Lots of pics, big change... and more. Our first predator....

OH I did it again!  I went to move a picture and darned if my WHOLE entry vanished!  WHY O WHY can't you click back and your entry will show up!??????WHY>>>>>>  UGH!  Now I have to start ALL over again. 

Well...I will learn my lesson and remember to copy and paste as my entry gets large!  I WILL REMEMBER!  LOL  HUH Prob not! 

OK so anyway....

I will start with my BIG news.  I'm getting a job again :D  Most of you may remember that I used to work at a hotel at the front desk?  Well, I put my app in to the hotel next door to the one I used to work at.  The one I used to work at got sold and I didn't like the new owners so I left.  I really miss it and we have been slowly going farther and farther in the hole so I really  need to make some money here and pay for my chicken hobby (which I want to expand in the future) WHO KNOWS maybe I will get me some peachicks later!  Not sure of the hours yet or anything but  she called yesterday and told me I have the job...My X boss works there and she gave me a great reference.  The only prob is, they already hired two girls before I applied and she doens't THINK they will work out so when one of them is gone she will call me...prob next week. 

On to our predator  prob...that would be my two dogs!  My lovely (I LOVE THEM I REALLY DO) doggies...did I mention I loved them?  Well, I didn't have the basement door shut tight (maybe Nicci didn't have the door shut tight)  Either way, It was my own fault...I know to check the doors after Nic goes in the house.  And I didn't.  So Max bashed in the top of the Barred rock's babies cage and when I went in the house...prob hours later....both dogs ran upstairs FAST.  I walked in and saw the cage bashed in and the chick gone :(  I found feathers...lots offeathers but no blood,  no bird.  We looked everywhere!  under every bed, even in the toilet, you just never know.   We come to the conclusion that Max had ate her.   Next day we hear Max down there barking...he normall does NOT bark at all.  Look around...yup cubby's here...cats are both here.  What IS he barking at?  Hubby goes down there and says "carrie, Max is awfully interested in the couch"!  I got all excited and we move the couch (we had moved it before to fine nothing)  Nothing again...then we decide to move the book shelf (which is behind the couch...long story) and lo and behold there sits Lucky!  Pick her up and she has a very sore foot and missing feathers but other than that she is good.  No blood anywhere~!  A few days later her one foot is green from bruising but she walks on it better.  She and her silkie friend I added with her later then find a new home :D  They love them and she emailed me a few times now saying they are fine and happy :D

YEsterday I added my 10 week old chicks to the wild hen house/run area for the first time.  I have some video of that and lots of pics of the new girls/one boy additions.  Here are a few of the hens to start: 

These girls are now 17 weeks old!  Isn't that crazy!?  It doesn't seem like I have had chickens for 17 weeks already. 

Here is Izzy.  She will be one of the first girls to lay...she is a red sex link and she has a really red comb and waddles so she is getting close ;) I can't wait! 


Here are three girls...from front to back...Maya (Easter Egger) Izzy again (sex link) and than Olivia (barred rock) You can see we are next to TWO apple trees LOL 


Next we have the old girl Angel (Welsummer hen)  I got her from a friend and she was bare backed when I got her from her rooster overmating her.  Here is a before and after shot of her:




And then we have the new crew who are just 10 weeks old.  There is Lily (splash Orpington) Lola (splash orp mixed), Shelby (Polish WCB) and Phoenix (Golden Phoenix)  They are all so sweet!  The others did pick at them but I stood gaurd with a stick and protected them while they were out.  I have them in when I'm not out there. I just don't trust the big crew yet! 

Here is Phoenix my Golden Phoenix Roo I hatched out from Kelly's eggs :D


Here is the four of them sticking together:





Here is one of the newest additions who are only 6 weeks old...(Silkie's)  did not name them YET!


Well, I'm going to go upload that video so I can share it with you.

Wait till U hear this! Video/pics of new cage PLUS more

OMG I just had a TON of stuff written in  here and I accidentally pressed back rather then a different tab I had open!  LOST IT ALL!  UGH!  Time to copy and past again!  LOL  OK let see what I can remember here...

First of all  I have something interesting to tell you all but first I want to share some pics of my new pen I made BY MYSELF...ONLY ME...NOT EVEN KIDDING!  From the measuring to the cutting to the putting it all together and adding fencing...I did it!  BY MYSELF!  I'm proud can ya tell??!!  LOL 
Kelly, if it were not for you I would not have even attempted this. I seen what you can do and that is what got me to try it.  Your my hero!  :D  Now if you wouldn't have gone and got peachicks!!! Now I'm going to want some!!! LOL 

OK here is my cage that I made...BY MYSELF :D  The top is not connected yet, I ran out of hinges so it's just sitting on there right now.  I decided to make a door BY MYSELF! 

The new bantam cochins are enjoying eating the grass.  I don't have a bottom in it because I want to use it for forage.  It has a bottom that can easily be screwed in though in case I need it.


Nic likes it too :D  It's about 4 foot X 3 foot


Here is Steele checking out his look a likes.  See the size difference...the bantams are pretty much full grown...they are about 6 months old now.  Steele has still got growing to do....he is much younger than they are.  He is a giant cochin.


Here is a closer one of the bantam cochins (Beauty and Beast) his name really does not fit him LOL  He's so calm and gentle and loving.  She beats him up sometimes.   They are getting along good now tho :D  Thank goodness! 


And another of my big boy Steele.   He's waiting around for me to pick him up and put him on the roost.  All the other hens are roosting already.  He's such a sweet heart!  I just LOVE him.  I think I say that every post ;)  Kelly thanks SO much for giving me those eggs.  I have a comedian (Serama) and a Sweet Sweet couple out of the deal!  Not to mention my beautiful golden phoenix who is getting nicer by the day :D 


Some of the crew I got after putting Steele to bed...you can see steele at the bottom of pic.


And the other 1/2


And Queen Angel the welsummer hen.  She is just the BOSS of the crew.  She is the oldest and my only egg layer at this time.  She is laying almost every day now :D  You can tell its bedtime...look at how huge her crop is!  She ate alot!  They were out ALL day today. 


Ok, now for the exciting news I wanted to share with you.   I told you Max got out by the chickens yesterday right?  Well, I decided to take him out again this time with me there watching him.  I took him near the chickens who were out free ranging and let him go...he took off and I yelled at  him to get back here.  He listened and came to me! SHOCK!  So then I took him closer to the chickens and let him loose while STILL being VERY close.  He didn't do a THING to them!  Didn't chase them didn't even go sniff them.  He was SO good!  I am so excited about all this.  I eventually want to trust him to be out there by them and be able to leave them alone.  I didn't have my camera and it was thundering just getting ready to rain so I didn't get a pic but I will tomorrow :D 

Now for the video.  Every wonder what it's like putting chickens to bed?  Well here is what it is like EVERY night for me.  Miss Queen Angel has to pitch a fit and be sure she gets her 2 feet on both sides of her before she can settle down!  LOL  She sometimes has to be reminded to be nice to her roomy's.  She's so sweet and we love her but sometimes she can be evil!   She has never hurt them badly so I'm not worried.  It's just a "move out of my territory" peck.  When you hear a little screaming it's because the one chicken to the left of Angel is trying to get UNDER the other's wing lol  They still act like babies sometimes.  It's so cute.  The Serama acts like a big guy with a swelled head LOL  My FIL calls him cock of the walk and says he sure is a cute little shit!  Everyone loves him around her except for the hens when he grabs onto their tails and won't let them go!  He has been trying to mate them for ever now but does not succeed!  Poor boy!  He then goes to bed with his head  held low :(  He stays out with the hens all day and then goes in his own coop at night because he tortures them in the morning before I can open the door up!  LOL  I have to get a video of him mating his stuffed toy!  NOTE TO SELF!  LOL  You guys would die laughing! I'm going to work on that.  Hubby got to see it finally. OK video time!



 

I made a cage by myself today!

It took me half the day but boy it looks nice. I took pics and will post them tomorrow...I have to get to bed today.  Have to get up at 3am to drive Stefan to school!  I have to go with him in the morning to get his schedule and pay his fees.  I should be back home about 2ish.  Will update then :D   I will show pics of my cage I built :D 

Max got out by the chickens!!!!!!!Door was left open!

 Our boxer (Max) who is one yr old and loaded with energy got out by my chickens this morning...we always keep him IN the house while the  hens are free ranging and this morning my son looked out the window and seen him running in circles by the chickens and yells "THE DOG IS OUT"  I run downstairs, as did he (our main floor is upstairs) and we threw on our shoes and out the door we ran.  Yelled for Max and here he comes running with foam in his mouth and panting like a crazy dog!   I didn't even want to go see what he did.  I have 15 chickens freeranging...so we walked down there and started counting...all 15 were there all 15 were FINE!  WHEW! I think he was just having fun playing with them and chasing them around.  My only laying hen laid an egg minutes after!  LOL  This is a dog that plays with a hot dog before he sits down and SLOWLY eat it.  He's a strange dog.

Oh man did that make me sick to my stomach!