clean the nest. Despite my spraying, Hope has mites, so now babies do. I did a light spray of mom and 2 hatched babies yesterday but this is going to require a deeper dive.
Hope, though she handled herself well with the flock pre broody, really got bullied when she went to stretch, eat and dust bathe, the last 3 weeks, so I only let her out supervised and well... not enough to fend off mites. Deep sigh. She is a lovely momma so no regrets. Just gotta deal with it.

Hope's a darling girl! Is there anything better then newly hatch Chickies?

Picked up some more 8-grain scratch today after an outing with my beautiful wife. Now we are sitting down by the coop letting them roam free in the yard.

We have hawks, raccoons, foxes, weasels, and two nights ago, I had to get up and check on the girls because the coyotes were scoping them out around 1 AM. I heard the coyotes "talking" to each other out in my yard. Coyotes could definitely be problematic. Oy vey.

Big oy vey! Hope the coyotes there aren't as persistent as the ones here.

Sat with my flock this morning while I ate my breakfast…Charlie very much thought I needed to share
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Wonder if you could teach Charlie to do tricks for treats?

 

[ChicksnMore]

We're heading out tomorrow morning to visit Jim's folks for fathers day. Our second kid free trip in the last 30 years . So last night was our fathers day celebration with our kids and today I'm busy getting water bowls washed, poop scraped, feeders filled etc. Plus finishing up plant prep and a few house chores I want done before. Kiddos will hold down the fort here for a bit. Not real happy to be leaving right now but do think all will be well.

Hope all the dad's out there have a lovely weekend!

 

[kurby22]

I think you should share too! I'm hungry.... what's for breakfast?
Well, hope all of us beggars did not spoil your first meal of the day. It does look like a lovely way to start the day. Where is the child gang? Sleeping in??!! Ahhh... summer ♡♡♡

Was tasty! Scott made an egg and egg whites, sauteed mushrooms, potatoes and ground sausage scramble this morning! Charlie got a tiny bit when I was finished so her nosiness paid off haha. It was a lovely morning, and 2 hours flew by so quickly! The human children are at their school daycare summer program, so it was nice and quiet this morning.

 

[kurby22]

Hope's a darling girl! Is there anything better then newly hatch Chickies?

Big oy vey! Hope the coyotes there aren't as persistent as the ones here.

Wonder if you could teach Charlie to do tricks for treats?

Hmmm, she is definitely treat motivated haha. Might have to try it!

 

[TropicalBabies]

Yesterday was busy. As I had hoped, after removing the last egg Hope felt free to leave the nest with her gang and I was able to clean it out and delouse the box. She was not happy about all of the ruckus but she did a great job of not over reacting. So far, she is a 5 ☆ mom. For being a first time mom.... 10 ☆.
Happy Aloha Friday!

A clean box and fresh nesting materials gave them a good night and nice morning.
The generous soak of 10/1 vinegar/dish soap was a quick killer of live mites on all surfaces- did the trick within seconds but i let it sit for 15 min (normally 30). Pyrethren spritz on moms hot spots seems to be working as this morning I did not spot any mites. In a few days she will want to take her brood out into the run and I will reclean her box and hit the pen killing new hatches and stragglers, repeating in 5-7 days everytime needed.
I am also treating the flock and their boxes and coop
Lots of extra house and yard cleaning this month.
Did last 2:30 am wake to feed kitties yestermorn.
Focusing on bags, home and MIL services in Aug. Flowers, food etc.

 

[TropicalBabies]

Hope's a darling girl! Is there anything better then newly hatch Chickies?

@kurbys breakfast?!!!

Was tasty! Scott made an egg and egg whites, sauteed mushrooms, potatoes and ground sausage scramble this morning!

 

[TropicalBabies]

Was tasty! Scott made an egg and egg whites, sauteed mushrooms, potatoes and ground sausage scramble this morning! Charlie got a tiny bit when I was finished so her nosiness paid off haha. It was a lovely morning, and 2 hours flew by so quickly! The human children are at their school daycare summer program, so it was nice and quiet this morning.

I don't normally have breakfast but Kurby made me hungry this morning.

Too lazy to make eggs, potatoes, sausage... now I am hungry again.

 

[Silkiesaz]

I took my birds in for some testing, they have to be negative but once we get results they are cleared to be entered into the 4H fair this year!

 

[Shetland lover]

Sat with my flock this morning while I ate my breakfast…Charlie very much thought I needed to share
View attachment 3544259
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Such a familiar look round here! If it's not chickens, it's cats...

 

[Shetland lover]

Yesterday was busy. As I had hoped, after removing the last egg Hope felt free to leave the nest with her gang and I was able to clean it out and delouse the box. She was not happy about all of the ruckus but she did a great job of not over reacting. So far, she is a 5 ☆ mom. For being a first time mom.... 10 ☆.
Happy Aloha Friday!View attachment 3544310
A clean box and fresh nesting materials gave them a good night and nice morning.
The generous soak of 10/1 vinegar/dish soap was a quick killer of live mites on all surfaces- did the trick within seconds but i let it sit for 15 min (normally 30). Pyrethren spritz on moms hot spots seems to be working as this morning I did not spot any mites. In a few days she will want to take her brood out into the run and I will reclean her box and hit the pen killing new hatches and stragglers, repeating in 5-7 days everytime needed.
I am also treating the flock and their boxes and coop
Lots of extra house and yard cleaning this month.
Did last 2:30 am wake to feed kitties yestermorn.
Focusing on bags, home and MIL services in Aug. Flowers, food etc.View attachment 3544341

Are those the youngest two still in the nest box? They look happy enough to stay put for now.... as long as they can see mom of course!
They are all absolutely adorable Well done Hope!