For the love of chickens

[Tornadic Thoughts]

Not sure if you've seen this yet, but what a hoot! I thought of the chicken crew here as soon as I saw it. :)

 

[DharmaGirl]

Lol, @Tornadic Thoughts, that was great! I laughed out loud! I have one chicken that comes in through the dog door, maybe I should set up an obstacle course!

 

[DharmaGirl]

Seven more days to go for the chicks, and they are all alive and moving around, even the twins.

 

[MrMoonlight]

That is so exciting DG. Thanks for the update.
Are you home yet? Is everything going well?

 

[DharmaGirl]

I was never able to make it out. It snowed here, and it is still snowing at my mom's. I have a 4 wheel drive truck with snow tires, but I have to go through the mountains to get there and some of the road is closed. I call her every day and she sounds good. Thanks for asking, @MrMoonlight.

I think the chicks might be a bit further along than I thought. Even though no one chicken was sitting on the eggs, they all lay in this one place in the coop, regardless of the 8 lovely nesting baskets, and Dharma sleeps there. That means they were kept warm for about 24 hours before they were collected. Hmm.

I finally got my pictures to download. I bought a computer last year, but my son is always on it. I have my laptop, which is from 2009. It's a Macbook pro, so it is still awesome, but it can't handle the new memory cards. I'll clean up the pictures and post them today.

 

[blackemerald1]

and Dharma sleeps there.

Omg! Are you sleeping in the chicken coup now?? :wtf:

 

[DharmaGirl]

Lol, no, she's my favorite hen. They would have to rearrange their whole pecking order if I slept there!

 

[DharmaGirl]

So the chicks were actually due the 16th, but tonight I was woken up by peeping! No, I'm not sleeping in the coop, my incubator is in my bedroom. I checked and 2 eggs are hatching!!! The twin egg and one other. I only see one beak in the twin egg, but the other might be hidden. They are 4 days early so someone must have been sleeping on them and keeping them warm before I put them in the incubator. Wish them luck!!

 

[blackemerald1]

@DharmaGirl - we know you have to deny sleeping in the coup but let's face it - the evidence is compelling now. :hilarious:

 

[DharmaGirl]

So congrats go out to lil MrM, he has a silver chick that looks like a boy. @MrMoonlight, this one is yours to name!

 

[MrMoonlight]

Oh congrats! Woohoo, that is so exciting @DharmaGirl . So cool, I don' t know what to name him. I need to think about it or if anyone has good suggestions that would be cool.

I know you are working your rear off with all the snow DG. Hope you are getting your rest and all the chicks are well.

 

[DharmaGirl]

In a completely astonishing turn of events, after hearing that 3 chicks were his, lil Mr.M staged a huge bloodless backyard coup, and is now the lead rooster! I'm still shocked. He must have been annoyed at Mini crowing 24 times an hour for every hour he was awake too! Now Mini skulks around the very back of the yard. I feel sorry for him until I remember the constant crowing. No symptoms of PTSD were observed in any of the chickens involved, or any of the bystanders. The bystanders said, "huh", and went back to scratching for worms.

In other news, sadly, one of the chicks didn't make it through the first night. So there is a dark chick with a light head that is Mini's, and two light chicks that are Mr.M's. I will get pictures and post them.