Friday, April 8, 2011

Update!

Well, our 6 chicks that are in the coop are exploring more!  They seem to be happy out there.  Hopefully the temperatures will start staying warmer.  We're supposed to see around 76 on Sunday.  The temperatures are fluctuating from 70's down to 50's with upper 30's to low 40's at night.  I wonder how much longer we should keep a brooder light in there.

                                               Shatel

                                                Eagle

                                                Diamond

                                                  Nemo (was Jade)

                                                Ruby

                                               Ricky (was Aurora)




Angel (or Angelico as I plan to call him should he make it) is doing good.  He sure has the will to live!  His head is a lot more sturdy, so maybe he'll get back on his feet soon.  The vet suggested we make a sling for him, so I did... he doesn't like it.  lol  But it's to help encourage him to use his legs.



Precious has been making some great effort of getting back on his feet finally.  He hasn't succeeded much yet, but at least he's trying.  We gave him a bath on Wednesday.  He wasn't sure what to think of it, or the blow dry afterwords.  But I think he enjoyed it.  Then we let him loose in the kitchen.  He didn't go far at first.  Then He made a quick run for it into the front room (a whole foot and a half or so).  Then he collapsed back down to get off of those sore feet.  Poor baby.  He took a couple of steps tonight in his cage.  But mostly just bounces around on his "heels".  I taught him how to drink from a water bottle tonight too.  The kind you'd use for a rabbit.  He wasn't sure what to make of that either, but quickly learned how to get the water out.  So much for all the spilled water in the cage now!  YES!!!!  lol  He made a HUGE mess in the cage yesterday.  We just gave him fresh food and water, and he spilled ALL of it!  Now, no more spilling the water.  He can still spill the food, but that's not as big of a deal.  He'll eat it right up.




Now for the NEWS!!!  We just got ourselves 3 new baby Mille Fleur chicks!  Yay!  There's supposed to be two girls, and one boy.  Hopefully we got it right.  lol  The darkest one is supposed to be the boy.  I've decided to name one of the girls Jasmine... but not sure which one yet.  Now to figure out which will be Jasmine, and name the other two babies.  They are VERY cute!  And MAN!  I forgot how small they were!  They were hatched under a broody hen.  Beautiful girl.  Silkie and frizzle cochin mix.  She was black, small, and very pretty.  Yes, the millie's are purebred.  The lady also has auracana's.  Maybe we'll get some from her some day.  Just not right now.  lol




Our cochin eggs are due to hatch in a week.  I can hardly wait!  And in May... 12 more babies coming to us!  10 silkies, and 2 speckled sussex.  Precious may never be able to be a show bird now, but I know he could produce some show worthy babies!


Gloria and Mable have different personalities now that Precious isn't out there with them.  Gloria is our white rock hen, and Mable is our light brown leghorn hen.  Gloria seems to be the boss now, and Mable follows her everywhere.  And Gloria is now watchful when we collect eggs, which was one of the jobs Precious Boy did when he was out there.  I really can't wait to get him back out there.  It's been 2 1/2 weeks already.  =(  And I have plans for after he's back too.  About 2-3 weeks after he's back out there, and they're doing their "thing", I plan to collect some eggs to put in the bator.  I'd like to have some of their babies.  I want girls, so any boys I'd get I would sell.  Unfortunately, they may end up meat birds since they'd be mutts.  =(   And that makes me feel really bad.




Next spring, we plan to sell fertile eggs.  We'll have plenty of them too.  Mille Fleur, blue silkies, golden sebrights, ameraucanas... and mixed breeds.  I'm still not sure what breed Aurora is... but I'm sure he's really a Ricky... so unless I'm proved wrong, we are now calling him Ricky.  I was thinking Ricky could be a Java?  I guess it will be easier to tell his breed when he's full grown... or at least easier for those who know breeds better than I do.  I'd like to get some more golden sebright girls, and some girls for Ricky.  I learned the sebrights only lay about 1 egg per week, which isn't many.  Especially if you only have one hen and one roo.  =/   And poor Ricky doesn't have any girls of his breed, so I REALLY want to get him some.  (If anyone knows what breed he is, please tell me.)

Well, that's about all the update I have for now.  More to come at a later time!