About a week ago, our dear half-sizzled, blue Silkie hen passed away. She was approaching two years, and during those years of her life, she weaseled her way into our hearts. We loved all her antics, such as bumping into walls, running into the coop door in her haste to get out, singing the egg song at the top of her lungs to announce, and going broody more than several times.
It was a sad morning when she passed, and since then, her close friend and sister, a black Silkie hen named Mojo, has not been the same. Neither has the coop, for loosing Ember has made all the happy antics of feeding time disappear.
Maybe someday we'll have another blue Silkie hen, but there will never be another Ember.
We sold one of our rams, and the buyer liked him so much she gave us 11 duck eggs! 6 Muscovy, and 5 Mallard.
I plan to put them in the bator soon, and will keep you updated with their progress! I've never hatched Ducklings before so I am very excited! Stay tuned!
Funky Feather Foot Farm
3/1/13
The duck eggs are on day 3 now. I also set one of my D'uccle pullets egg, for a fertility test, and it is developing! Hoping for a Mahogany Mille fleur!
I'll keep you updated.
Funky Feather Foot Farm
3/6/13
I candled the eggs last night and could see little beating hearts!
Funky Feather Foot Farm
Little Ember.
Our little Ember went broody yesterday! She isn't sitting on fertile eggs (because she has not been with a cock in a while) so I have 8+ D'uccle eggs on the way, for her to hatch. They should be here tomorrow.
This is going to be her first clutch, so I'm hoping to have a "Broody Hen Diary".
Her pictures go from baby to broody.
Check back often for updates during this 21 day hatch!!
Fully feathered, and puzzled by dandelion stems.
She likes to stare at the "clicky thing".
At 5/6 months old.
7 months.
Here she is on her nest. :)
Check back for an update soon!!!
I'm gonna call the P.O. soon. Maybe her (my) eggs will be there. Check back soon!
The eggs are at the post office! We are gonna go pick them up. I'll post pictures when I get back.
Ember is out having a dust bath. An essential part of being a broody. ;)
They're here!! Mommy is sitting on the eggs right now. One of the eggs broke during shipping so I glued it (Yes you can glue eggs back together) and put it in the incubator. Gonna keep an eye on it for a while until hatching, then put it under mommy. Stay tuned!
She's still sitting. I candled the eggs yesterday night and I saw blood vessels! I'll try to take some pictures.
The Mille Fleur and the Golden Neck eggs are developing very fast! But, the Blue/Black mottled eggs were not fertile. None. So I sent an e-mail to her and hoping that she'll send replacements. * Hoping*
Well, she can't send replacements. Her breeders are in molt. Oh well, maybe next year.
Ember's eggs are in a week!! Yay!! I can't wait! And I'm sure Ember can't either. ;) I saw blood vessels in the cracked egg but its really behind compared to the others. Stay tuned!! :D
I have some bad news.
None of the eggs ended up hatching. And Ember is still sitting (along with her aunt "Minnie" who went broody about two days before Embers eggs were due). Poor thing. I have ordered more eggs for her and Minnie to sit on but its going to be at least 29 days till they hatch. I hope Ember doesn't mind too much.
Stay tuned!! The eggs should arrive Wednesday!
UPDATE: Almost a week ago I got 6 huge brown eggs from a farmer friend just so the girls can sit on something until the other eggs arrive (should be tomorrow or the next day). Ember's sister has also joined in on the fun of being a broody! Miss Poppi, a buff Silkie pullet. So now we have three broody hens. :D
Our little golden neck D'uccle chick had a crooked toe, so I made her a chick shoe.
Here she is with her little chick shoe on.
I made it using a band aid, and card board.
First I took a small piece of card board and trimmed it to about the size of her foot. Then I took the band aid and trimmed off the adhesive parts. I then placed her toes on the card board, spaced them out, then with the adhesive part of the band aid placed it over her foot, keeping her toes in place.
Within a day or two, her toe should be back to normal.
I'll post an update soon!
The chick shoe worked!! Her toe is perfectly normal!! My camera battery is dead but as soon as its charged I'll take some pictures. :)
Healed up great!!
