The New Family

This is my very first attempt at You Tube. This has been such a gratifying experience I just wanted to share it.

I have been taking other short videos. I will try to get them up as well. Upon checking on the new family I was pleasantly surprised to see two new faces.
A couple of hours after I took this video I checked on the new mom and her new family to find all of them out of the planter and running around the little pen I had set up for them. I counted not three but four; one yellow with black spots, one golden brown, two black!
I had not thought they leave the nest so quickly. Eight eggs were left without a mom. I scooped them up and ran into the house. I am not sure when I last moved so quickly. I covered them with a towel, ran out to my toy store and grabbed a small box, brought it inside, lined it with aluminum foil, ran upstairs,, grabbed a lamp, ran into the toy room, grabbed some books, then set up the whole affair on top of the dryer. Now the nest is empty except for the remains of the eggshells.
Within 2 hours following this mad dash, one of the eggs had a little hole pecked out.
I spent most of the rest of the night checking on my new little hatchling. I finally went to bed at midnight with not much progress made in the hatching process. Around 6 am I woke up to the sound of very excited chirping!
What a glow to my heart.
Footnote: while I made all those checks two other eggs showed movement. Who knows they may hatch as well. It all depends.

Hatch Day!!

Today was supposed to be the day the eggs hatched.
I was a little less than optimistic at the chance of hatchlings, but as I walked by Luna today a little yellow head was poking out from under her wing. Judging by the dryness of its feathers and how active it was it may have hatched yesterday.

Here is mama and her new baby.

There was one point that Luna stood for a couple of seconds and I saw another chick! This one was a fresh hatchling, still quite wet. I have not seen it since. Until tomorrow I will just have to be happy with these pics.
It is hard to see in the pic but the egg tooth is right on the tip of the little chicks beak. If you click on the picture you can see it better.
This sweetie hatched from one of Luna's eggs, but she bears the markings of not being a pure White Leghorn chick, she has little black speckles on her back.
I bought a little incubator in case Luna leaves the nest before all the eggs hatch. She is sitting on the last eggs that Lady laid before she died and I would like to see if they will hatch.

Another Loss!

We have been having torrential rain the past few days so when I put the chickens up last night and only counted 12 I thought it was my mistake. Between the rain and their moving around it must have been my fault on the count. Today, sadly, I find my count was accurate. Lady is nowhere to be found.

Lady is the white chicken on the left in front of the two white Delawares. Lady was a White Leghorn and a very good egg layer!

After a thorough search of the property I extended the boundaries of my search to the outside perimeter of the property, there I found my first clues as to what had happened. There strewn along the edge of a large rain puddle were white feathers of all shapes and sizes, usually indicative of a struggle. Further searching turned up more feathers along the fence line.
I continued my investigation and found dog droppings that were not Sterling's, I know what he eats and what his droppings look like. Might sound gross, but by checking droppings occasionally I keep a heads up on the health of my animals.
In the chicken pen itself I found a large quantity of red feathers, as if one of the Rhode Island Reds had been spooked and banged themselves against the fencing.
I asked my husband to keep an eye out for a stray dog. If one enters the property I requested it be terminated with extreme prejudice!
Two good layers in one week is hard for me to deal with.

Luna is stoic!

The other day Lady decided she needed to lay an egg where Luna is sitting. I did not actually see her do it, but I walked by and there was a white egg on top of Luna. At first I was puzzled as to how one of her eggs got there, but when I picked it up to tuck it back under her I noticed there were no markings.
She left the nest a little later for a drink and a quick bite to eat. If you look at the picture you will notice that her tail feathers are quite fanned. she has only done that since she started sitting. They are fanned and she walks around scolding everyone until she gets back on the nest.While she was gone I took the opportunity to check the eggs, now there are nine. I think Lady must have laid another egg between the last time I was able to check the eggs and now.
Luna has steadfastly stayed on the nest throughout all the rain and wind we have been having. Poor thing she looked so pathetic, wet cold. I have her protected the best I could, but she chose a really odd place to lay and there isn't a lot I can do with it that wouldn't disturb her.

Tragedy

The chickens had only been out to free range for an hour this afternoon when I heard the commotion and went to the window. My heart stopped as I saw a strange dog shaking Jane, my Black Jersey Giant.
I ran outside only to find her limp lifeless body, still warm, like the tears rolling down my cheeks. The anger swelled inside and I chased the dog. I felt like I could have killed it if I caught it. (probably not, but I felt like that at the moment.) It ran off of the property and down the railroad tracks.
I rounded the chickens up early to go back into their yard. Lady was not happy about the early round up and decided to fly back over the fence. Fortunately, the others are all too heavy to get enough lift to get over the fence so I only have to deal with one recalcitrant.
Jane had the prettiest eyes of all my chickens. I will miss her.

Rain and Feather Don't Mix

The weatherman has threatened rain on and off for some time, but each instance brought little or not rain. Today was to be another deluge, but although cold, showed little evidence that the prediction would come to be fulfilled.
And then it happened......RAIN and lots of it!
It did not last long, but while it did it poured!
Brennan grabbed the camera and took a few shots out the window.
I went out to take pictures to find the rooster and one hen standing by the dog. Poor Sterling, he looked so unhappy. The rooster usually gives him such a hard time and now their he was right by him. Oh my, I took pity on the poor soul and shooed the rooster on his way.
I loved the way the rain dripped off of the Wisteria.
While snapping some shots I got a lovely gift, the first of the Tom Thumb Daffodils have begun to bloom.

Eight Eggs!

Luna left the nest for a short while. So I stole a moment to count, gather and try to candle the eggs. She had eight in the nest. I quickly scooped them up, brought them inside and tried to candle them the best I could based on a web site I had found a while back. I marked the three that I do not think are good and I mark the other five that I thought were. Took them back and carefully placed them in the nest. It was not much longer after that she came around the corner clucking under her breath with her feathers all in a ruffle. She went back tho the nest and settled in.
Now we wait. I calculate Feb 21. We shall see.

My Afternoon Delight

I love walking out to the pen in the afternoon. I whistle and the chaos begins. The geese honk, the chickens.... well they make the sounds that chickens do when they are excited. Everyone knows: I am going to let them out.
Everyday I think of "Chicken Run" when I see those chunky thighs doing the crazy run that they do as they rush out to eat the grass and bugs.
The geese always spread their wings and almost, almost get air borne an inch off the ground in their excitement.
I will try to remember to take my camera out tomorrow so that I can snap a pic or two. It brings a smile to my heart. My little flock has grown up. Here are some pics I have now. In order is Jay-Jay, Peaches, Pat, Red, Babs, and Cinnamon
Luna is still holding fast. She is not leaving the nest for anything. I will try to candle the eggs next week to see if I should let her continue to set.

Luna is a Broody Hen

Not even a year old and Luna, one of my Leghorns, is trying to sit again! This time she has chosen my potted pecan tree. I kept up on collecting her eggs as soon as she left the nest, but the other day she laid and refused to leave. I pushed a few of the potted plants around her to give her a little privacy. She was getting her feathers all in a ruffle every time someone walked by. Since she is determined to set I tucked a couple of other eggs under her. I think Pat has mated with Cinnamon, the Americana, and Buffy, the Buff Orpington. He is pretty quick so I don't see him mate all that often.

Pat's Hat

Somehow his hat came off and all the beautiful quills that would have filled his bald little head with lovely white feathers have been pecked away! I think he is destined to be bald for life.