About Me

My photo
I am a 42 year old woman that is about as happy and content as one person can be. My husband of 21 years and our 15 year old daughter live on five and a half acres out in the country. We moved from the city four years ago and never looked back. I homeschool our daughter. We also love our animals. Our daughter has a miniature horse and two rabbits. We also have a border collie, two cats (again), two pot belly pigs, four peafowl, three emus, 2 llamas and an undetermined number of chickens, lets just say ohhh about 200. I have many breeds, from layers to fancy chickens. I love poultry shows, I love fowl in general as I have come to find out through having more than just chickens. Chickens will always be my first love though. I do show some of my birds occasionally.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Life and Death Here On Our Farm

Ian woke up early before me yesterday morning. He took the dog out. Bonnie and Clyde's house is right there next to the back door. As he stood waiting for Tip to finish her business he noticed a grim sight.

He came back in with the dog as I was waking up. He said to me in a sad voice, "One of your little chickens is dead."

He doesnt remember all their names. I immediately snapped up and went to the back porch. Bonnie had died. I didn't have a clue as to why. She was fine the day before. I usually feed and water in the morning, but it was so hot that day I went back and put ice cubes in their water, along with Phoenix's water too. She was fine. Sometimes its just a mystery. Poor Clyde. He is alone now, and he is so so very tiny I don't have anyone I can put in there with him. He is so small you can hold him in the palm of your hand and he fits. He looks so sad today. I hold him and give him love, but I know its not the same.

 

Photobucket

They were like two peas in a pod. You couldnt seperate them. Their picture together can be seen on my sidebar. I was never able to get any fertile eggs from them as Clyde was not mating her. He was just not aggressive like that towards her. We will miss Bonnie so much.

***************************

On the very same day...as I sat there holding Clyde I kept hearing a peeping. I just assumed it was the baby pigeon. It makes a lot of noise all day long and keeps the parents busy feeding it. Ian was working on the mower so I was going to go down and see what progress he had made...

Photobucket

He said later (he was joking) that after all the work he had gotten done at home that day he was going to have to go back to work just to rest...lol. He fixed some loose shingles on the roof, fixed the mower, changed his oil in his car, and wanted to clean the pool, but...it started raining later that day.

Back to my peeping. I hear it, but its coming from the Sultans pen. I had put the white Serama hen in there because she was being so darn mean to any chicken that was close to her size and just not getting along. Before that, she had been in a pen with Speckles. Speckles is in a community pen with two silkies, two sultans, and Twiggy, all girls. I tried to put the white Serama hen in there, but she was going to be top dog and beat everyone up, so that wasnt working out.

When a hen has been mated by a rooster several if not many times by one rooster, that sperm stays with her for up to about three weeks. So any eggs that are formed and fertile, would have been his.

She was sitting on an egg...gone broody. The sultan boys are too big to mate her, and believe it or not, she held her own in there, she wouldnt let them bother her at all. She would pull on their crests and they would freak out and leave her alone. Sultans are kind of the sissy bird of chickens...lol. So, she was sitting on an egg..I didnt think much about it. But it sure did hatch! That was the peeping I heard! She had her a baby!

Well I couldnt leave them in there. The bumbling Sultan twins would step on the baby and not even know it. So I fixed her up a brooder box up on the porch. Now you know she put up a stink when I reached in for her and her baby. I got them without any bloodshed, the blood being mine. She has sat on the baby a lot to keep it warm, but it needs to get out long enough to have some food and water. She seems content to let the baby stay under her. This morning I took the baby out from under her, with protest from her. I dipped its beak in the water and it took right to it. Poor thing was thirsty! After drinking the water I set the feed down in front of mom so she could show the baby to eat, and she did. Here is a short video of just that...before the baby slipped under mom again. She never had a name, so I guess we will call her Mom.

 

Along with a picture of Mom sitting on baby, and then a picture of baby after getting some water.

 

 

Photobucket Photobucket

As I said before, there came quite a downpour yesterday. I mean it was coming down in buckets. The back yard up by the gate was flooding. The wind was blowing hard and it was thundering and lightning something fierce.

The baby pigeon is still too small to fly up onto the roost so it was getting soaked and the air had cooled considerably, not to mention the floor of the pen was getting flooded. I grabbed an extra cage out of the garage. ( A must for emergencies like this) I brought it up to the porch and layered it with fresh bermuda hay.

As I stood in the covered walkway from the garage to the back porch...watching it pour, lightning cracked down right where I was going. How scared do you think I was? I was counting on that old saying...lightning never strikes in the same place twice. I said a small prayer to please not get zapped. Just to give me 30 seconds. I ran out into the pouring rain and opened the pen, grabbed the baby first, then the two parents, hustling all three back to the safety of the porch, I was drenched, and pooed upon. Not really all that unusual for me...lol. I put all three in the cage and got them some fresh food and water. This morning everyone is fine, and a bit more dry too.

 

Photobucket Photobucket

I am somewhat behind on reading journals, not too bad, but I will have to catch up tomorrow and Sunday morning. I got some things to catch up on around here today.

The weather is FANTASTIC today! Its a cool 81 out with humidity at only 57 percent. How is that for an August day in Georgia! I will take it. Supposed to wake up to temperatures in the upper fifties here tomorrow morning, I can't wait, its going to feel so good. Everyone have a great weekend...I will be mowing now that the mower is fixed! :)

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry about Bonnie. I hope you can find Clyde another mate. You are the Mom of the day, saving two babies. If you had of been gone they both probably would not have made it. Great pictures. Hugs, Helen

Anonymous said...

Kelly,
I'm so sorry about Bonnie. I am sure that Clyde is lost without her.  Maybe you can find him a mate....  The new chick is so cute.  I enjoyed the little video...especially when it scooted right under the Mom.  Have a great weekend.  I'm looking forward to the cooler temps. too.

Hollie

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry for Clyde.  And you too for losing Bonnie.  YAY! Iam for getting that mower running again.  Dirk just fixed the car so we are no longer house bound.  Those pictures and that video are so good.  I loved how quickly it followed its Mom right to the feed.  I think you giving it some water probably saved its life.  

Call or write if you got my email about a time and day.

Nelishia

Anonymous said...

So sorry to hear about your loss.  Maybe you can find another hen to put in with Clyde.  I hope he doesn't die of a broken heart.  The video is darling. What a good mama.  Linda in Washington state

Anonymous said...

Awww so sorry for your loss. Know you're glad to get the lawnmower fixed if the grass grows as fast there as it does here. Paula

Anonymous said...

Too cute just wanting to sit on the baby! lol Sorry for your loss. The adult pigeons are pretty but the baby isn't too pretty right now. lol Have a blessed week. Janie

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry about your loss of Bonnie!  Clyde does look forlorne!  Poor thing.  =  Barbara

Anonymous said...

Congrads!!! Twins is so fantastic and your quick thinking got them all safe! Good Job!

I'm so happy for you!
Huggers,
Gayla
http://journals.aol.com/schoolgal040/Unfussy/

PS: They are beautiful!

Anonymous said...

OMGOSH Kelly!  I am SO sorry about Bonnie!  Poor Clyde!  I feel horrible for him.  I hope you can find another girl for him...or some sort of friend.  Poor guy!  I'm catching up on your journal...will read more when I get my hungry boy some food...he just woke up :)

Anonymous said...

so sorry about Bonnie!!! and poor clyde!
but the pigeons are sooo pretty!!!!!!!  

Have a great week!
tina

Followers