What did you do with your flock today?

[ChicksnMore]

Hey gang, Happy Aloha Saturday!!
I don't have the bandwidth yet, to go back and read posts, looks like this thread is moving. I'll get there... been a whirlwind here. My head is so jammed I did not check my chickens water and Kekaha coop was out and Kokee 3 waters were low. Such a bad mom... especially since it is so hot in Kekaha and I am so close. 50 ft... and I could not do it?!! Well, when it dawned on me, and I filled the water, the chooks sat around it like elephants. Thank goodness no one got sick from my negligence.
Last group of guests left the cabin last eve. Others left during the day, and the sweetest left the day b4. So lots of goodbyes and hugs and such.

My boy. He is still on Maui, where he wants and needs to be right now. He is at the Maui War Memorial that is seen on TV and he says they are taking good care of him. He will hopefully get his unemployment set up there and then be willing to make a decision. Is this redundant, like did I mention b4?... feel like I got beemed up by a spaceship
So I apologize. Some really horrific stories coming out of there...
Anywho, just waiting for his thumbs up.... or maybe I won't wait.. .I'm still hoping to go get him, maybe go see him today. It has been nice staying in constant contact with him, I'm just unsure of what the next move is. Waiting for a sign, but maybe just need to make a move.

Bless you for remembering them! With everything you have on your plate, I'm not sure I would have either.
Glad your in-laws are safely out the door!
And sooo glad you can stay in contact with your son. I'd be worried sick still. Everything I read is just heartbreaking for there.

 

[ChicksnMore]

The pullet with the crossbeak got to go home today. It's been about a week since I stopped taping her at night and it seems to be good. I kept tapeing for a week after it seemed corrected just to be sure it didn't reskew. I forgot to take a picture of her before she went home, but her mom's going to send one later. Really tickled with how that turned out.

Piggies two worst punctures are healing finally. One seems to be completely good and the others still pussing up a little, buts about half way healed. Got some terra-vet 200 and going to give him a round of shots to help him finish healing. He goes back to the vet this Wednesday but to be honest, I'm 100% unimpressed by that place. At any rate, he is healing but could have healed much faster with penicillin or oxytetracycline instead of flushing and packing to kill the germs. Can you tell I'm grumpy? Poor piggies even grumpier!

All my birds are doing wonderful. Have three peaeggs left in the incubator and a newly hatched peababy from this morning. It's a little white baby ands already sold, but not letting it go home til it's fully feathered so I can be sure it's off to a good start. Going to love it up a little so it'll be friendly for the lady too. That's always such a pleasure.

 

[PopoMyers]

I have rubber gloves, but no recommended lubricant. I guess a little olive oil would be safe to use if I have to, wouldn't it?

That, and coconut oil too. I try to stay away from petroleum products, but that's me.

 

[PopoMyers]

The pullet with the crossbeak got to go home today. It's been about a week since I stopped taping her at night and it seems to be good. I kept tapeing for a week after it seemed corrected just to be sure it didn't reskew. I forgot to take a picture of her before she went home, but her mom's going to send one later. Really tickled with how that turned out.

Piggies two worst punctures are healing finally. One seems to be completely good and the others still pussing up a little, buts about half way healed. Got some terra-vet 200 and going to give him a round of shots to help him finish healing. He goes back to the vet this Wednesday but to be honest, I'm 100% unimpressed by that place. At any rate, he is healing but could have healed much faster with penicillin or oxytetracycline instead of flushing and packing to kill the germs. Can you tell I'm grumpy? Poor piggies even grumpier!

All my birds are doing wonderful. Have three peaeggs left in the incubator and a newly hatched peababy from this morning. It's a little white baby ands already sold, but not letting it go home til it's fully feathered so I can be sure it's off to a good start. Going to love it up a little so it'll be friendly for the lady too. That's always such a pleasure.

You are the best! I believe between you, @TropicalBabies and @Shetland lover and @kurby22 , all these medically needy ones have the best chance at good outcomes and treatments, and advice for all of us whenever the need arises. Bravo!

 

[PopoMyers]

Hey gang, Happy Aloha Saturday!!
I don't have the bandwidth yet, to go back and read posts, looks like this thread is moving. I'll get there... been a whirlwind here. My head is so jammed I did not check my chickens water and Kekaha coop was out and Kokee 3 waters were low. Such a bad mom... especially since it is so hot in Kekaha and I am so close. 50 ft... and I could not do it?!! Well, when it dawned on me, and I filled the water, the chooks sat around it like elephants. Thank goodness no one got sick from my negligence.
Last group of guests left the cabin last eve. Others left during the day, and the sweetest left the day b4. So lots of goodbyes and hugs and such.

My boy. He is still on Maui, where he wants and needs to be right now. He is at the Maui War Memorial that is seen on TV and he says they are taking good care of him. He will hopefully get his unemployment set up there and then be willing to make a decision. Is this redundant, like did I mention b4?... feel like I got beemed up by a spaceship
So I apologize. Some really horrific stories coming out of there...
Anywho, just waiting for his thumbs up.... or maybe I won't wait.. .I'm still hoping to go get him, maybe go see him today. It has been nice staying in constant contact with him, I'm just unsure of what the next move is. Waiting for a sign, but maybe just need to make a move.

Us mamas are always wanting the best for our kids, even the feathered and furry ones. So hard to wait and see.

 

[Shetland lover]

IKR?! This is how she reacts when she sees me:

View attachment 3607080

I am heartbroken because I can't be with her full time like before (I had to move away due to a situation of violence) but at the same time, I feel so BLESSED because whenever I see her I can feel her love... and almost like thankfulness because she is a chronically ill hen and I provided her with all the extra care she needed and I feel like she knows and appreciates that.

She motivates me to keep fighting for my health and for a place to be reunited with her.

She clearly adores you! ❤

Some birds you just bond so closely with. The day we brought Connie home from the battery farm, I picked her up and she laid her head on my chest, closed her eyes and gave a huge sigh. We were pretty inseparable from then on. She'd even feign illness so she could come indoors and cuddle in her very own quilt. I kept telling her she didn't have to pretend to be ill. I still miss her beyond belief.

I now have a very strong bond with my older cockerel, Ferdy.

I too think they know when you are helping them. I also think they are mostly thankful for the care. I say mostly as my one remaining standard sized hen, Gladys, does NOT appreciate any 'interference'

What's wrong with your girl?

 

[Shetland lover]

Hey gang, Happy Aloha Saturday!!
I don't have the bandwidth yet, to go back and read posts, looks like this thread is moving. I'll get there... been a whirlwind here. My head is so jammed I did not check my chickens water and Kekaha coop was out and Kokee 3 waters were low. Such a bad mom... especially since it is so hot in Kekaha and I am so close. 50 ft... and I could not do it?!! Well, when it dawned on me, and I filled the water, the chooks sat around it like elephants. Thank goodness no one got sick from my negligence.
Last group of guests left the cabin last eve. Others left during the day, and the sweetest left the day b4. So lots of goodbyes and hugs and such.

My boy. He is still on Maui, where he wants and needs to be right now. He is at the Maui War Memorial that is seen on TV and he says they are taking good care of him. He will hopefully get his unemployment set up there and then be willing to make a decision. Is this redundant, like did I mention b4?... feel like I got beemed up by a spaceship
So I apologize. Some really horrific stories coming out of there...
Anywho, just waiting for his thumbs up.... or maybe I won't wait.. .I'm still hoping to go get him, maybe go see him today. It has been nice staying in constant contact with him, I'm just unsure of what the next move is. Waiting for a sign, but maybe just need to make a move.

Don't feel too guilty about the waterers. You have so much going on, it's totally understandable. The important thing is that you got right onto it once you realised and no harm was done.

So glad your son is being well looked after but usually a mom's instincts are spot on so if your heart tells you to go to him, go ❤

 

[Shetland lover]

Ahh those lavender boys really are special I wish they had stronger genetics It’s fascinating to me how many of my lavenders die or get sick from things or never even make it out of the shell. They are always the most friendly and curious and gentle of my birds though. I just adore lavender chickens.

The lavender gene in quail is also weird—but most often makes the boys super aggressive. In all my quail hatchings (150+ quail), my worst behaved males were all lavenders and I have yet to hatch a female lavender. Super interesting.

I’m sorry you lost such a wonderful boy!

Thank you. He's the only lavender I've had so I don't have anything to compare the effects of his genetics to. He was 3 or 4 days short of his first birthday and it rodenticide that killed him. Perhaps if another of my birds with less rarefied genetics ate a poisoned mouse, they may have survived it. Who knows?
Ferdy is so like his dad in personality and vocalizations, it still feels like I have Sylv with me.

The fact you haven't hatched a female lavender quail is really interesting. I know less than nothing about quail. Does the lavender gene favour hatching males? Or are they like chickens in that mom decides the sex of the chick?

 

[Shetland lover]

I think having one or 2 in the house isn’t a big deal. Or even more. Especially when they are sick. I don’t know if you remember but my rooster was inside, my ducks, even my goats had to come in when we got the winter freeze over here. But to have ALL of them living in your home is a bit much. He has mesothelioma, or did, I guess he recovered or something. But anyway, if you even had that, adding that many to your house is a death sentence.

I didn’t really put much thought into flystrike with the bunnies. They will be staying inside. I won’t have them outside. But they are being litter trained and they are doing pretty good with it so far. My friend has hers separated but also in the same area. I was kinda hoping with the 6 kids it would be easier. I have considered having them fixed. I want to know for sure though I have. We think it’s a boy or girl but we aren’t 100% sure.

I also have no issues with house chickens. We keep other birds indoors, why not chickens? (my long-suffering DH probably disagrees).

The bunnies will be much safer from flystrike indoors. I'd love a house bunny but DH has put his foot down.
They are really easy to housetrain as they naturally poop and pee in one place.

 

[Shetland lover]

So I discovered I’ve been a neglectful chicken owner :-( We’ve had soccer and school start this past week, and daughter came down with COVID…so I haven’t gone out and spent daytime time with the babies in a couple days, just out at night to make sure all the doors shut and the rats stay out. Well yesterday I went out to check on things and give treats and refill waters…and did a head count and discovered Sia missing. We looked everywhere I could think to look and she’s nowhere to be found. My best guess is she found some way to get out of the run and is either hiding extremely well in the yard or she got taken by something while wandering free. :-( Escaping is NOT her style and adventures are not her thing, so I don’t have a clue why or how she disappeared but I’m rather devastated She was such a sweet and beautiful Silkie . There’s no sign of feathers, no sign of damage, there’s been no chicken alerting of danger…so whatever happened happened fast or when we weren’t home. She’s also broody so maybe she found some really great spot to hunker down after escaping…but with a Fox and huge rats…I don’t feel that she has much hope for showing back up. :-( I miss her presence and think Duchess does too :-(

Today I spent some time with the Cooplex clan…they’re all such sweet birds. I think I will be moving a few of them to the general population bantams soon…especially with Sia being gone. There’s literally only 2 birds in one of the coops. All the others cram into the Omlet Cube like weirdos. Gonna move Brillo, Smokey, Paddy (Lav cuckoo satin boy), and Ruby Jr. at the minimum. I’m also going to be selling or taking to auction the roosters I can’t keep pretty soon. Lots of boys in my Ameraucana hatches and three have DQ flaws that shouldn’t be bred with at all sadly. They’re Al such nice chickens though, I just love bantams!

Also, Shadow has been allowed in the house more now that he’s been to the vet and started vaccinations. Still not allowing interaction with Miyuki till he’s gotten all the shots, but he definitely loves being inside

Oh no! That's such sad news about Sia going missing. I'm so sorry. Hopefully she has just gone off to brood and will re-appear in a few weeks with chicks in tow

When Sylv was alive, he'd have 4 standard hens and two bantams squashed into his coop with him (only really suitable for 4 bantams max) and no-one in the big coop (easily big enough for 8 standard hens). Silly birds!

Your birds are all so beautiful!