What's Happenin' Now

Well here it is February and what's new at the ranch?

Out in Coop 1 - We lost a muppet :( Yes, it was a very sad thing. We had a cold spell and the temps dropped to late 30's and early 40's at night for about a week (ok, for FLORIDA it was COLD). A couple of the muppets went off their feed and I realized how drafty it was in their coop. I put up something to block the draft and took three of them inside with me. Two of them perked right up with heat and started eating again. But number three was depressed. He wouldn't eat or drink. I used an eye dropper with yolk, yogurt and honey and some tetracycline in water but it was just too late for this one.

Now we have 13 baby silkies left in the coop but they are all doing very well.

Meanwhile in the brooder, we had cocidiocis run through the silkies and not being chicken experts, it took a while to figure out what it was. Several died rapidly and I noticed some bloody runs. Immediately we got medication in the water and things cleared up pretty quick.

We bought 16 Silver Laced Wynadotts and they are being brooded indoors with the surviving silkies. They are wild as piss, always leaping and spooking at every movement. Amazing the different disposition with each breed.

Coop 2 is doing well, we're getting an average of 2 eggs a day. There are 13 birds. The wize old silky rooster, currently we just call him "The Rooster". He replaced our two silky boys who were meaner than snakes and one even spurred me in the face. Then there are four other roosters. Yes, they are basically just spare change out there. One is Mozart, a barred rock named for the musical sounds he makes. We swear he clucks and purrs to the tune of Beetoven's Fifth. We raised him from a little squirt though. There is Big Red, a big red Aracona mix who is really quite useless. Then there is Mr. T, named for his ridiculous mowhawk crest, and then a bantam we call "The Banty". Mr. T and The Banty were also raised from day olds.

Then roll call of hens is Godzilla, a turken-barred rock mix who is hilarious. She's huge and follows us around like a puppy. Her sister is "The Runner", another barred rock named for her habit of running full out everywhere she goes. This hen can't walk anywhere. It's a balls to the wall gallop wherever she heads. They were both from the same original crop of 12 "mixed rares" that we got from the auction for like 48 bucks. What can I say? We're a sucker for the odd.

The rest of our hens are silky and silky mixes. There's Little Red who walks with a limp but is very pretty and red. Then there's two black hens which he haven't named yet, and two white hens, also not named yet. The last of our 8 hens in Coop2 is a young silky who looks alot like the rooster, a kind of brownish red. Only three of these hens are laying right now. They are all pretty young.

Meanwhile out in the pasture, Little Jonsie, the buck is starting to integrate with the herd. Belle and Honey, the sisters are still as bossy as ever. And little Butterbutt is pregnant! She must have come to us bred because her tummy is getting huge and she's bagging up already. She is the most adorable little thing and we're very anxious that she'll come through ok. We don't have a clue what she's bred to.

We made it over a month without eating any dirt while riding!! Sadly, we're proud of that!