Thank you for the kind words. I know folks on here understand on a deeper level the kind of hurt I feel over this.
Better days are here.... I have a bunch of baby Faverolles hatching!!! Finally! It has taken a few years to get some nice breeding stock and in the last few years I would hatch a few only to lose them to possums or heat... I have about 19 growing out right now.
Today DD and I just took Crepe Suzette, Katastrophe Jane, and Peach Bellini to the vet for proper dehorning. Sorry guys!!! I didn't even think to get pics for y'all til we were there... My babies are all a bit drunk but happy to be home. Our goat vet is an hour away, but I really like them. The vet was asking why we drive so far to them and I have since learned that there a few large animal vets in a town half hour away, but I already like these guys so that is what I told them. These are the vets that saved Katastrophe Jane and her mom Kalamity Jane with the c-section.
DD took First Place in 4-H Senior Poultry Showmanship
First Place in Small Animal Round Robin
Outstanding Poultry Exhibitor
Her birds got:
Alzenheimer (Salmon Faverolle cockerel) 1st, Best of Division, Best Standard, Reserve Overall Best of Show Champion
Rouseaux (male Capuchin pigeon) 1st
Bijou Locke (female Helmet pigeon) 1st and Best of Division Belinda (black female muscovy duck) 1st Amie (white Ameraucana hen) 1st Amelie (white Ameraucana hen) 2nd
Queen Elizabeth (Ginger Red Old English Game bantam hen) 6th. This is her showmanship bird.
Sealy Boothe (splash silkie rooster) 1st Cinnamon Twist (splash with some red silkie pullet) 3rd
Also....The Overall Best of Show Champion, was the little white female silkie pullet that we gave to our 4H buddy just a few months ago!!!!!
In goats, she took a 2nd in showmanship, but the improvement over last time was %100 as we had a very experienced goat showman/judge help teach us this year.
Her goats got
Kalamity Jane 1st and Reserve Champion AOB
Katastrophe Jane 1st, Reserve Grand Champion AOB, Junior Champion AOB
Crepe Suzette 2nd
We sold a few silkie chicks to some of our poultry friends and we traded a few to one of my 4Hrs for a couple of silkie roosters...one that took a 1st in his class too!
Over all it was a very productive fair! Glad it is over!!!!! I need a yearlong nap now.......
I forgot....DD entered maybe 8 drawings and paintings.....She got a few ribbons too including one Best of Division.....I can't remember off the top of my head which ones.....
Sad news... We lost SteamPunk and Stinkyweed to the heat! We have had Stinkyweed for years and she was as sweet as sugar. I hadn't yet had the chance to breed SteamPunk so it stings to lose him too. It has been in the 104 + temps and it is unfortunate that my favorite breeds are very full feathered. The teens are going out once or twice during the hottest part of the day to hose down the chickens and pens, goat shady areas and making sure waters don't run low.......
RavioliAnna should pop any day/minute now.....When I mention that it is nice and cool and evening would be a wonderful time to kid she just tells me no.... literally. She makes a sound that really sounds like "NO"! Probably because she is too busy eating.....who wants to stop eating to let a few kids out? I even tried the "you will have more room for food if you let them out...." but she just kicks her belly to tell them to settle down in there and gets on with her dinner..... I hope she has them while I am home...tomorrow would be good......
I came home for lunch on Thursday and she was in labor. She was pushing and the baby appeared to be presenting fine, but not making any progress. After several minutes of active pushing, I broke the bubble, rechecked the position of babies head and legs, then pulled the legs forward more. Stretching her legs, allowed her head to come through and of course she was out in a half a shake. She almost looked black the first few minutes, but right now she appears to be a brown with small amount of white, darker legs and a dorsal stripe, and a couple of darker black spots.
Poor Ravi was pretty worn out and didn't stand for about half an hour, but was interested in her baby. Once she was up she let the baby nurse just fine. We moved her into the garage and tied one of her buddies outside the pen, close enough to feel safe, but not able to hurt the baby. The teens stayed with them until I got home from work. Then we brought the baby in the house for a bit and put StinkerBelle in the pen with Ravi. That is her best friend. Stinker is a brat and was trying to ram the baby, so we only let her in when the baby was out. Today mom and baby stayed in the garage pen until it got too warm, then Ravi went back to the herd for a few hours while baby took a nap in the house. This is why I decided last year I didn't want summer infants! Georgias quads were in the house all last summer to keep them from overheating during the worst part of the day.
This is both Andy and RaviliAnnas first baby and our first standard baby born here. She is all legs! 8 pounds of them!
I got a few pics right away, and will take more tomorrow......