*CYGChickies' HWC Journal* I Want Goats!

[CYGChickies]

Well NO babies out of Angel yet. If she doesn't birth them by morning she'll be running "late". She has rearranged the nestbox three times but hasn't pulled any fur. She also won't go in the nestbox if she can see us anywhere on the farm. Her neighbor Strawberry has started nosing and licking her whenever she comes close to the wire but not biting. Maybe she's trying to tell her what to do! Someone should! I hope she is pregnant and isn't just obese because we gave her extra feed starting week 2 of Pregnancy. She was grooming today and doing a lot of lip-licking and twirling so maybe she was feeling the babies?

Any ideas?

CYG

 

[CYGChickies]

Tiny Update!

Angel has gone into the nestbox and not come out. Hopefully that's a sign!

CYG

 

[CYGChickies]

No babies out of Angel and no fur pulled. We're thinking she probably wasn't bred. We put her back in with BigWig and she didn't fight him but she also didn't lift for him so we're gonna leave the box in just in case and let her take a couple of weeks to get interested. Poor BigWig will just have to be a bachelor for a while longer!

In other news, Strawberry--my New Zealand White doe--and Hazel--my New Zealand Red buck--bred with no problems and a lot of enthusiasm. It was like he was WWF wrestling the poor girl but she jumped him first. Anyway both were interested and he bred, squealed and fell off three times and since they're not fluffy we could see that he got in all three times.

Isis and Nile, our breeding Dwarf Hotos are not having the same luck since Isis isn't having any part of it!

Just wanted to give you guys an update on our Rabbitry soap opera!

CYG

 

[elevan]

 

[CYGChickies]

I know! Plus we had a mass breakout when the guineas ran out of the chicken run and we were beat half to death by wings before we got them back home. They're just figuring out flying so they do it alllll the time. The Silkies and Australorps watched from the doorway--probably laughing themselves to death!

It's still a great day to be a farmer!

CYG

 

[CYGChickies]

Ok so another update. My friend and farming partner put Angel and BigWig together again this morning--the meaning of "wait until next week" is not a good solid wording to describe time! Luckily she actually didn't do her usual laps around the cage, simply lifted for him. We got a new Lionhead doe who just growls whenever BigWig comes near her so we probably bought her pregnant--ugh! So now I have to build two more nest boxes and move Lola into one of the bigger doe "holes" where we can fit a nest box. Isis won't breed and found out Cleopatra is a buck! In short it's been one of those days.

On Saturday I tried the Banana Bread that Marlowmanor mentioned in her journal. I can't remember who first submitted it to the recipe section but I'll edit that in later. I substituted 1/2 cup of honey for the 1/2 cup of sugar and added 1/8 tsp of Baking Soda. Baked it for about 50-55 minutes at 350. Honey can make the bake time shorter so beware! It was delicious and baked up so pretty!

CYG

 

[CYGChickies]

I GOT FRENCH ANGORAS! Victoria and Sebastian are an adult breeding pair of French Angora rabbits that I purchased this morning. He is a broken black and she might be a tort but I'm not sure. I'm so excited to have them after a long time of research and being unsure; the man with them pulled up right beside us at the market and started setting them out and I picked these two. I got them both for $30 which was amazing beyond belief!

Also, we saved the life of a chicken that got stuck in-between two boards in the barn! We patched the place and made a roost where the hole was. Roosty waited patiently as he supervised us pulling the hen out of the space. He's such a gentleman rooster.

Thanks for reading!

CYG

 

[CYGChickies]

Well a ton has been happening on the old farm. I have several orders for my M&P soap, we're signed up to do a craft fair and we're selling at the market on Black Friday. Lola--magpie lionhead--had a litter of five live babies and is taking excellent care of them! There are two magpies, one harlequin, one broken harlequin Charlie I believe and one solid black with a white diamond. No open eyes yet just fat peachfuzz babies. She pulled almost her entire mane out to cover them with, great mama!

The turkeys overstayed their welcome in the juvenile pen, grew too large and busted through the floor. So an emergency call and four nights working in the freezing rain from 6pm to 10pm, we built them a secure pen that's so perfect! I'm very proud! The turkeys like it and the two hens love staring at the chickens. The chickens have started "mating" so it's about time to boot the Silkies out to their own section of the barn but the yard hasn't been covered yet with the wire so I'll just have to make sure and wait 2 weeks after they're gone before offering any fertile eggs of either breed--to ensure no SilkieLorps!

While we were working on the turkey coop section of the barn, on the other wide Strawberry--New Zealand White--had begun to nest. She's created a perfect nest and now we're just waiting for her to start pulling fur. Babies are on the way!

Lola's babies are going to be weaned on the 23rd of Dec and that's the last Market before Christmas so maybe some of her kits--that we don't horde ourselves--will be Christmas bunnies.

Thanks for your interest and support in our little farm!

CYG

 

[elevan]

Congratulations on the babies and the soap venture!

But you should know that you can't spring babies on us without pictures, right?

 

[CYGChickies]

Congratulations on the babies and the soap venture!

But you should know that you can't spring babies on us without pictures, right?

Haha I think you're the only one who reads the journal! But I posted some nakiebunny pictures of Lola's kits in the Birthing, Raising and Weaning rabbits thread. Strawberry should be kindling anytime now and likely will tomorrow (Friday). I'll post new pics of her kits and updated pics of Lola's litter since they have their colors now. Also, the new Turkey coop and run! I should also link to the website in my sig I suppose.

CYG