Ch Ch Ch Changes.....

Holy Cow! Have I been busy!

Started a new job in June - which is incredible, amazing, emotional, overwhelming, and more.  I'm the new Executive Director of Good Grief of Northwest Ohio, providing peer support programs for grieving children. The organization is brand new, so lots and lots to do.  In the beginning, this had my emotions stirring, as I was the kid who needed this program when none existed. 

From age 14 - 20, my Dad was battling cancer. He died at 51. Way too young. Along with my 5 siblings (we ranged from 5 - 19 when the cancer was diagnosed) I spent 6 tumultuous years preparing for his death. Nightmarish is putting it nicely.  It's been 28 years, and I worked through the sadness and grief long ago, but I'm still in awe thinking about what we managed it.  It's a bit like a Lifetime Movie! (Come to think of it, maybe I should sell the rights? lol)  Anyway, when I heard about Good Grief, I knew I had to learn more.  

At the same time I started the new job, I was shopping and packing up my girls to ship them down to Manchester, Tennessee for Bonnaroo.  I researched blogs for packing lists and survival tips to ensure they would have everything they needed.  I kissed them goodbye Tuesday, and sent them to Grandma's in Cincinnati for a night (to break up the drive). They left Grandma's Wednesday and made their way to Tennessee.  I talked with them briefly that evening, while they sat in a ridiculously long car line, waiting to get to their "campsite."  At 1:00 a.m. Toledo time, they called to say they finally finished setting up the tent. Crazy! 

We only talked a few times during the trip - which is great. They were busy seeing amazing bands, and hanging out with friends. Thing Two literally cried seeing Paul McCartney in concert.  They were in heaven.  And I earned the title: BEST MOM EVER! 

One other exciting tidbit from summer - I had THREE broody hens all at once. Seriously! Lucy, Maggie, and Abbey, (why yes - those all are names from Beatles songs) were pining away for babies.  I sent Abbey to a friend's house to hatch a batch of special, Black Copper Marans eggs. We were hoping she would adjust, and decide to do the work, but no such luck. Of course, we kidnapped her and moved her to a new box, so what did we expect?  

After three weeks, Lucy finally gave up, leaving just Maggie, hanging out in the box, trying to hatch eggs that will never hatch. Cranky, hormonal hens are a force to be reckoned with!  

And that was summer! 

Abbey and Penny

Abbey and Penny, a photo by ElizabethTore on Flickr.

Our Lucy ended up hatching two sets of babies this summer. Abbey and Penny were from the second group, born mid July. (Think Abbey Road and Penny Lane - keeping with our theme of female names inspired by The Beatles.)

Unfortunately, the other four chicks that hatched that day didn't make it. Two were accidentally killed by our dog who doesn't understand how fragile baby chicks are, and the other two disappeared. We firmly believe a hawk got them.

These two lovely ladies definitely show their blue marans heritage. They aren't pure bred, and that's okay. They are very pretty, and have great dispositions. I'm looking forward to seeing the rich, dark brown color of their eggs, although I don't expect them to begin laying for several months.

And yes, I had no intention of keeping these girls, but of course, I did. They look so different from all the other hens we have, they are a nice addition to the flock. But that's it! No more chickens. (Famous last words?)

Baby Chicks

Lucy, our gorgeous Salmon Faverolle hen, went "broody" in March.  She was obsessed with sitting on eggs and trying to hatch them. Without a rooster in the yard, we knew her efforts would be met with failure. After watching her determination, we decided to help her out. A friend donated fertilized eggs, and on March 26, the incubation began.  Lucy faithfully sat on those eggs - leaving the nest only once a day to stretch and grab a bite.  Each day I'd check on things and usually found her with extras. Fortunately, we marked the 6 fertilized eggs and knew which ones didn't belong.  I'm not sure if the other hens were laying them in the nest with her, or if she was stealing them from the other nesting box, but I consistently found 7 or 8 eggs in Lucy's care.

April 14, we noticed a little hole in one of the eggs. We could hear the little baby chirping inside! After about 4 hours - our first little chick, a French Blue Copper Maran, had hatched.  In the morning, we found another freshly hatched babe, and an egg pipping.  We ended up with just 3 out of 6 hatching - but all 3 very healthy.  

If feather-sexing techniques work, we are quite certain they are all girls. Lucky us! Living in the city, we are unable to keep roosters, so any boy babies would have been re-homed after a few weeks.  In a few more weeks, we will know for sure.  Preliminary girl's names have already been chosen - Rose, Donna and Amelia. Yes, Doctor Who fans, these are three of The Doctor's companions. 

It has been fascinating to watch Lucy care for her babies. She's a great mom, and of course, all of this is natural instinct.  

You can watch the series of videos with Donna hatching here:

Growing!

Three weeks old, and someone replaced my little fuzzy babies with awkward teenagers.  This is Maggie, a Speckled Sussex.  She really is beautiful!  Look at those giant feet.  I understand the connection to dinosaurs when I see this.

I'm making it a point to hold each bird on a daily basis to make sure they are comfortable with people.  They aren't always fond of being picked up, but they don't peck me, and they do tolerate it.

We are definitely ready for them to go outside.  The coop should be here soon!

Maggie - wishing I would put her down and leave her alone. 

Day 8

Amazing to see how quickly they are changing! Cuteness overload.

Guess what? Chicken Butt!

Apparently chicks can get something called "pasty butt" which is what happens when they have a little constipation and the poo blocks their vent. (Vent is the chicken word for anus.)  I've read many warnings about the danger of pasty butt, so naturally, I've kept a look out.  Sure enough, two of the girls needed attention this morning.

The remedy - hold the chicken's butt under warm running water, and use a paper towel to gently wipe the dry poo away.  Pat dry.  Using a qtip, swab the vent with a little vaseline or olive oil.  This prevents new poo from sticking to her rear end.

I know this is more than you ever wanted to know about chicken butts.  It is certainly more than I ever thought I would know!

Let's hope this is the last we will see of pasty butt!

rapidly changing

Picked up the girls this morning at about 7 a.m. and by 3 this afternoon, we noticed actual feathers forming their wings, replacing the fluff!  You can't see it in these pictures, but the feathers are definitely there.  They are all alert and strong.  So much fun to watch.  (Missing from the pictures - Prudence!)

Loretta

Sadie

Martha

Maggie

Princess Yellow - Lucy

May 3 - the girls arrive!

Day one - baby chicks.

Adorable. What else is there to say?  The yellow one has been very sleepy. She does perk up, so I'm not worried about her. And one of the brown ones seems to be a little more aggressive than the others. Not bad, just a little bossy. Looks like the pecking order is already being established!  Will have to wait and see how this unfolds. 

Gertie, our Newfie-Goldie mix, has very little interest in the little girls.  I think I could leave them alone together and nothing would happen.  Ellie Mae, on the other hand, is very interested.  As a result, the babies are safely locked in a room so the Goldie does not have unsupervised access.

Here we go

This May, we begin a new adventure: pet chickens.  I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it.  I've got six babies on the way: an Australorp, Speckled Sussex, Silver-laced Wyandotte, Salmon Faverolle, and two Easter Eggers. Once they arrive, this blog will document our experiences.  These breeds were chosen, after much research, specifically for friendliness, docility, and dependable egg laying. 

Why chickens?  I want to know the eggs I'm eating, cooking, and serving to my family come from happy chickens who breathe fresh air, see the sun, scratch in the dirt and live a good chicken life. My research (and I've been looking into this for about 3 years) indicates a few chickens are easy to manage. We shall see! It's time to take the plunge and give it a go.