The Newbies,Eggs and Happy Easter!

Well the newest batch got here a week ago yesterday. All 26 arrived in good order. Of course I have no clue what the majority of them are. Mainly reds and some brown chipmunk looking chicks. Most of the others are Barred. Looks like the Turkens might not all be red one's this time. Yay! Fingers crossed that 10 will be sold at the end of the month to a young man who needs them for a 4H project.
So once again my bathroom is chick central. I am moving in another brooder box over the weekend so they have more room. The temps here are up and down so it's too chilly to put them out in one of the houses yet. We actually have a frost warning tonight. It was 80* here yesterday!

The Silkies
They are doing well and getting bigger. Daily exhibition of chest bumping. Sonny told me to be careful or I would get in trouble for chicken fighting. Ha, ha. One had hurt it's foot, not sure how, but now is using it. I was afraid it was broke.

That's Micro(wave) on top of the cage. She loves to sleep on top of it during the day. Better watch that tail tho!

First Wind Egg
Went to collect eggs the other day and found a wind egg! First one I've ever gotten. Not sure if it's from one of the Stars or Delawares.
The first egg is a standard, next bantam, then the wind egg. They usually don't contain a yolk and are laid buy pullets just getting ready.

Speaking of Eggs
I am getting a box of hatching eggs next week. Thank You Cathryn! They are Naked Neck Silkies! aka Showgirls. I am truly eggcited about this! She has some  absolutely gorgeous birds. One of my bantam EE's is broody. It's funny to hear those sounds coming from such a small chicken. Dahlia get's upset when I collect the eggs she's not setting also. Growled at me the other day when I was!
Tomorrow Tony will be coloring eggs for Easter. This is the first year that I actually had enough white eggs that I didn't have to buy them.
The only problem with him doing this is he doesn't want them used afterward. LOL  Can't get it thru that 7 year old's head that just because they are hard boiled doesn't mean they last forever. I'm going to blow out a couple so he can do them to keep. Which of course means making egg holders out of recycled tp tubes. Well at least it will keep him busy for awhile. : )

Until next time, take care all!
Gothy

New Silkies on my desk

Well, ya know sometimes you just need a bit of cheep therapy. : )  So I put thru a notice in a local group I'm in and ended up with 3 Bearded Splash Silkie chicks. Was going to add a couple more Polish, but I am not going to pay $15 each for chicks.
The babies are 6 weeks this week. And a lot quieter! They are living in Smokee's cage for now. One will be a house chicken. To early to tell what sex they are.  Hoping for 1 roo and 2 hens.
The parents are show birds and came originally from the same guy I bought my other Silkies from. He moved to another state and the lady I got these cuties from got the parent's from him.

They are at the awkward getting adult feather stage right now.


Keets Update
Unfortuanately there will be no keets until hopefully later in the summer. Some critter, thinking possum since I know we have those, got into the house we were planning on razing. Of course it got to all my Polish and Silkie eggs first.
So I  had to relocte Mama and the nest. Well, she didn't like that idea too much. So she quit laying on the keet eggs and moved them out and is setting some assorted chicken eggs right now. Not sure if she is going to stay with it or not.
Whatever it was also got to Joon's nest.
All the other chickens and pair of guineas are in the bantie house until we can get the other one ready.
I sold the other 2 female guineas to the guy who took Fred. So now they are all happy together.

Smokee's New Digs
Smokee is now out in the Silkie house. She seems to be fitting in. At least now she has room to roam. And seems to have calmed down.

Pet Store
Went to the pet store today to get grit and a new dog collar. They had ducklings for sale. Get this - $15 for Pekins and $20 for PekinXcrested!  "Because they are cuter". Right. Only 1 looked like it was going to be creasted. I paid $5 each for mine last year, different store.
This store has quiet the set up. You buy the duck. Then in order to take it,  you have to buy a cage and food from them. This is how they do with all their animals.
The salesperson was dealing with 2 ladies and a man. She was showing them a cage that would only be large enough for a guniea pig to live in.
I personally think it should be illegal for pet stores to sell ducks and chicks just for Easter. Sure they are cute when they are in the store. But they are messy, smell, and poop as fast as they eat.
Then people give these to kids who don't know enough or old enough to be responsible for caring for them. Wonder if a study has been done on the mortality rate for pet's sold at Easter. How many end up dumped at a local park or pond not knowing how to fend for itself.
Pekins get large, loud, have very sharp claws and are not a house pet, well, unless you have alot of room. Ducky diapers anyone?
When we checked out, I asked the girl if they also sold chicks. "No because chicks get ugly after 2 weeks and then we are stuck with them." Hmmm, wonder what they do with the ducks.
I see several after Easter listed on CL because they aren't cute or kid's lost interest. Well what the hell did you expect?

New chicks will be here next week!

Just my opions expressed here, your actual milage may vary.

Gothy