ELeVan ~ Honaker Farm Journal

[Dreaming Of Goats]

With your care she'll probably do just fine! There was once a turkey in my neighborhood with one broken leg... he/she hopped around quite awhile, but then suddenly all of the turkeys disappeared!!!!

 

[elevan]

I've called the vet and the one that majored in poultry science (there are 4 vets at the clinic) is out today. Left a message for her to call me about the problem tomorrow. I can't justify a vet visit for a chick and they understand that. I love that they are willing to consult over the phone.

I've looked into hobbles made of bandaids and I just don't think that will work (told vet's office that too). Doing this would pull the top of the leg into an unnatural position and the foot would not sit right :/

She is still getting around by doing her "butt hop" today. Eating and drinking normal. DH is still spoiling her I'm hopeful that she will continue to thrive despite her leg issue.

I went back and did a recount before calling the hatchery and turns out she is an "extra" chick. I ordered 46 and received 47. So I decided not to call them about her as I'm sure someone just wanted to give her a shot at living.

 

[elevan]

Spent most of today working on the big coop. Flooring is done. Walls / windows are done. Need to install the door and put on the roof. We'll be doing those things tomorrow.

After that it's on to the interior. We'll be splitting off a section to brood the chicks in so that they can meet the other chickens through the fence. Need to install a feed closet and nest boxes and roosts.

The great thing about this coop is that it's made with 80% recycled materials. I've had to buy very little. Our friends / fans on Facebook have been great with helping us find materials...lumber, hardware cloth (I got 400 feet of 36" high 1/4" hardware cloth for $40!), windows, door, roof panels. We love our friends / fans on Facebook!

I'll post pictures when the coop is complete.

Funny note while working on the coop today: We had a furry "helper". The calf has decided that he LOVES tools. We constantly had to shoo him away from the table saw because he was absolutely fascinated by it. Then DH picks up a hammer and the calf just had to check that out too. So DH is hammering and I'm holding back the calf Then we get out the drill, which of course the calf needed to inspect. DH was working on the floor while I was cutting hardware cloth. I looked up when DH started laughing to see the calf covering DH's head in kisses!! DH had to keep pushing the calf away from the drill so the calf decided that DH needed a bath, I guess

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That darn calf was being so crazy today beyond the tool inspections. Most of the goats have gotten used to him...all except Rocky (wether). Rocky is very afraid of the calf. So, today any time that Rocky was within 10 feet of T-Bone (calf) starting hopping (literally) and Rocky would run away. Then the goats were all out sunning themselves in the field. T-Bone decides it'll be fun to run through the goat herd! They took off running in all different directions and T-Bone just stands there with a big grin on his face...yep, I swear that calf was grinning ear to ear!

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The chicks are CRAZY! Who knew that watching 46 chicks run around would be so entertaining!

DH swears they look like little mice zooming around! They are super fast. These aren't the first chicks that I've brooded but golly, I don't remember them being that fast before :/

Precious is still doing very well. It's weird to watch her get around though. She kind of lifts herself up with the good leg and does a butt hop to propel herself forward while holding her wings out to the side for balance. Getting a drink or some food requires leaning on something for extra balance. It's obvious that she WANTS to live, so I feel obligated to give her that chance and besides DH is in love with her already...guess I've got some competition!

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The turkeys got to explore their run today for the first time. When I opened the coop this morning it was about an hour before Henny came out to explore and probably another hour before Tom came out too.
They really seemed to enjoy it and I was happy that they don't have to be cramped in a dog crate anymore.

Henny stepped on something today to cut one of her toes. I'm not sure what / how she did it. :/ But by the end of the day she seemed to be doing fine with out us having to do anything for the toe.

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When we let the chickens out of the coop this morning, Susie ran straight to where her nest was (the big one we found yesterday and removed) and immediately started screaming! Yep, she was screaming her fool head off. Then came running out and looked at me like she was ticked off something fierce...you know...the super stinkeye! I went and got some golf balls and put them in a nest box and put her in it and she happily laid her egg! Yay! We're getting back on track with her.

Next up was Lucky...the hen who has been laying in the broody hen's box. It took us an hour but every time she got in with Cinnamon we too her out and put her into the next box. She finally laid her egg and we collected it right away. So that's 2 for 2!

Then we heard a hen song from the barn but thought it must be our cochin who lays her eggs religiously behind a specific gate. WRONG! It was our RIR...the other hen who is hiding eggs!!! UGH! We missed the opportunity to follow her and find her hidden nest. We haven't gotten an egg from her in about 2 weeks...and she is an everyday layer...gotta find that nest!

The cochin's egg today was very weak and odd shaped. Poor girl is so sporadic with egg issues. She lays maybe 4 eggs a week and 2 are usually usable. I think it's probably a result of the trials she's had in her young life so far. She'll be 1 yr old at the end of August. Several months back she was attacked by our rooster and had the back of her neck slit open by him. (He went to freezer camp after that). Shortly after she healed completely from that she was stepped on by the mini-horse. Ended up with a seriously bloody nose. She's a sweet girl unless she thinks your finger is a worm then watch out!

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Well that was our day here at the farm. Hope your day was as productive!

 

[elevan]

Today is the 2 year anniversary of the loss of my dad to cancer. And I think he decided to play a joke on me...

We were working on the big coop's door and had just positioned it into place when it started downpouring! I left DH to hold the door while I scrambled to get power tools under cover. Came back to help DH apply braces to the door so we could scramble for cover ourselves...even though we were already soaked. Just screwed in the last screw and it stopped raining...just like that. And then the Bob white quails started yelling "Jack---! Jack---! Jack---!" I just looked up and yelled, "Dad, is this one of your jokes!?!"

Guess, I can laugh about it right now but I was darn mad when it happened!

 

[Dreaming Of Goats]

hahaha LOL Nice story!!!

 

[ksalvagno]

Sounds like everyone is doing well and things are moving right along.

 

[elevan]

No work is scheduled on the farm today other than normal feeding chores. I'll be celebrating 14 years of marriage with my DH today (anniversary was a few days ago) and we've declared a work free day Dinner and a movie out later!

Our farm is experiencing both joy AND sorrow today, however.
One of our hatchery chicks died this morning. We don't know why, but things do, of course, happen that way sometimes Our boys said a goodbye and we quietly buried the little one in the yard.
On the joyous side our eggs under the broody hen have begun to hatch with one dry, fluffy chick so far. There are many eggs zipped and we should have a good hatch

We'll post pics of our broody and her brood as soon as hatching is complete and we're able.

Oh, on another note - I think it is absolutely amazing that so many are reading this thread. Thank you! I do encourage you to participate with questions and / or comments - I'd love to hear from you

Until next time...

 

[Bimpnottin]

Enjoy your work-free day and a date (gasp) with your husband. Happy Anniversary!

 

[elevan]

Thank you Bimpnottin!

Quick update on the broody's chicks:
We now have 2 fluffy, dry chicks with 2 additional chicks half out of the shell.
Cinnamon has them all sort of compartmentalized...half hatched under her breast, still in eggs under the rear half of her body and fluffy chicks under one wing. I think she's gonna be a great mama hen!
She let me check out one of the fluffy chicks and it is all black with a single white dot on it's head - too cute!!

 

[elevan]

Getting ready to go out soon on my date...

But, here's another quick broody update:
We now have 4 fluffy chicks and 2 in the batter's box halfway out of the shell
One of the chicks is all black with a single white dot on the top of it's head.
They are barnyard mix...with the possibility of some being fathered by a silkie roo
She had 8 chicken eggs and 4 duck eggs (which were in the incubator for a while first)...so far we're looking at a good hatch imo

Next update will be later when I get home. We're planning on moving them to a new box...She has them in a higher nest box right now and I'm concerned about chicks falling...

until later this evening....

eta: Pictures are added on post #83 (next page) of Cinnamon's hatch!