What did you do with your flock today?

[PopoMyers]

Happy Holidays all. It’s been awhile since I’ve had time to catch up on here, but I’ve missed you all!

@TropicalBabies im so sorry to hear about Elliot and all the losses youve suffered this year. I know your heart will need time to heal, but like @Shetland lover said…make sure you are doing self care too! Looks like the chickens are going to be living the dream when they come back down the mountain!! It’s so good to have you back in the thread I’ve missed you

@ChicksnMore its so great to hear from you too!! You've been missed!! I need to hear how all your birdies are doing!

As for me, we’ve been super super busy and the poor chickens have been a bit neglected. :-( We’ve decided that we can no longer do year-round sports so that we have a life at home at least part of the time. We’ve decided it’s time to thin down the flock some, and I know it’s going to hurt my heart more than I can even imagine right now, but it’s for the best. I got too excited about all the fun project colors and just can’t find enough space for them all! I will be letting go of the modern game, the silkies and satins, and most of my Easter Eggers. This should cut things down a great deal and reduce the coop chores I’m hoping. The kids can’t keep up on their own and my back has gotten worse so they have to do a lot more of it than they used to :-(

On the bright side, we have some really nice show birds that we hatched this year and I’m feeling good about the direction we are headed. I too, have found myself thinking I got too ambitious and think the flock needs to be more manageable!

Some of the babies that have grown up and my daughter showing off her wins at the last poultry shows in showmanship and with her birds. Our bantam Ameraucanas won Jr Champion and Reserve Jr Champion in the All Other Combs Class, and our black pullet bantam Ameraucana managed to win the Open and Jr Champion in same class at the Reno show in October! You can see she loves her bird she uses for showmanship…he’s our runt bantam Splash Ameraucana that had serious wry neck as a baby and has been babied ever since…his name is Tiltneck Was the only way we knew which splash bird needed meds—“go grab the tilt neck baby”. I’ll have to add another post so I can share some of my other birds, since it’s been awhile since I shared

For those of you that know me, I added some pics of the other animals too! Lola got some fun Christmas clothes…that she LOVES , Shadow is as naughty as ever…he will sit by a doorway or hallway opening and wait for you to come by and then hit you and run away He still loves to taunt Lola by sitting just out of her reach and whacking at her face…and he’s made it very clear that while I may have had plans for him to be outdoors…he did NOT. He will go outside for about 15-30 mins and then sit by the door and yowl to come back in…and FORGET about it now that it’s cold and rainy and muddy Such an ungrateful one he is! Miyuki is okay but I’m certain now that she has some kind of organ dysfunctions that cause her mobility and sight issues. Shadow however, has brought her out of her shell and she now sleeps with us and hangs out in the house more now, instead of hiding behind our bed all the time. And Koda is as goofy as ever and still our best rat hunter! I just wish he was willing to do it full time instead of only when the weather is nice and they’re easy pickings

So great to catch up with you, and see all the great pics of your "newsletter". I love getting these at Christmas time. So many wonderful happenings for you. Hard things too as you let go and decide what's best for you and your family. Many hugs as you transition to a new chapter.
I was down your way back in October, but didn't have enough time to have a meetup. Thought about you, though.

 

[PopoMyers]

Ok...so some happier dog stuff. Well, kinda happier. We had a neighbor move away and leave behind all 3 of their unaltered dogs. One boy and two girls. Both girls pregnant. One of my other neighbors knew about it and was taking the dogs food and water until one of the girls gave birth and all the puppies died. She got busy getting our shelter involved in helping the other two, and brought me the remaining pregnant girl in case she gave birth before the shelter stepped in. So we ended up with 9 adorable little floofballs to find homes for. Well...8, because we kept one .
Im happy to say the last puppy got it's home last night, and i think all went to good homes.
View attachment 4017641View attachment 4017642View attachment 4017643View attachment 4017644View attachment 4017645View attachment 4017646View attachment 4017648View attachment 4017650View attachment 4017651View attachment 4017652View attachment 4017653View attachment 4017654View attachment 4017655View attachment 4017656View attachment 4017658View attachment 4017659View attachment 4017660View attachment 4017661View attachment 4017662Didn't Goose grow up to be beautiful?View attachment 4017664View attachment 4017665
What a picture flood! Just a few more...the next is the pup we're keeping. Her name is Blue.View attachment 4017666
And last are a few pictures of the puppies in there new homes. We asked a rehoming fee to try to make sure they went to good homes...but we waved it once they were here and i was sure it felt like a good home. Some shared pictures as a thank you.View attachment 4017667View attachment 4017668View attachment 4017669
I've never had the pleasure of a momma dog giving birth, or the discomfort of sending babies out into the unknown. But I think it went well. It was definitely a blessing for me.

Thank you for your care and compassion for these babies. Blue has mesmerizing eyes.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Oh my goodness!! Puppy overload!! How you managed not to keep them all! Blue is adorable!! And Goose did grow out nicely! Love will do that

I fell in love with all of them! There were a few that I just hated to say goodbye to. But...my wonderful Goose is really all I need. That dogs perfect in everyway except his hearing. Blue will be his hearing companion for life. Right now Goose cues off my ancient girls. My Fox has had thyroid problems since she was a puppy, and my Iri has been diagnosed with lymphoma. She's receiving treatment and I was told I can expect a year max for her. I refuse to look at a calendar to see how long it's been since her diagnosis. Right now she's doing great though. Both are 13. So Blue is part my puppy and part Gooses . Goose fell in love with all the puppies too, so it'll be a good match.

 

[ChicksnMore]

Wow! Puppy therapy . I needed that!!! It must have been hard rehoming them. They are beautiful pups. I'm so glad that you stepped in to help as usual. Bet your home feels empty without all that chaos
Enjoy while you can right?
Goose is handsome ♡♡♡ I like how he is playing with pups as opposed to being jealous. That is very cool character. Mom is a real looker. What is going to happen to mom? Hope get fixed #1, lol.
Anywho, awesome share!!!!

I'm not sure yet on mom. She's a really good dog. Knows some basic commands and will follow beside me offleash with her nose pressed into my palm. But...she'll kill birds if she gets the chance. Hubby let her loose in the garden when I wasn't home one day, and I came home to 3 dead ducks. Our sweet call ducks, all gone. My oldest wants to keep her though, and I'm a firm believer in respecting my kids. So Kimi will get the chance to train her...but i fully expect she'll decide for herself that it's better to rehome momma. Life surprises us sometimes though. Kim's good at dog training, and mommas a really good dog that wants to please. Mom didn't eat the ducks...that might mean there's a chance for her here.

 

[ChicksnMore]

I had a cat with ckd, Moe. He was an absolute flea magnet too. I moved into a house which had been empty 9 months and he went from being flea-free to flea-ridden in a week! He was an indoor cat.
He was senior when he came to me and had to have several teeth removed, which is how we found out he had ckd. Looking back, he had many of the symptoms. One of his main symptoms was vomiting after 100% protein meals e.g. a can of tuna. He also had some ataxia and would lose his balance frequently. He had poor eyesight too. It was very hard to keep body condition and he would go from barely eating to being unfillable. There was no medication available and 'treatment' consisted of prescription only food. We had him for 4 wonderful years before he passed and was estimated to be around 17 yrs old.

Things have changed a lot in care for cats with ckd. There are now decent meds and much improved care.
You've probably seen it but this website is a brilliant resource:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...EQFnoECAoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1vEqOALhClMI9IHGCLpBsc
I've used Tanya's website as her advice on encouraging sick kitties to eat is applicable to all cats.I just wish there'd been something like it when Moe was alive.
Hopefully, with a few adjustments, Miyuki can fare better and stay with you longer.

Francois is a stunning boy! He sounds an absolute delight.
And Petunia, gorgeous colour and such a mischievous expression. Queenie is gorgeous too - no wonder she wowed the judges at Reno. I love your birds - you know I'm a sucker for a chicken beard.

And go Koda! Unlike my cats, he sees the job through. My cats just bring the rats in and let them loose in the house

I've missed so much! I'm so sorry about your kitty @ kurby...and so glad they have you to help them through.
Im glad your Moe had you too Shetland. Older animals often have a hard time finding homes even when they're perfect. What a blessing Moe found in you!

 

[TropicalBabies]

I'm not sure yet on mom. She's a really good dog. Knows some basic commands and will follow beside me offleash with her nose pressed into my palm. But...she'll kill birds if she gets the chance. Hubby let her loose in the garden when I wasn't home one day, and I came home to 3 dead ducks. Our sweet call ducks, all gone. My oldest wants to keep her though, and I'm a firm believer in respecting my kids. So Kimi will get the chance to train her...but i fully expect she'll decide for herself that it's better to rehome momma. Life surprises us sometimes though. Kim's good at dog training, and mommas a really good dog that wants to please. Mom didn't eat the ducks...that might mean there's a chance for her here.

Oh gosh, so sorry about your ducks. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.
I wish Kimi, the beautiful pups and all good luck. I'm sorry she is a poultry hunter. Super hard to break from what I understand but know Kimi is capable. Love how you show so much respect ♡♡♡♡

 

[ChicksnMore]

Oh my gosh! Doggy babies!!!
They couldn't have hoped for a better start in life than with you. Shame on your neighbour who left their dogs to fend for themselves.

I can't even think about that part of it. A pox on all people like that though. Because they left the dogs in a fenced yard, the shelter couldn't help them at first. They needed the owners permission to enter the property. Finally my neighbor found a way to get the dogs off the property and all got help. She kept the boy, brought me pregnant momma, and got the other girl into another home. She was too grumpy with the shelter in the end, so none of those poor babies ended up there. What a wonderful woman she is

 

[ChicksnMore]

Oh gosh, so sorry about your ducks. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.
I wish Kimi, the beautiful pups and all good luck. I'm sorry she is a poultry hunter. Super hard to break from what I understand but know Kimi is capable. Love how you show so much respect ♡♡♡♡

I doubt Kimi can succeed..but gotta let her try. I could remind Kimi that moving back out would solve the problem, but I can't bring myself to...lol. Kimi's back home with us for a while.

 

[TropicalBabies]

I doubt Kimi can succeed..but gotta let her try. I could remind Kimi that moving back out would solve the problem, but I can't bring myself to...lol. Kimi's back home with us for a while.

Is she taking a break from school?
Bet it is awesome to have her home, and to have extra, capable help

 

[ChicksnMore]

Is she taking a break from school?
Bet it is awesome to have her home, and to have extra, capable help

Well...Tami's home from school for the holidays and Kimi was talking about going back, but I'm uncertain if she ever will. I talked her into moving home at the beginning of the pandemic though and she's been here since. I do absolutely love having her here....and hopefully it's good for her too. I don't know...lol.