Updates Needed

Was looking at the pictures of Apollo and Rayna and realized, they have grown so much, I need new pictures. They are maturing more and more and growing more and more beautiful. Thay've changed alot since those pictures, but they're young, that's what the young do they grow and change. Just found out that my baby from Aaron and Autumn is in fact a boy. His name is Koda. The coloring on him made me think of Terra Cotta, which made me think of Koda. But his comb is coming in nicely and growing everyday it seems. I'm still hoping that he is infact a she with a nice comb, which would make it easier than having another boy. He also grows more and more loving by the day as do the others. It makes me so happy, sitting on the floor with a bird on my shoulder and three in my lap. They are a joy to have, a stressful joy, but a joy none the less.

Eggs and Changes.

I have a total of 11 of my own eggs in the incubator including THREE that are RAYNA's!! She's been laying about evey other day, these itty-bitty eggs. I really hope I get one of her babies from Apollo. *fingers crossed* Penny had been on a laying spree ever since she started laying again, I get one from her everyday just about. Dove and Autumn lay about every other to every three days. Sometimes a few days in a row. You never know with those two. I have four from Jesse's pen, and four from Penny (Apollo's pen) and three from Rayna (Apollo) BUT unfortunately I can't keep Apollo or Jesse. And if Apollo goes then so does Rayna... I just can't split them up... They are always together and if Rayna is stressed the Apollo is stressed and vice-versa. As much as I want to keep both of them, I need two boys that can actually stay in the same pen. And Apollo's got'n pretty territorial recently. So my decision has been made. I will keep Gizmo and Koda (baby from Autumn and Aaron) Since they are pretty much growing up together, there shouldn't be to many problems with them. So those two are going to be together no matter what, because that's the only way I can think of to get two Roos' to get along. If Apollo and Jesse even see each other, they puff up and start dancing around, looking like they could kill each other. But first I'd like to get some of their babies, that's why I want one from each hen and roo. It makes the special. It would be nice to have chickens that I myself have bred. And it'll keep the ones that leave with me for as long as their babies are with me. So by the end of February I'll be looking for homes for the boys and Rayna, who is to go with Apollo and STAY with Apollo. I may send a girl along with Jesse, so he has someone, he seems calmer with a girl.

The good and the bad

The good news is Rayna laid her first ITTY-ITTY-BITTY egg, only alittle bigger than a quail egg. The bad news is, the second chick that hatched this morning some how managed to get under the wire rack in the incubator and either drowned or died of hypothermia. It was way under there, if I didn't know any better I'd say someone put it under there. I have no idea, how that chick that littleraly just hatched to this morning, managed to get half way across the incubator under the wrack and four inches over. I don't know when or how it happened, but I tried putting it under the brooder lamp for alittle bit just incase, with no luck. And unfortunately it looks like none of the others are going to hatch. BUT I do have 8 eggs ready to go in and one is Rayna's, which makes me very happy. Everyone cross your fingers it's fertile and that it hatches. I'd like to get atleast one chick from each hen. Autumn, Dove, Rayna and Penny.

Prepared!!

Today I spent my morning buying stuff to be prepared for any more sick chicks and soft shelled eggs (I finally got paid). I got Purina food for my girls, plus oyster shells. Medicated Chick feed for the new babies as well as a new feeder, brooder lamp and bulb. I bought Wazine for worms, Grow-Gel for new baby chicks, Nutri-Drench for the adult birds, Save-A-Chick for the chicks, Corrid for Cocci, and Sulmet. As well as a Brinsea Eco-Glo Brooder lamp, so no more busted bulbs and dead chicks from the cold. And I got a Brinsea Incubator as my early birthday present. So now I have pretty much no money left. BUT I shall be prepared. I don't want any more dead chicks.

Pips and Peeps

When I went up this morning to check on the birds and heard some peeping across the room and found alittle chick in my incubator. :) I bought some more eggs from the lady who's eggs hatched Ashe. When I went up a few hours ago I found another pip, with alittle chick chirping away inside. Recently I have also managed to get 6 eggs from my girls and will probably set them and what ever is laid in the next day or so either tomorrow or the day after, when ever the eggs are done hatching. Rayna is still not laying, I've only got'n large eggs out of her pen so it can only be Penny laying. Since I'd been getting soft shelled eggs with in the last month or so which I assume is due to the lice they had so badly, which are now dead. I've started giving them cooked egg and yogurt with meal worms in it. So far since they lice have been gone and they have more protien in their diet I haven't had a soft egg since, and the girls have stopped eating their eggs. Which I assume they started due to the softness of the eggs.

Loss

I lost two babies in the last two days. Valentine, my only Silkied baby died yesterday and Mocha my beautiful baby from Autumn and Aaron died tonight. Unfortunately I  only have a few ideas of what may have caused this, but I don't think this is entirely it. I've lost two brooder bulbs recently, that have broken, from what I believe to be from energy surges. So right now they are on low heat. And today I noticed that some how the finished off their water with out me noticing it. So now they have two waterers in their and as much heat as I can give them. I am truly crushed over this, they were my beautiful sweet babies that I hatched my self. Valentine, I litterally pealed out of her shell. Mocha was growing more and more beautiful by the day. I tried everything I could for Mocha, but Valentine I had found dead. All I can do now is pray that, it's not some illness that may have spread.

Gizmo

This is Gizmo my Silkied Frizzle boy at almost 2 months, he's my future Roo.

Reduction...?

Found out that Poultry is not allowed in my neighborhood... It specificially names poultry as not allowed in the deed restrictions for noise purposes. So I'm going to ask, if Serama hens would be allowed, because I don't know about anyone elses Serama hens, but they don't make much noise at all. They make chirping sounds and some other sounds, but aside from that, they are really quiet. The boys on the other hand would have to stay in, and I may have to reduct the amount of boys down to 1 or 2. Probably one. So I'd explain the Serama, how small and quiet the girls are and tell them the size of the coop, which would be really small as well. And also tell them, that I will go door to door and get signatures if I have to, because I truly believe that my neighbors would not mind. I mean I'll fight if I have to. I understand them not wanting roosters, but there is nothing wrong with my hens. They are small and quite and CUTE. Shit I'll even go door to door with a hen in my arms and show them the birds. So they understand what exactly would be there. So everyone wish me luck, cross your fingers, toes, eyes...anything else you can cross...Because I do not want to have to get rid of all my birds.