Almost a Month

I cannot believe I have done it again... almost a month since the last post! 

Let's catch up. 

I'm starting to get eggs from the new birds. 

 

One of these beautiful little Wyandotte girls is laying now.  I found four pullet eggs hidden behind a box in the big henhouse this morning. 

Hallelujah! 

I was  getting only one egg every two days from the old girls, and have not been able to give away any eggs for a month or so. 

 

Like Sammy, the Salmon Faverolle.  I don't think she has laid in months. 

I also had to move her and the last little red hen out of the old coop, the one with the Rhode Island Reds and the Indio Gigantes, the babies were just too hard on the old girls. 

These are the birds from the old hen house, where I had the pen built this spring. 

That bird in the forefront is Little Bird, only the Indios and a couple of others have names. 

Big Bird and Little Bird look much the same, only Little Bird is an inch or so smaller.  The snake attacked Little Bird, who does not walk right, but gets around okay. 

Imagine my surprise when BOTH of these birds started crowing last week... I was sure they were pullets. 

I now have FIVE Indio Gigante cockerels and two pullets.  As these birds don't fight amongst themselves and there are six other pullets with them, I am not going to do anything about it right now. 

This is what happens when you buy straight run, folks. 

This is the problem pen, the Brooder House. 

Those are two Bielefelder and one LaFleche pullets hiding in the covered pen because the roosters in there are HORRIBLE. 

That's a LaFleche rooster behind them. 

Yes, they are beauties... but... psychotic.  Out of five LaFleche chicks, I got three cockerels and two pullets. 

Out of four Putih Ayam Cemanis, I got two cockerels and two pullets. 

I am not breeding friends, I was in this for the eggs and just wanted some exotics. 

I love the little LaFleche pullets. 

This pen is still too young to start laying. 

Someone in the little hen house is laying.  The Lavender Orps and the Cuckoo Marans are the same age, and I have to say something here.  I got a rooster with the Orps... that is Buster, in the middle on the fence.  He is shaping up to be the best rooster EVER.... he takes care of his girls well and is not combative with the other birds or me.  I really like him. 

Our first rooster when we moved here was a Buff Orpington, and we loved him. 

Yes, Buddy is still here and still taking care of the big girls. 

Doug the Silkie rooster is still in the little hen house. 

We also have Sammy in there, and a red hen who lived in the old hen house. 

And Flopsy, the red hen on the right in the picture above this, is back in there after defecting to Buddy for a while. 

Rocket, the Mille Fleur rooster, is still with me... but ten days ago, I came home from doing errands one afternoon, and went out to check on everyone.  In the pen (I made with exercise pens) in the big hen house yard, were Rocket, Mary, the little Mille Fleur hen, and the young four month old Cochin pullet with the deformed foot.  As I walked into the yard, a Coopers Hawk flew up from the pen.  It had killed and eaten both Mary and the pullet, and Rocket was in the dog house screaming (the dog house in the pen was for shelter).  These birds were all carried in at night. 

My heart broke, but that is life. 

Both hens were beheaded and I carried what was left of them down to the pasture. 

Rocket is now no longer kept in the pen... he is free to roam with everyone else, so he has a chance to hide with them, and I am happy to say he is getting along very well.  He and Mary had always roosted in the big hen house anyway, I carried them in and out. 

Mr. Floofy Ears comin' at ya! 

I made a decision about Archie... and this hurt my heart, too. 

He was the gentlest of goats. 

 He now lives at Shy 38 Farm Sanctuary at the other end of the county.  

I hope to go see him this week. 

We were not there long when another goat wandered up to say hello to him. 

He was due to be neutered that week.  

There is no cell phone coverage on my phone there, so I was texted directions, and I am going to follow those directions backwards to get back there. 

I am so grateful to them for taking him in... with a donation, but still... I am just grateful that he will have a good home. 

My little Wanda is still here and still healthy.  We had such a battle last year keeping her in good health... she spent the winter inside and then went feral on me again. 

She lets me pet her and play with her, but it would be hard to get her back in a carrier. 

Lest you think I don't do ANYTHING but take care of the animals, I love progressive rock and Jon Anderson (from YES) was here last week with The Band Geeks, and the opening act was another favorite, Carl Palmer with ELP Legacy, and I was in the fourth row center.  I had such a good time, and I am so glad I heard my favorite songs again... because Jon (and I) are getting on in years and you just never know.  It was a magical night for me.