Here's to hoping the hot weather is about done! I am so ready for Fall.
Birthday Gift
While trolling Craigs List the week of my b'day, there it was, Black Indian Runners!
Showed Sonny the ad. Explained that since I made nothing on selling my other chickens, didn't have the money now. He said he would buy them for me. I usually spend my egg money on birds or profits from bird sales. Then a week of phone/email tag. Hate when people let calls go to voice mail and never call back.
Picked them up on my b'day. They are gorgeous! You have to see them in the light to appreciate all the colors they actually have. Greens, purple, blue.
Rusty took right to them. The chickens could care less.
They love the pool. Graze with the chickens. And the females are starting to eat out of my hand. The drake is still standoffish. Once picked up they calm down pretty quickly, which I love.
Meet the kids:
From the front - Quacker Jack (drake), Negaduck,Morgana
I left them in the run for the first week. They were over joyed when they got to start ranging.
The following Sat
As you know Norma Jean, the Pekin had been setting a clutch. Well 1 week to the day of getting the Runners, they hatched! 4 lil darlings. Since it was to hot according to Sonny who was sitting on the couch enjoying the A/C and playing on his laptop, it was up to me of course. Oh, yes, I had been after him for over a week to build me some sorta a pen in the house. So, drill in hand I went and disassembled the baby pen in the Foo Foo House and set it up in the other. It's already almost 100* with humidity about the same while I'm doing this. But the babies must be safe!
After locating the screws that needed to be undone, lifting the darn thing, getting it out the door was another ordeal. See I have a Silkie and a bantie X who are setting eggs right behind the door! Getting the door open more than enough to squeeze in is a job in itself. So finally got the panel out and set up with panels for the lid. A week later, Sonny finally got around to getting it screwed in for me.
Did lose one to drowning. If anyone would have told me a 1 day old duckling could get into a 9" high bucket I would have told them they were crazy. Don't know how, but one did.
They are about 3X this size now. My Pekins were the same way, grow like weeds.
Last Thursday
Go out to feed the tribe. Have Mama (Black Star) setting eggs in the aviary. To my shock and surprise, 2 little black Turkens emerge! Well, we made it about a day and a half without poultry in the bathroom. Here we go again. LOL!
How cute, huh? They both have bow ties.
Now Today
Foo Foo House again. Done in there, getting ready to go out the door. Rearrange aforementioned broodies to get out the door. Look down. Half a bantie shell, figure it got broke by the door. Nope. A bantie baby popped out from under Dirty Bird! This tiny little yellow fuzzy! Take it into the house. Try to brooder it with the Turkens. Nope. It has it's own box.
Total imprint even tho I didn't help it hatch. It wants to be in my hand all the time. House chicken for sure! It starts carrying on soon as it hears our bedroom door open and won't stop until I go in to see it.
This is the first bantam chick I've had hatch since last year. Boo finally got it right. LOL! He prefers the full size hens. And I seriously had doubts the eggs were even fertile.
Meet SugarPop! The red is from the light.
Everyone else
The 3 surviving Blue Hens and Azule the Silkie are now in the Foo Foo House. Elvi and Beavis the younger Silkie chicks are in the big cage in our living room.
Mama is now setting 6 more Turken eggs. One of the Turken girls Lillith decided to set a clutch somewhere. Sonny found it under one of the riding mowers. They should hatch around the 20th.
Another hen is broody but I'm not letting her have anymore eggs. Don't want to have to overwinter chicks this year. Did that once, and I'll tell ya what, didn't lose 1! More of a PITA since you have to check them more often, but if I had a different set up I would do it again.
The Calls are doing really well. Darkwing is getting his big boy feathers. He's changing every day.
They are very camera shy. Should start laying this Fall.
We did get to the Fair in Harrington this year. Same deal as every year, just seemed like they had less this year.
They did lose I think it was something like 16 poultry and rabbits this year due to the heat. They are supposed to make changes before next year. They should have changed the set up a long time ago in my opinion.
Well that's a wrap for now.
Dawn aka Gothy
Birthday Gift
While trolling Craigs List the week of my b'day, there it was, Black Indian Runners!
Showed Sonny the ad. Explained that since I made nothing on selling my other chickens, didn't have the money now. He said he would buy them for me. I usually spend my egg money on birds or profits from bird sales. Then a week of phone/email tag. Hate when people let calls go to voice mail and never call back.
Picked them up on my b'day. They are gorgeous! You have to see them in the light to appreciate all the colors they actually have. Greens, purple, blue.
Rusty took right to them. The chickens could care less.
They love the pool. Graze with the chickens. And the females are starting to eat out of my hand. The drake is still standoffish. Once picked up they calm down pretty quickly, which I love.
Meet the kids:
I left them in the run for the first week. They were over joyed when they got to start ranging.
The following Sat
As you know Norma Jean, the Pekin had been setting a clutch. Well 1 week to the day of getting the Runners, they hatched! 4 lil darlings. Since it was to hot according to Sonny who was sitting on the couch enjoying the A/C and playing on his laptop, it was up to me of course. Oh, yes, I had been after him for over a week to build me some sorta a pen in the house. So, drill in hand I went and disassembled the baby pen in the Foo Foo House and set it up in the other. It's already almost 100* with humidity about the same while I'm doing this. But the babies must be safe!
After locating the screws that needed to be undone, lifting the darn thing, getting it out the door was another ordeal. See I have a Silkie and a bantie X who are setting eggs right behind the door! Getting the door open more than enough to squeeze in is a job in itself. So finally got the panel out and set up with panels for the lid. A week later, Sonny finally got around to getting it screwed in for me.
Did lose one to drowning. If anyone would have told me a 1 day old duckling could get into a 9" high bucket I would have told them they were crazy. Don't know how, but one did.
Last Thursday
Go out to feed the tribe. Have Mama (Black Star) setting eggs in the aviary. To my shock and surprise, 2 little black Turkens emerge! Well, we made it about a day and a half without poultry in the bathroom. Here we go again. LOL!
Now Today
Foo Foo House again. Done in there, getting ready to go out the door. Rearrange aforementioned broodies to get out the door. Look down. Half a bantie shell, figure it got broke by the door. Nope. A bantie baby popped out from under Dirty Bird! This tiny little yellow fuzzy! Take it into the house. Try to brooder it with the Turkens. Nope. It has it's own box.
Total imprint even tho I didn't help it hatch. It wants to be in my hand all the time. House chicken for sure! It starts carrying on soon as it hears our bedroom door open and won't stop until I go in to see it.
This is the first bantam chick I've had hatch since last year. Boo finally got it right. LOL! He prefers the full size hens. And I seriously had doubts the eggs were even fertile.
Everyone else
The 3 surviving Blue Hens and Azule the Silkie are now in the Foo Foo House. Elvi and Beavis the younger Silkie chicks are in the big cage in our living room.
Mama is now setting 6 more Turken eggs. One of the Turken girls Lillith decided to set a clutch somewhere. Sonny found it under one of the riding mowers. They should
Another hen is broody but I'm not letting her have anymore eggs. Don't want to have to overwinter chicks this year. Did that once, and I'll tell ya what, didn't lose 1! More of a PITA since you have to check them more often, but if I had a different set up I would do it again.
The Calls are doing really well. Darkwing is getting his big boy feathers. He's changing every day.
We did get to the Fair in Harrington this year. Same deal as every year, just seemed like they had less this year.
They did lose I think it was something like 16 poultry and rabbits this year due to the heat. They are supposed to make changes before next year. They should have changed the set up a long time ago in my opinion.
Well that's a wrap for now.
Dawn aka Gothy
