Chicks and Buns

The spring babies are all vibrant and healthy, and growing like weeds.  A couple of the bunnies are now venturing away from the nest and out into the world, and sharing carrots with the mothers.  The baby chicks are showing some odd color variations the previous hatches never had.  Anyone know why this would be?  Same roosters and hens, so what gives?

Chicks!

The first batch of chicks have started hatching out yesterday and today.  With a few winter power outages and some issues controlling the temperature in the incubator, I half doubted any would hatch.  This morning it looked like about 50% were out of their shells so far.  After tonight I think I can assume what's hatched is final.  Little dog BiBi cannot be torn away from them, as it is always with a new hatch.  She's so motherly.

A little blonde Turken

Birthday Buddies

Yesterday was my Birthday.  I turned 41!

I had to spend my big day without any human company for the evening becuase, well,  humans have to work and travel and do all that other human stuff.  So I seized the moment!  The day was perfect when I got home from work around 6:30 pm.  The sun was shining and it was 76 degrees outside.  I poured myself a little (okay, HUGE!) glass of cold Pinot Grigio, grabbed my camera, and headed outside to spend some quality time with the "gang".  They were loving the weather as much as I was.  And I'm sure I heard them whisper "Happy Birthday" to me in their own little ways...

This is "Nigel." He's a five year old Thoroughbred.  I hope he can run fast. Really fast.



 Next we have "Maggot," a 14year old Thoroughbred, and retired racehorse. (a.k.a. "Widow Maker")

And here's "Dottie."  She's a five year old Snowflake Appaloosa mare. She likes to buck.

"Louie" is a 3 year old Pitbull mix who I rescued from the city streets. He now has the responsibility of being the livestock gaurdian dog.  And stinking beyond belief. I wouldn't mess with him, woud you?

"BiBi" is my little girl.  She's a Toy Fox Terror.  I mean, "terrier."  She's three years old also.

Next in line is "Ezra," a ten week old Boer-Nubian cross.  I just got him a few weeks ago.  He has great lawn-mowing skills...

Here is one of the new chicks that hatched on March 3rd.  I think it's a hen, but I'm not really sure yet.  I'm pretty sure the Naked neck rooster was the daddy though!

"Mr. Fugly" is the Naked Neck Rooster.  He's odd. And he does innapropriate things to the two ducks. That's all I can say.

Fugly out...

Well, the broody hen finally hatched a little bobble-head. It’s a “Turken,” also known as Transylvania Naked Neck chicken. I was hoping it would have been one of the fancy French rooster’s offspring, but alas, the hen had other plans. Now she's left sitting on one egg and a golfball; so I have a 50% chance of hatching a chicken or a golfer, right?


Another hen went broody as well over the weekend. Any ideas on what to do when this happens? Why these hens think it’s a wise idea to have a bunch of little chicks running around in the dead of winter is beyond me.

I keep pondering how, or if I should, do anything special to prepare for hurricane “Sandy,” other than make sure all the animals are comfortable. It has been raining constantly up here since Saturday (no surprise), much to the delight of the ducks, but not the rest of the animals. It delayed me in putting more hay up over the weekend. I still need to get 150 bales in my loft for the winter. I’m sure many of us are preparing for the storm as I write this. All summer everyone prayed for rain. Well folks, here it comes. Be safe.



10/26/12     Black Australorp / Turken Chick