What did you do with your flock today?

[kurby22]

This is us todayView attachment 3603765
It has been a bit exhausting today though, last night was even wilder. All of the yard work I did up Koke'e is pretty much undone. My chickens were hiding in the coop, first time ever. My ride up there was a dodging of trees and branches, downed wire and trying not to slide on patches of leaves and dirt blown up from the canyon. Awesome.

At least it is not boiling hot and breathless.

That sounds rather treacherous and miserable! I’m glad everyone is safe and sound and hope things stay that way! Watch out for all the other terrible drivers that drive even scarier in bad weather!

 

[kurby22]

Got some rain today. Still waiting for a really good and proper monsoon downpour...but I'm happy for any we get. Brought down the temperature for the night and that alones a blessing!

Had a cute visitor in one of my garden beds. This guys been living in it, digging holes like crazy and randomly popping out when I water ...but this is the first time I've caught him sitting still for a pic. He's a Sonoran desert toad. They spend almost their entire lives buried in the dirt and only come out during monsoon season. They also ooze psychedelic toxins from their skin when scared! Sadly that means some idiots try to use them for recreation, and I read it's hurting their population. You'd never guess they have any population issues from our yard though. During monsoon season they're everywhere in the garden whether it rains or not. View attachment 3603855

Awww he’s so cute!! They must know there’s safety in your garden!

 

[Shetland lover]

That's how the dwarfs are. I love them but I am getting tired of trying to break broodies. And it's never one...they go broody in groups. Determined little ladies!

I know, right? One of the reasons I didn't want Pekins, sounded like too much effort

 

[Shetland lover]

Been busy again. We are trying to get our Turkey house up and going. Our turkeys are growing faster than my husband anticipated, he doesn’t listen . But we also have something else going in with the turkeys. I’m so excited about them!!! My husband and I have talked about getting more too once these guys are outside and in it. They are in quarantine mode anyway so we aren’t in too big of a hurry for them. I’m sharing pictures that I received from the person I got them from and one from when we first brought them home. I haven’t had a chance to get pictures of them here yet. And of course the house for them. We have grass growing in the front of the house, so we are also trying to let that grow some.

I also don’t know how these 2 bunnies ended up at my house…. My friend just said, hey you need bunnies, I will grab you extra bedding and food. And before I know it I have these cuties at my house. So far we believe there to be a boy and a girl. So they will be separated soon. But we really have about 8 weeks or so before we have to worry too much.

Just gorgeous! I had two bunnies when i was 9, a boy and a girl. They were separated and didn't even mix outside of their hutches. One day I opened Leia's sleeping compartment to find 4 perfect little babies. Somehow, our clever boy had managed to impregnate her through the bars!

 

[Shetland lover]

I found another egg in the nest box that was layed between 12 and 1PM, which was number six for the day. Plus three soft shell eggs on the floor first thing this morning. Nine eggs, eight pullets. Strange.

I recently had Penelope lay 3 eggs in one day! I didn't think it possible as it takes 26 hours to form one egg and all hers were fully shelled! If eggs are travelling too fast through the reproductive tract , it happens but usually they tend to be very fragile shells or no shells. My ex-batts occasionally gave me 2 a day and Penelope has given me 2 before. But 3??!

 

[Shetland lover]

While my chickens were out foraging this evening, one of the was acting weird. Just kind of standing in one place for several minutes. She finally squatted and out dropped a shell less egg.

Her and the three pullets nest to her immediately jumped on it and started eating it, the yolk I think. Then she dropped another runny egg and they ate that too.

A little later one of the pullets found a torn soft shell about 10 feet away from where the pullet dropped the shell less eggs. I didn't see her drop the shell, but it didn't come out when the shell less eggs did.

I wonder if it's possible that the soft shell came out first, and then a little later the yolk and albumen? Very strange.

But afterwards she acted totally normal. Still, I'm going to keep an eye on her.

I think I'd give her a week of additional calcium in case she's deficient in it. It may also be that the eggs are just passing too quickly through her reproductive system and not sitting in the shell gland long enough. As far as I know, there's no treatment for that but at her age it could well be just one of those kinks and will settle down as she gets older.

 

[Shetland lover]

Got some rain today. Still waiting for a really good and proper monsoon downpour...but I'm happy for any we get. Brought down the temperature for the night and that alones a blessing!

Had a cute visitor in one of my garden beds. This guys been living in it, digging holes like crazy and randomly popping out when I water ...but this is the first time I've caught him sitting still for a pic. He's a Sonoran desert toad. They spend almost their entire lives buried in the dirt and only come out during monsoon season. They also ooze psychedelic toxins from their skin when scared! Sadly that means some idiots try to use them for recreation, and I read it's hurting their population. You'd never guess they have any population issues from our yard though. During monsoon season they're everywhere in the garden whether it rains or not. View attachment 3603855

What a lovely little chap!
Sadly, frogs and toads are declining globally. I was just commenting to DH that I'd seen relatively few frogs and toads on our allotment this summer. It's worrying me as usually there are lots and I think our 9-strong hedgehog population is in trouble too as for the first time ever we are having slug issues

 

[Shetland lover]

Yeah, I was thinking now that you know one of the culprits of softshell, you should start giving her additional calcium. I think @Eggcessive recommends 500- 600mgs per day for 5-7 days to get them back on track. I'd def do it if it were my little gal. Certainly can't hurt. Also, with so many with soft shells... I'd be concerned about the reason. Seems more than a one off.

X2. I totally agree.

 

[FBMcrazy8]

This is us todayView attachment 3603765
It has been a bit exhausting today though, last night was even wilder. All of the yard work I did up Koke'e is pretty much undone. My chickens were hiding in the coop, first time ever. My ride up there was a dodging of trees and branches, downed wire and trying not to slide on patches of leaves and dirt blown up from the canyon. Awesome.

At least it is not boiling hot and breathless.

Stay safe!!

 

[FBMcrazy8]

Just gorgeous! I had two bunnies when i was 9, a boy and a girl. They were separated and didn't even mix outside of their hutches. One day I opened Leia's sleeping compartment to find 4 perfect little babies. Somehow, our clever boy had managed to impregnate her through the bars!

That is just crazy nuts!! I’m gonna have to put them in separate rooms….my sister is wanting one for her oldest boy. I told her if I breed them I would sell her one. But MAN with how rabbits breed, there really isn’t a market to sell the rest of them. I mean they are a “meat” rabbit but I sure would not want to know what they were doing with them….

I had a guy that lives not far from me come by and talk. He is an older guy that just doesn’t have anyone around him anymore. Well he asked about my black chickens. He wanted to know if they were black Astrolorps. Which there is about 3 of them but he wanted to buy them. I told him we just got them and we were not going to be selling them. So then he heard my ducks. I told him they were Calls. He hadn’t heard of them so I explained they were small ducks, the bantam of ducks. Well he proceeded to stated that they wouldn’t be good for eating. Ummmm, no. He went on to talk about all these chicks he had just got and what more he had ordered. Mind you, I did the math afterwords and chickens alone add up to over 100. Not kidding. (wait for it…) Then he wants geese and ducks. Well ok, he has the property to do it. Well about 2 weeks later he comes by to talk to my husband. First he tells him about all these animals. And that he got his geese but was still looking for ducks. (Here it is) ALL of those animals were in his house…all 100+ chickens, geese, and his 4 little dogs. He has no coop set up for them or a place of actual shelter. Now he did this a few years ago, I don’t remember how long ago it was that I mentioned it on here but he is the one that wanted us to build him a chicken coop and he had all his animals eaten by coyotes. Which, I guess to each their own but just seems sad to me to not want to care for the animals that are dependent on you. Anyway…he then asked my husband if we would sell him our ducks. Luckily my husband told him no, but he would have tried to eat them. He isn’t the first to try to get lower prices and take a bunch for food. It’s hard to explain that they are not meet birds. They are not pekin ducks. My friend with Calls has had similar situations too. Hers is worse though in my opinion.

Anyway, I haven’t had rabbits before. These 2 are my first. Luckily the lady I got them from is a friend and has given me a lot of advice. And I literally had no idea how soon they could get pregnant again!!! The saying used about rabbits…..for sure legit!!! 24hours….