Busy day ahead. I need to go to
TSC and get new heat lamp bulbs. I really need to find an alternative because replacing the bulbs every few WEEKS is ridiculous! They aren't blowing, per se. They just get so hot the glass comes out of the metal base used to screw it in to the socket. And when it's hot, the smallest bump will knock it out of that metal. Sometimes, it will still hang by the wires and stay lit. And that was the case of the one sitting over the indoor brooder, until yesterday. I guess one of the wires finally broke and it wouldn't come back on. But being indoors with three goslings and two ducklings, I figured they would be okay. And they are alive and active, but they just WON'T SHUT UP because they are chilly. They think they should be warmer than they are (and they probably should). I really need two bulbs anyway though because one of the brooders outside only has a normal incadescent bulb, not an actual heat bulb, to warm up the babies.
On top of that, my new screen arbor should be in today and I REALLY need to get it set up ASAP and put chickens in it. I've got my sister's chicks in one playpen outside, my chicks in the other (which includes an almost-full-grown silkie), and the ducklings and goslings inside. But inside of the incubator itself I have six more chicks that have hatched out since yesterday, and they need a brooder. So either the silkies or the frizzles need to get up and move so I have somewhere to put others. Since both of those are in very small pens, I'm tempted to see if they can all go in one screen arbor together for now, so I free up two new cages for growing chicks. Plus I can toss the almost-full-grown silkie in with them (along with his smaller but half-breed sibling) to make a LITTLE more room for all of the younger ones.
And Phoenix is eating quite a bit now, but I still have to put it in his mouth for him. Last night he ate three full syringes (total of about 9mL) of egg yolks, mixed with "peaches, bananas, and rice cereal" baby food. He doesn't like his mouth being forced open, but he doesn't mind the food once it's in there. I've learned to trim the gauze so he can see better (but it's kinda like a horse blinder now, where he can only see forward) and cut the front of the bandaging after it is applied so his waddles can hang freely and the one badly damaged one can heal. It has a huge scab, but it's healing.
And today is also the day we scheduled for the goslings' first swim! It's supposed to be a high close to 85 down here, and the sun will be on the little pool for a good bit today. So when my niece gets home from school, we'll set up the video camera and record their first swim! That's the part I can't wait for! But she won't be here until about 4pm. So the camera's battery is charging in the meantime!
